The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1917-07-07
To Parents and Others

The following communication ex-
plains itself:
| WAsHINaTON, d. O., June n, 1917
Hon. James Lyttle, Editor, The Herald
Meeker. Colorado:
MY DEAR Mr.. LYT-TLE-I wish
you would kindly advise me whether
or not your Business Mems Associa-
tion. the Red Cross Committee, or
any other organisation has collected
and is keeping up . correct and COM
plste record Of all the boys from your
county who are now in any branch OF
the government service. rs enlisted
men,, or ~ commissioned officers,
and are also prepared to keep the
record OF all those who will hereafter
enlist or be drafted?
II the county has no official list OF
this kind, trust you will pardon my
making an urgent suggestion to you
to take this matter up ut once with
the most appropriate organization in
your county, and have appointed a
permanent committee Of three or five
Of your most efficient and public
spirited citizens to systematically
undertake and accurately keep up
this work from now until the close of
the war.
A record Of this kind Ia now Of the
utmost importance, and will soon be
absolutely necessary to the people of
your county. In fact this list will
become . historic document of ire
menduous Importance In the future
This authentic record may determine
pensions, inheritances, and thousands
Of other questions for many years to
come. The record should be an
Official County War Record, rather
than q town or local record.
You want this record; first, that
Colorado, and especially your own
county, may have and receive full
credit for all Of her loyal sons who
respond to our country's call.
Secondly, your county owes this duty
to these splendid boys, SO that we
can keep track Of them, and their
parents and friends may always
know, as near as possible. where
they are. There will be deaths, and
wounds, and sickness, and many In
hospitals, and sadness in many
homes. The parents will want, and
are entitled to, the quickest and most
authentic information possible, to be
given an opportunity If possible to
afford relief.
Your committee should ask every
father or mother In your county, who
has son, or any one who has gone
from his or her home into the ser
vice. to 1t once send In to them the
boys name and age, and the branch
Of the service he lie In, and try to get
the regiment and company, II In the
Army, and the name of the ship, II
in the Navy, and the name Of the
higher officers; and all the data and
details they can reasonably get. They
ought to have the date and place Of
enlistment, name Of the parents, post
office address, and As complete
record As possible; and whenever the
boy makes a change Of any kind and
sends word home, the parents should
at once advise your committee so as
to keep the record up to date.
1t will only be short time now
until this war will become much
more serious and take much more Of
our attention than 1t does now. With
even the comparatively few men that
have thus far enlisted from each
county, am getting letters every
day from parents wanting me to
learn something about, or do some
thing for their boys, and in fully half
Of their letters and kilograms the in
formation they give me is entirely or
largely incorrect, requiring much
extra correspondence, telegraphing
and delay.
While the assistance Of your Con-
gresham Is only one minor reasons
for this work, at the same time II
your county has this complete record
you can much more expeditiously
obtain the information, or secure the
official assistance here in Washing
ton, which hundreds of parents are
soon going to very greatly want.
That Committee and 1 can keep
parents advised as to the, proper way
Of addressing letters to their sons in
Europe. The present proper way to
address them is as follows:
'John Smith, Jr.,
Co. X, - Infantry,
American Expeditionary Forces"