Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-03-06
RAYMOND nJERLE|D
ACTING CORPORAL
Tells About Army Life in Interesting
Letter From Vancouver, Wash.
Where He is Stationed.
DEBORAH BOYS
ALL MAKING GOOD
Says They Have Everything They
Need and No One Needs to
Worry About them.
Vancouver, Wash.
Thursday, Feb. 2S, 191

Thursday, Feb. 2S, 1919.
Dear Editor:
l received a copy OF your good
paIrer and wish to thank you for it.
l kIcv some people, if not all. es-
pecially parents, who have boys in
the service, are interested in the work
goir,g on il the different camps
throughout the country. l don't be-
lieve it necessary, in my case, to
write about the first lessons of a
soldier, as it is about the same every
where. Engineers have to go through
the drills the same as an infantryman,
but as rule Only get about ore
month. l am acting corporal and
have drilled several squads already,
but enc does not know whether you
hold this place permanently Or just
for the time being, until the day
when the captain or lieutenant, who
ever it might be, assigns you to the
place.
Last night, Wednesday, was our
first lesson in night school, which is
given to the corporals, sergents, first
class privates, and acting corporals,
and it amounted to nothing more
than. a lecture on discipline, cleanli-
ness. and the way you drill your
squads. Not boasting at all, Harold
Mckinney and his brother Claire are
good men and were that good that
they didn't need to go into the dunn
my squad, which has large number.
AS j look at this army ard the way
it is being drilled, it brings to mind
the old story or the man who made
the mouse trap, AID after he got it
made it was so good all the mice
came to his door. That story is just
an illustration of how our American
army is being made. 1t will be so
good that those fellows in Germany
who have spent all their lives learn
ing how to make hops, wish they
had been taught some other trade.
Since being here I have had the
rare opportunity Of hearing the
celebrated Maude Powell play, ard
she was up to all expectations and
looks as the pictures show her. She
is very congenial woman and pleas
ant to everyone, not one of the
naughty, stuck-up kind which no one
cares about.
This morning also spent an hour
listening to Major Birth of the Eng
lish army speak. He was one Of the
men that was in the first one hun
dred THOUSAND and. by the way. has
written book Of the same name.
He is q good-looking man. straight,
athletic looking and, guess, hasn't
been shot at all, anyway, not as I
could see. and I was within twenty
feet of him. Summing up what he
said, "that we have got them on the
run, the Allies are holding all their
own trenches with worlds of supplies
and ammu1ition, have cortrol of the
air and the sooner America can get
her army together ard relieve the
French a1d English. the sooner the
war will be over. But arother thing
that as long as the German people
over there don't come to their senses
arh wake up, We will have to fight
on. II the German officers want to
keep on sacrificing large numbers of
men on their mass formations, he
said. the better target we will have.
Then again we are surrounded, not
only here. but IN every country on
the globe by Germam agents who are
buying the press, circulating wrong
ideas and trying to get the people
to ask for peace, which will not be
giverI them.
After telling us that the people at
home will have to back up the army
he gave us a salute, wished us an ad.
venturous journey with good luck
and left for Portland, where he
speaks tO-right.
Now everything is OK. with your
Decorah boys and have everything
they need, so no one reeds to worry.
Again thanking you for past favors
aad wishing you good luck, l remain
Yours truly,
RAYMOND G. HJERLEID.