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Started on the 100-yard range. Went from the one
to the five. Of course, I always like to shoot a
gun, I came up through the country shooting rabbits
and squirrels, you know. Then they had the men
going in the trenches. First 100-yard range. You go
from one to five hundred. When you go to that
500-yard range, you complete it. And then if you
falling off on your shooting, they had the men
pulling target, you know.
Then your lieutenant was checking with you, your
shooting, so on and so on. To shoot shoulder to
shoulder, left to right. And we went from one to as
I said, five hundred, when you went to that
five-hundred yard range, then you was through, you
made it.
And then when you shoot and shoot off of it, you
never did get a break. You have what is called
author squad. And like men never did get down, but
so many of them never did get it. And they had them
keep going through with it. And finally, some of
them made it and some didn't, you know. So then
after we got out of that, they quarantined us in
for oversea duty.
Then I could head back home, went back to my
same job, then. And then I left there in 1919 and
come here and worked for Norfolk and Western
railroad.
I was there when McKinley got killed, president
you know, I was there that year when he got killed.
That's when I moved away.
I got ten cent an hour working ten hours a day.
Just cleaning up, had the big ball and oil and
planing mill dressing that lumber, you know, where
it would go through that dry kiln running at night
and put that steam in there, dry all that lumber,
out on a big truck, drove it in there and then put
it out on a machine with the rest of that dressed
lumber, pack in box cars, shipping it. They got a
plant there now, still be there.
I decided I wanted to railroad. So I heard about
Norfolk and Western in Roanoke Virginia, I hadn't
never been in Virginia. I had my recommendation,
Taft lumber company done give me a recommendation,
I didn't even pull it out of my pocket. But when I
got there, got to talking with them. They said yes
we're hiring fireman, well there it is yea, we'll
sign you up. He wrote me up and said there, it said
night.
And he asked me, when he got through, and I
still didn't ever show him my recommendation. He
says, well, now what we'll do, said we'll keep you
here out on the yard, and you'll work with engines,
turn them around on the yard till you learn them
and then we'll put you out on your run. You got the
job.
Then said all at once, he looked at me again, he
said what nationality are you? Well mostly that
time I've always said negro. I said I am a negro.
He said what? I am a negro. Tore the papers up you
know, and I looked at him and then he said no, no
more black fireman, the Brotherhood done got it.
Then he told me, well, we'll give you a job,
says, as a laborer, said but no more fireman, says
they cut it out. Then he said we have got three
black fireman running out of Roanoke now, and said
when they die they carry their job with them. Well,
that was then. So I found out that's the way it
was, and he says I'll give you a job, he gave me a
job then, and then I went to work at three o'clock
that afternoon the next day.
Oh yea, I think back all the time. One thing I
say now, I'm just so happy to think about myself
and my wife, the age we have. And then to be this
old and then to be able to be moving around and
going, and then I don't think about myself alone.
Well, the first thing I'll tell you is to pray,
and pray in earnest, and mean it, for everyone, not
just you alone, and all get along together, and be
happy. That's the best part of life.
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Name: L.S. LeGrande, 101 years old
Presently resides: Friendship Manor with
his wife, Fannie
Born: Richmond County, N.C. July 31, 1896
Moved to present hometown: Roanoke in
1919
Type of work after war: Worked for
Norfolk & Western
Family: Raised 9 children with his wife
Branch of service: Army Infantry, 13th
Battalion
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