The Redwood gazette., 1918-01-23
CHEEKY Letters to
Your Soldier Boy
CA Soldiers Mother in the Tampa,
Fla, Tribune.)

| the braVeSt soldier boys IN our Ialr
Florida, and, while | am very proud
of the honor of being the mother of
such boy, l am giving him up very
grudgingly My object in giving this
letter to the press is that might
warn other mothers who are as weak
as | am in writing their sorrows to
their loved ones in carp.
| I am woman Of impulse and when
anything comes to one of my three
boys that discomfort them, | loose
myself and give my heart out too
freely to those | love. So when l
got word that my second son had
joined the army and would possibly
have to leave in a short time, l for
got everything but my own selfish
sorrow and wrote hin. heart-break-
| ing letter, not thinking Of all he was
suffering, thinking only of my own
misery, and he taught me a lesson
that l shall never forget, and l want
other mothers to profit by my expert
ence and stop sending sorrow to their
loved ones in camp. Since this let
ter explains the consequences of such
letters, l wish other papers would
copy, so that every mother possible
can be reached.
| Mrs. Ollie Ilnny,
Pompano, Fla.
The letter follows:
Camp J. E. Johnston, Jacksonville,
Fla, Dec. 21, 1917. My Darling Dad
DIV and Mama: l was glad to hear
from you, but sorry you look at my
enlistment the way you do, for you
are not making any more sacrifice
than thousands of others. You have
each other and that is thousand
fold more than my dear little wife
has, and there never lived a dearer
or more faithful and sacrificing wom-
an on earth.
Someone has got to fight, and fight
like hell, to stop this war, and>l can
go better than Harvey and Henry,
and the sooner l go the longer they
: can stay.
l can't see that you are sacrificing
more than | am, and it is hard enough
, for me to hold straight face when
l get all the encouragement | can.
, My letters are for you and daddy
both | am writing as much to one
as the other.
| had no preference when | joined
the army. l got into the division
wanted-you can choose your division,
but not your work l was assigned
, to Motorcycle Company No. 1, which
/ is dispatch bearer from the front line
to the battle headquarters. 1t is as
safe as any place in the army, but
there are no safe places in the army
. in time of war.
I get a commission as first SER
geant. which is $6S per mohtn, and a
good chance for further raise.
| will get ten days furlough some
, time before l go to France, which
will be in about ninety days.
There are about 10000 men here
!, in camp and we all expect to come
back, although we all know that a
goodlv per cent of US will not come
) back, but we all think that it will be
) the other fellow who will stay, and
that is all that keeps US up.
) If each of US sat down and tried
to analyze our future they would
have to turn the camp into an asy-
lum. We have had several cases
that have had to go to the asylum
) since | have been here already. Boys
who simply brooded themselves to
death on account of letters from
; home, similar to the one | got this
5 a. m.
Now, please, for my sake, write me
encouraging letters and l will see
you before l go to France.
5 And | want you to brace up ano
} feel that if you sacrifice me | am
sacrificing, too, and we are only q
unit in the millions of sacrificero.
l love you and l love dad and
love my little sweetheart, who is the
; bravest woman l know, but | love
Old Glory, and my life is none toe
good to give it for her. And at the
} same time l am giving it for my
loved ones at home, and l don't know
5 how l could do more for my famil!
and my country.
If the single boys would get W
the manhood to say 81 will go, tina
? NV married brothers might stay will
X their families" we would have th'
: bravest army in the world.
o If you want to knit me something
; or better yet, get some olive drab
z colored handkerchief cloth and max
3 me some handkerchiefs, as ] can car
2 rv nothing with me but khaki-colore
z clothes and handkerchiefs are alway
3 useful.
9 Gertrude is going to knit me
Z sweater and helmet as | am goinI
> into snowy country and live out i
z the open air, so will need all the ex
3 tras / can get that will not be bun
z glesome.
z NV commanding officer says tha
; with my experience there is goo
g chance for me to be a lieutenant with
3 in a short time.
3 Well, love you both, and am fight
z ing that you might be free, and
3 need your prayers and encourage
9 ment. l will send you my picture a
< soon as l can get some made. Wit
8 love. VERNE.