The Mankato free press., 1918-07-12
JOHN ANDERSON CLAD TO PAY
HIS DEBT TO GRAND AMERICA
Mankato Photographer Writes Interestingly Of
What He Is Doing In Camp; Anxious to
Go Across Big Pond

Joe Reynolds, Mankato, MINI. Dear
Sir: / wrote you note on my way
from Baker field to Rocnester for
entrainment to Garden City for over
seas service. 1t was one of my hap
piest moments When my name was
called for overseas duty and zone of
my most disappointed moments when
found that it was soldier by the
name of George F. Anderson in place
of John.
The list of names first called was
changed altogether at the last mo-
ment 1t was found that there were
tCo many photographers in the unit
and not enough Of camera repair men,
mechanics, motor drivers and car
penters When these were added to,
there had to be some photographers
dropped and | and five more previous
photographers were dropped back.
One of the men ordered to go was
on the sick list. l volunteered to
take his place but nothing doing.
One of my close friends who has been
in the service for seven months want
ed a furlough to see his mother before
going over. l offered to take his
place and he take mine later on. The
top sergeant took it up with the
captain but nothing doing. / was
told they had something else in line
for me and that | would get to France
soon enough
A rumor was passed that the five
men dropped from the list with pre-
Uinnc do in,
structors or have charge of photo
units over in France Not me for
either of them if l can help it, But
it is not what l think, know or want
that counts, it is what I'll have to do
when orders are given. An instructors
job is all right for anyone that likes
to stay at home and wants to do and
tell the same thing over and over
again. 1t gets you nowhere, charge
of unit is too tame to tell other
people what to do. To have a change
to do it yourself is different l want
to get into action with the rest of
them. The more excitement there is
the more interest there is in the work
and then is the time person forgets
about his troubles and the time pass
eS faster.
peculiar thing with a soldier is
he wants to move all the time AS
soon as things get familiar to him at
one place he is longing to go to an
other and most of them long for
"over there" They know ! that they
got to go there ana finish up the job
and | guess the sooner the better,
1f 1Qo CT thot ic my
J think Of it, we have it better here
than at home, plenty of everything,
nothing to worry about, no danger OF
any kind, still we don't think of that
at all we want to go over. 1t seems
to be a feeling that grows into a per-
son as we so along training every
day. 1t is like magnet; that is
about the only way l can describe
| it.
| | don't know when l will go now
or where l will go. There is>a rumor
around here today that l am on a
list to leave next week. won't be-
lieve it before I'm on the boat and
part ways out on the ocean as the
orders change mighty quick in the
army. There must be something in
the air as l have asked for a fur
lougn and was refused. We were told
perhaps later when assigned to q
unit | would, provided my unit was
not ready to go over.
Baker field is beautiful place. II
is new aviation camp. Although il
is not ready yet we have a number
of planes and some flying has been
done. We are not allowed to say
any thing about what has taken place
or what takes place here, but there
are very exciting moments at times
This camp is small, so it is not very
practical for our work, so we will
either be sent across or to another
floid FOR practice. I don't know how
long the balance of my company will
stay mere. Some were sent over ant
some with drafting or map makins
experience were sent to Cornell fol
more training so there are not very
many left. We were sent out more
for to make room for new class il
school,
! We sleep in tents here. The frs
night we had to sleep in what /:
known as pup" tents. Some of Us
did not take the time to secure then
IN stormy weather and we had {
lfierce one the first night. From m,
own experience and from the story
the guards tells us. there sure WI:
good material for good writer ant
a cartoonist to furnish him will
material for Sunday funny pane
for some time to- come. l knew