The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1918-07-18
61O Aero Squadron,
Camp Greene, Charlotte, N. G..


Dear Sis: want to be frank with
YOU and say cut out the sob stun
in your letters! And look here, hon
ev. tell mother the same, when you
get a chance. | know you mean It,
all right, you love me, and all that
Believe me, | appreciate what home
and love mean, more now than ever
before. But | hate to think OF you
and mother working yourselves up
into state over me, what / have to
20 through, and so on, churning your
selves into hysteria and telling me
mother sshas the saddest face you ever
saw"
Cut it out, honey. Be woman,
not a child!
Do this: If you haven't bought .
service flag go and get one-you
know, the little red flag with q white
center and blue star in 1t, showing
that the house has sent one fellow
to do his bit. And every time you
see that flag, don't hang your head
and look sorry, but throw up your
chin and-excuse me, sis!--stiffen
your spine! 1t makes me feel like q
bluefish to get those fearful letters
lots Of the other boys get them, too.
and they feel as / do when they read
them. We haven't got any time for
feeling glum; we're learning new
Job, and we're hard at work
You don't know how it makes us
feel mad clear through when we
think of all the women folks at home
writing those tear-stained letters to
the fellows. Why don't you back us
up, send us the kind of stuff that
puts pep and strength into a man
When mother broke down and wept
all over me that day left home ]
felt like jumping off the trestle. Good
night! | know it isn't easy. 1t isn't
always easy for me. But we have
all just got to play the game.
Let me tell you just what these
blue-funk letters do; Six hundred OF
the boys in my regiment left here
last night to go south for intensive
training. They were the bluest crowd
you ever saw. Why? Because they
were that much nearer the trenches
Don't you believe it. They're full
of fight, and they're going after the
lob like wild cats. But they felt
low because they had been getting
that kind of letters from home-the
sob stuff and because thew can't make
the folks back home see that it's all
right, that they're healthy and happy
and strong. If they had only beer
getting the right kind Of cheer-uT
stuff from homo, how differently
they would feel Every time a wo-
man sits down and writes sad
weepy letter to soldier, she gives
him several hours Of blue funk.
And if you write that way now
what will you and mother spring OF
me when I really get "over there"
Now, / want you and mother, anC
everyone else I love to know tbs
truth. Of course, this soldering ISM
picnic. But, honest, it's the fines
life ever dreamed of; it's clean and
hard and full of spunk. Our officers
are dandy feIlows-T tell you, we'rs
proud of them. One Of them's {
millionaire, the son of old B.
you've read about in the papers; anC
you ought to see that fellow work
He does the foot inspection in oui
company; not a pleasant job, wher
the men come back from a long hike
The fellows who don't take care o.
their feet get blue blazes, too. Al
our officers are college men. Yoy
know / used to say that those fel.
lows were soft. I take it back.
Of course, when I came down her,
with the second draft / was a BIZ
blue at first, little sorry for my
self. Now that I've been here |
month / wouldn't quit if I could
They've made me acting corporal, ans