Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-12-07
ENLISTED MEN TELL WHY
THEY JOINED THE ARMY

| THEY JOINED THE ARMY
Our first forces in France were
volunteers, parts of the regular Ar.
my, tho many of the cnlistments
were recent. The motives leading the
men to join such an army are varied
and in many cases humorous or pa
thctic. a Y. M. C. A. Secretary in
France, who had won the confidence
of the men withw HON he was asso-
ciated, wondered why each man had
come. So he arranged that they
should hand in cards telling why
they had enlisted. Mr.. Author Glea-
son presents some of the answers in
the New York Tribune as "the first
real word from the soldier himself
of why he has offered himself" These
replies came from two battalions of
an infantry regiment. wich, for mil
iEary reasons can not be identified
Mr.. Gleason puts them in several
groups One is the sturdily patriotic
Thus, one soldier says:
"My reason in 1907 was that liked
the service and wanted to try for
something new and bright for my
country"
Others say: because my country
needs me-; "to catch Villa; 81 want
ed to get the Kaiser's goat; "for the
benefit of the American army; $50
patriotic and didn't know what it
was; "Mexican trouble, 1917; 81
felt like my country needed me, and
wanted to do something for it, and
that was the only way | was able to
do anything for my dear country, tho
good old U. S. Az; 81 never did any
thing worth while on the outside, so
| dedicated myself to my country
that 1 might be of some use to some
one; "a couple of Germans; "to
serve God and my country"
Another class of answers deals
with what is in the blood of youth
1.-The desire to taste adventure, to
see the world, and see France. Here
are Il few in this group:
'To do my duty and see the world'
"to see the world, ha! ha!"; "because
l thought would like that kind of a
life, and didn't know what kind of
a life would have to lead in this
hole; "got tired of staying at home
81 was seeking adventure and change
of environments" "to kill time and
fight; "to see France; / was dis
couraged with the civilian life and
wanted to get some excitement; "to
have chance to ride on the train;
never had ridden; "they said | was
not game and l was, and because
wished to-; because l wouldn't stay
in one place any length of time,
thought if / would be ready % settle
down. think that is as good thing
lps any boy could do; "to see the
world; 81 had tried everything else
so l thought would try the army
Another group of answers deals
with the individual human problem
of hunger and loneliness. These that
follow illustrate this:
'To fight, and for what money wa.
in it,; "thrce good square meals ant
a BATH; because l was disguised
with myself and thought it would
make man out of me"; 81 was toS
lazy to do anything else"; 81 was
stewed"; "to get some clothes, plac,
to slep and something to eat; be
: cause ! was hungry; because | wa!
nuts with the dobey heat" (dobey is ;
Mexican slang word brought up b.
the boys from the border); "becaus,
had to keep from starving"; "il
view of the fact that / was so deli
cate and physical wreck | joined TIL
Army, hoping to get lots of fresh al
and exercise, which l have sure got
! ten, and am ready to go home at an,
time; 81 was in Jail and they cam
; and got me. Hard luck!"; "becaus
/ did not have no home; I got hun
gry"; "pork and beans were high a
the time; "three square meals da
and flop"
); The voice of State rights speak i
u the replies of two men from the sout
"To represent the State of Ken
lucky"
ain answer to call from IN
= State, Mississippi. and to see some
thing of the world, too"
: Then, too, there are a number tina
refuse to be classified; each has it
: own note of suffering or audacity @
: humor: