Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-26
MOTHER OF YOUNGEST SAMMEE
TELLS STORY OF HIS ENLISTMENT
Resented 1t at First, but
Now She's Resigned to
Giving Him Up
He's Only Is, but She Knew
Instinctively He'd Become
a Man

There isn't a mother in this war 0who
mas sent her son TO the front. who hasn't
asked herself: Why must 1t be my boy?
As she spoke. Mrs Sydney Lomas smiled
sadiy' She had been sitting alone in the
dusk, her thoughts very far away, for her
boy is in France.
He is Norman Lomas, of 5O4 East John
son street, Germantown, the youngest Sam
NEE at the front When he enlisted he was
ntteen. He swore to eighteen and because
he was tall and physically perfect. he got
by the recruiting officers
he came home one Monday afternoon"
SAID his mother. at was Just after the
flrst call to the colors. Usually he went
10 the Y, NJ. {. A. for a swim on Monday.
and he would be late getting home, so |
was surprised when he walked in about half
past four
He Is so tall that I have to look up
| to him, and it struck me as I stood there
| IN the hall, how grown up he was Then
looked at his eyes: he has big, blue eyes"
she stopped a minute.
II knew then that he had made some
Dig decision; that my little boy had gone
| forever. For he had the gaze of a man,
and 1t frightened me.
| i said to him: Norman. where have you
| oeenF What have you done? And he
| never raised his voice as he answered me
| I've enlisted, mother
1T stunned me for a minute Then It
| came over me that there must be some way
| to get him back. OF course there was n
way. He was under age.
| II clung to this hope as I demonstrated
| with him:
| why you are only boy. You can't
enlist. You are under age. You never
said you were eighteen. Norman
| Yes, but l did. Don't try to change
anything, mother. I have made up my
steel
| His father came in later. and we had
| II out We argued most of the night His
| father said 1t should not be. Norman just
sat there with his jaw set. At last we went
to bed, heart sick and worn out, but we
couldn't change the boys mind
| ''Of course there was one thing left 10
| do. we could go to the recruiting office and
| prove that he was under age but that
meant dishonorable discharge from the
Marine Corps. knew that it would break
Norman's heart and that he would never
| forgive me. 50 | decided that had best
let matters rest. He was only In the Marine
| Reserve, any way. And every one assured
us that he wouldn't be sent to France for
a year or longer.
He was ordered to report at the navy
yard the day after he enlisted. That was
bad enough, but he got home several times
a week. and that was some comfort. / con
soled myself with the thought that I woult
have him close by for long time. Ther
came the call for volunteers to 60 tc
| France, and he offered himself.
"By that time l was resigned to any
thing. / had gone through the torture O.
lying safe and warm in bed. hearing tn,
rain coming down in torrents outside anc
knowing that my boy was out in it on guarC
duty. I had died a thousand times and
had imagined all that was awful and hope
less.
GLAD HER BOY HAD DONE 1T
Then it came to me at last that I wa
one of about a million American mother!
that had been called upon to give up thei
sons, and began to understand why It wa'
necessary for me to do It, and l .~~1e e
the place where I was glad my boy haC
done what he did.
He came home one Sunday and told u
he expected to sail early that week-prob
ably Tuesday. He fooled around tn
kitchen a lot and raided the cakebox--h
loves chocolate cake--and finally he started
toward the door.
Norman I called, you're never goini
off without telling US all good-by.' He jus
waved his hand and said
I'm coming out tomorrow night to sa,
good-by,' and he was down the steps ant
away.
"The transport sailed the next morning
instead Of Tuesday. OF course, he ddn'
know that when he left me, but think h
was relieved to go without real good-by
He might not have been so brave then, bu
believe he would have tried mighty hard
Hes a quiet boy. He never had any
thing to say to any one about his enisting
He hated to talk about it, He never fel
that he was doing anything unusual. III
| had just decided from the first that he ha'
to GO That was all there was to It,
"All the boys from the high school CONF
around to see me now. And their mothers