The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-10-15
A BRAVE BOYS LETTER.
Tells Why He Leaves Ambulance Serv-
ice to Become Aviator.

Boston Herald
To the Editor of the Herald:
The enclosed copy of letters from our
son, B. Hammond Tracy, IT., may be Of
interest to you and may also help some
other young fellow to see his duty in
a clearer light. Our boy left last Feb
ruary for France with the Harvard unit,
sailing on the same boat with young
Craig. Was with section at Verdun,
where he attained his majority. Later.
was in the Champagne district, en-
camped on the ancient battlefield Of
Attila, the Terrible Hun. This letter
was written from there.
He is now with section 3, Armee
4 Orient, on the Macedonian front
B. HAMMOND TRACY.
Wenham, Sept %.
Dear Mother and Father:
Your letters came to me Yesterday,
and now | wish | had said nothing
about aviation until nearer the end Of
my ambulance service. | am sorry YOU
take aviation so hard, for the mortality
lis only S per cent more than that of the
infantry. The whole argument amounts
to this: | am first of all of military
age and must take up some service,
now that we are at war, am physically
fit for aviation, while there are mil
lions over and under age available for
amhulanciers and camions Do YOU wish
me to be called an ambuscade when !
come home? And that is what they call
us here now that America is at war.
The air life is bit more dangerous,
but death comes from n little bullet
and is quick and clean. One is not
blown into infnity by marmite or 9th
er high explosives which leave unbe-
Gevable holes III one s body. One
fights man to man in the air.
must do some military duty. and
/ my six months experience and my
| knowledge of French are Of value to
those whom | am trying to help. After
| all, If | am not to survive this war.
what difference does it make how |
/ 90 about it! No one wants TO come
| home more than | do No one is more
| fed up on this war than I am. but my
wishes and your wishes are almost moth
| ing. Our sorrow is like sunshine when
| you think of the SORROW caused bv -hG
death of the 100000 men who have
died since August, 1914. One learns
to feel that death is easy after watch.
| ing these Frenchmen die.
And are you. my mother and my
father going TO refuse to sacrifice one
son, when millions of others have done
far more2 Could Won have followed
me through some Of the places I have
been the last week. YOU would hav,
Infinite confidence in my luck. Some
thing more than the power of a piece
of gold is guiding me through these
bursting shells
j. Is going into aviation and his
mother has no dear little sisters t,
take his place. Perhaps | am wrong
to urge YOU to let me 90 on but
have all the papers made out and tax,
the medical examination soon. In Amer
Iaca we are taught that one s countr,
comes first and am / now to throw oyel
the legacy of the revolution2 In Franc,
an aviator is considered worth ! .00i
lmen. Can You imagine my being WORT
900 men. However, this Is no tim
flor joking. Only think Of the million
who have lost more than | can eve
he, of mothers who have lost severa
sons, as well as their husbands an,
their daughters ruined by German off
tcers, OF husbands fighting, never know
ing the fate Of their sons, wives an,
daughters. God is watching me, an,
llf anything goes wrong. sorrow a Httl
land thank God that you could sacrifc
one SO dear to You in the cause o
, right. When you have decided, writ
to me at once. All my plans shall
stop until I hear again. Let b
read this letter. l do hope he viii
never he called to leave America 70
this God forsakeu country.
/ have little news to tell This i
) reeonquered territory and no one j
, living above the ground, Wheat field
p are the only gardens, with patches o
Efadishes and lettuce about. Weather j
[ wonderful.
/ Once more let me assure YOU that
, realize how much I owe to YOU and DAD
and will come home al permission, com
F. home only to return, for | could nevc
/ stay away from this war now until
= ends.