The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1918-06-20
IA LETT TER FROM A
RED CROSS NURSE

OF you. But as soon as we nave won
for Democracy l will be with you
again. The Red Cross nurses appoint
ed for military service constitute the
Army Nurse Corps Reserve, andw are
in for the duration Of the war.
Please do not waste any sympathy
for me. / love the work, and find
conditions so much better than had
looked for.
y Our transportation came to Stay
ton, where Miss Larson lives. We were
assigned to duty together and are still
together. We have nice little room
Of our own in a real house. Who
ever would have dreamed of such lux
ury in army life? a..
There are forty-five nurses assign
ed to this post. They are all very
nice girls and come from all parts
Of the Union.
The boys seem to be glad that we
are here. They report numerous un-
comfortable conditions that existed
among the sick before the nurses
came. VITA
n | have charge Of ward of forty
SIX patients. There are only two
more nurses, but with the assistance
of the Hospital Corps men we manage
very WELL We will find the work
more strenuous, fear, when we re-
ceive our patients from the battle
front. The boys who are convalesc-
ing also help us in every way they
can. ~ ~. @ss E.
. I should not call them boys, how
ever, should say "The enlisted men"
when l am not speaking Of the COM
missioned officers. But they all seem
like boys. and most Of them are mere
boys, so l will continue calling that
to you. Right here I must tell you
that if you have a friend who is an
officer, whatever his rank may be, do
not call him ''soldier-boy." He does
not like it. I do not know why.
The discipline is stricter9 in mill
tary hospital in many ways. How
ever, I like the work better. The
patients are all more appreciative
than those of civilian hospital. They
| try their best to make it pleasant for
the nurses.
There are number of colored
troops here. To certain degree the
old race prejudice seems to be forgot
ten. It is only right that it should
be when they are sacrificing all to
join us in the fight for Freedom. One
of the nurses and l were speaking OF
the good traits of one Of these boys
when the ward master came along
and said: "Who is dead?" mo one
swell, who is receiving such compli-
ments 2" That is evidently one point
on which army life and civilian life
compare. You get your laurels when
you are dead. q"
It does not startle me any more
when the cannon goes off. Not If
know it is coming. But | still get
.'bawled up" in addressing the diff
erent officers who come into our ward
They smile and take any title from q
nurse You are not supposed to cal
a medical officer q doctor, although
thatsis really what he is, plus com,
mission and uniform. Woe unto
the soldier who forgets his superior
rank. There are a few Who forget te
salute, but only once do they forget:
l am learning to recognize the diff.
J! ferent ensignia. One Of the boys hac
. explained to me the different branches
of service that is designated by the
different colored hat bands, when 9
man walked by that had no band or
his hat. l asked "what does no banc
at all mean" 1T means that he has
lost it,"
| When the boys get into converse.
ton among themselves, it invariably
drifts to home and the folks. This
among the sick boys. Most of then
| avoid all but the ''home- sick" No one
claims immunity from this disease
You may have been told that delica'
1 cies from home are not good for your
boy. When I decide for the aftirma-
time I will let you know Uncle Sam
keeps his boys we'll fed, but it is the
touch from home that they long for
I wish you could see how eagerly the
home parcels are received, not only
by the recipient, but all his friends
/ The letter hour is the crisis. After
that their condition is either better
or worse for the rest of the day.,
The time passes SO rapidly here
Each day is filled with work, humo1
and pathos. We nurses are here fol
the purpose Of doing our bit toward
making our army strong. 1t needs
physical. mental and spiritual
strength. It's members acknowledge
this need. This is frequent remark;
eve have a big job ahead Of us"
+ There are numerous factors at work
to give them courage. The Y. M. G.
A. and Knights Of Columbus 60 right
with them. Military training imparts
self confidence. Well wishes and
prayers from home do wonders. The
/ Red Cross gives them individual at
tention. The love of country ensplres
them with zeal and energy. Conf
dence that Divine power is with them
4 for the right, leads them all in one
assurance Of ultimate victory and per
manent peace.
| You may not think Of a soldier as
being religious. According to the or
thodox standard, he probably is not
However, there is better understand
ing between him and his Maker than
there was before. I have not heard
any profanity among the enlisted men
If it is withheld merely for the re-
spect for the nurses, / am sure that
it would slip sometimes when they
think US out Of hearing.
Judging the men of the army that
! we meet here, as a good average OF
the whole army, have no doubt but
that we can look for great things
when they get to the front.
You will hear from me again.
Anna Hangar, R. N.
jefferson Barracks