Mexico Missouri message., 1918-08-01
Going To France
Frank Owings "Going Over" About
This Time-WilI Be In Charge
OF The Seamen GUARDIAN Inter-
esting Letter.

to his grandfather and grand
mother, of this city, Mr.. and Mrs.
w. N. Boatman:
18th Reg. Hqtr's Aviation Unit,
Great Lakes, ILL.,, July Is, 1918.
Dear Mamma and Papa:
l received Aunt Birds letter the
other day but l have been awfully
busy since Il came back off my trip.
l have charge of all the drilling of
all the Foreign Service Men in the
Regiment.
l was signed up for draft to go
to Paulliac, France, to the U. S. Ma
val Aviation Base No. 3, but on ac-
count of my service records being
misplaced 1 could not go with that
bunch. But l will go over about
the first of August on the third Of
the draft The draft is in three
parts; the first left the 18th, the
second leaves the 29rd, and the
third leaves August 4th. Now,
don't start to worry about me, as
will have the same kind of work
there as l have here. l will be in
charge of the Seaman Guard there
and the base is just like this station
here, and it is about 400 miles from
the battle front. The station there
is to build planes for service there.
I was chosen out of 4,9S9 men here
in this Regiment to take the
place. | was promoted from seaman
to boatswain, mate End class, with
an increase of pay. My pay now Is
$500 with a 20 per cent increase
for foreign service. That is some
thing that seldom happens in the
regular service for a man to jump
rating. 1t is easy to do in the re-
serves but awfully hard to do in
the Regular service.
1 have had about 1000 men to
drill the last week here; you see
that is an ordinary regiment in it.
self but there are 4,9S9 men here
in this 18th Reg. so / have my
hands full now. Just because I'm
going over to France, as l have said
before, don't worry. After l get
across I'll be as safe there as here.
All the officers here seem to
hate to see me leave, but say that L
deserve what am getting and they
won't hold me back. Mr.. Wright
Regiment Commander, told me that
of all of his Company and Battalion
Commanders l was topmost OF them
all and if | needed help of any kind
why just let him. know ana ne
would recommend me for any ad-
vance wanted. He said well
they wanted a good man for the
place, a man that could handle II
as # should be handled, a man on
whom they could depend, so l am
sending the best man in the Regi-
ment." Sounds good, doesn't 1t?
Well, left home to make good
here. | am, and that isn't all, I'm
going higher than that
We haven't drawn a pay since
7 was back from furlough, think
NAV not before we leave, but wheh
il come I'm sure to send 1t nome
IL Won haven't received my insur-
ance papers, you will-$1O,OOO.
Have been out on rifle range
: again and have again qualified as
marksman. With Lewis machine
gun made 1914 out of a possible 235
on 500 yards. With rugulatior
rifle / made 156 out of 200 on 40C
: yards range. With As automatic
pistol, "a out of 105 on so yd
range Thursday will take a com
pany out on 1000 yard range, ,and
try to qualify as expert rifleman.
10:30---Td better go to sleep al
I've had hard day teaching the
; new ways of fighting with bayonet
How that has come out since thu
war started. l received special in
structions in that from a Marine
sergeant that might be abele to in
struct these foreign service men
Don't forget what said about wor
rying, I'm not going over in th
= trenches to fight but to take charg
of the seaman guards there in al
aviation camp, camp similar t
this station only it is in France in
stead of the United States.
Frank Owings.
18th Regiment Headquarters
Aviation Unit, Great Lakes, Ill.