Editor’s note: This article ran in the Sept. 26, 1946, issue.
Or would you rather be a mule? It wouldn’t be so bad if you could be a mule with the 611th Field Artillery Bn. (Pack) of the Mountain Training center at Camp Carson where you’d have a chance to develop your personality.
Some of the mules in this pack battalion—the only mule pack outfit in the U.S. Army—have personality plus. These long-eared critters usually have a reputation for anything but cooperation. But that’s not so in the 611th where the men of the outfit have taught many of the animals not only to perform their duties as pack animals and riding mules but have taught them a number of tricks that are difficult for even horses to accomplish.
For example there are a number of classy jumping mules which in spite of their short legs can outjump many of the fine horses shown at Colorado Springs horse shows. Kathy Kay, Hamilton T. Bones (Hambones for short), and Mitzi can all jump four feet with a seven foot spread which is good for a horse and amazing for a mule.
Then there’s old Socks—thought to be the only mule with four white feet. Socks is 10 years old and a regular Army veteran. He’s learned to put his front foot on a bat extended from a pedestal and stand there patiently until told to put it down. He’ll put both front feet on the small pedestal, too. This is the third time Socks has been sent to Carson having been here with two other outfits. He knows his way around the place.
Sugar rationing has put a cramp in much of a reward for performance for these mules—a few gentle words and pats on the nose seem to be enough praise for the animals. According to the old mule packers the taste for sugar is acquired in mules. It’s a lesson in patience to watch the fellows work with a pet mule. The men are very careful how they handle and speak to their pets. It’s amazing the things they accomplish with a few gentle words and caresses behind the ears. The mules crave affection and attention like any other animal.
Glamour boy of the battalion is Oakie, 10-year-old veteran, who is considered by Army veterinarians to have almost perfect conformity. He’s had his picture in almost every training manual written for pack animals. Whenever there’s an exhibition staged, Oakie takes part. Smart as well as good looking, Oakie was once swimming with a full pack across a lake as part of a mule demonstration when the pack became too heavy for him and he went under. The third time he went under he managed to slip the saddle and swim to shore. The packers are still trying to figure out how he slipped the pack saddle.
Bringing out the best in these mules took considerable time and effort of the men on their off-duty hours, according to Capt. Paul M. Nestler, executive officer of the outfit. It takes 30 days to gentle a mule and 60 days to condition him. A well-trained pack mule can carry anything from eggs to a gun load if he has been taught the proper gait. Most of the trick mules have been trained to walk like horses and are used for riding mules but they can be used for pack animals also. It’s an art to teach a green mule to be an Army pack mule. Once again the men use gentle words and affection but maintain a firm hand.
The comical but very useful Army mule played a big part in the recent war in all theaters where he packed equipment into places inaccessible to motor vehicles. Here at Carson, the home of the Army pack mule, the 611th FA Bn. And the 35th QM pack troop are teaching men in all branches of the Army how the mule pack operates in mountain warfare. So, it’s not so bad being an Army pack mule, doing useful work and at the same time having a good time—especially when you can outshine some of the horses in your battalion.