The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-01-08
The Happiest Moment
In A Mans Life

tBy Wallace Hull Miller, of the
Nigilantes.)
The happlest moment in mans
life should be the moment when he
puts on 4 United States uniform and
offers himself to his country and to
humanity. 1t is at TINS moment that
he feels the greatest thrill in his life
the thrill of Americanism.
These words need very little am
plitication. Think Il moment on their
significance and the consistent his
toric truth represented by them.
Can you stand on Plymouth Rock
or Bunker Hill without your blood
coursing faster? Can you read the
story OF Daniel Boone and the long
list of sturdy pioneers who drove
back the savage hordes and pushed
forward the horizon of civilization;
can you recall the stirring career OF
John Paul Jones and the valiant
men of the infant navy who cleared
the seas and made them safe for
the Stars and Stripes; can, you recall
the dash and daring of Stephen De-
catur and his associates who broke
the power of Tripolitan pirates and
won the way for the freedom of
shipping; can you tell your children
about Washington and his patriotic
armies that gave life and vitality and
power to the Declaration of 1ndepen-
dence, without this thrill of Ameri
canism?
This is the wonderful story that
| runs through the whole fabric of our
national life, the story of the persis
tent, courageous self-sacrifcing fight
often against discouraging odds, for
| human freedom and the right of the
| individual TO make the most of HIM
self. We tell of the fearful strug-
gle of the Civil War with its intense
heroism, Abraham Lincoln and the
| birth of the Emancipation Proclama-
| ton. Can't you see the children
| thrill as they listen and their eyes
grow bright with the thought that
| they, too, are American citizens?
And all this panorama of splendid
| achievement and fighting for right,
justice and equality is but a back
| ground of the present world struggle
| in which We have our part as COM
| rades of the Nations that are uphold
| ing the things most dear to man
| kind. What a timid, pitiful figure
| is he who shrinks from the sound of
| the fray and hears not the glorious
call to the 'colors, the summons to do
a mans work in an Americans way.
Thank God, the spirit of our ia
theirs still lives exultant, athletic,
purposeful and determined.
This day l received letter from
| friend training in Fort Ethan Allen,
in Vermont. This friend is a youth
| who has all that life can give, wealth,
| education. social and business stand
ing, yet he gladly responded to the
call for volunteers and writes these
glowing words after weeks in camp:
This training is already making
| finer men of us. We are learning
| that we must risk and give of all we
have to save and rebuild men, and
| instinctively we are all starting on
| ourselves, and are working to our
utmost to SO shape our lives that we
can do this work and do it fearlessly
| and well when We go to France. In
| short, we are trying to build up
Esprit O irving d11 thinking winch
is as far as possible in accord with
/ the ideals for which we are fighting.
The result is we are building a camp
of serious-minded, clean-living men
of true optimism, and we hope of
Christians. We are going into this
war not in the spirit of killing,
Though killing must be done) but
only in the spirit of service and with
the highest ideals of giving to 9th
ers. l firmly believe that any man
with the right stuff in him who en-
tiers this work and will override the
privations and sacrifices he must
make, will come out far better man
than when he enlisted. And while l
appreciate what enlistment may
mean, 1 also know that if any man
sees it as his duty to his country and
his God to fight for Liberty and
Christianity he will be the happiest
man in the world when he puts on a
United States uniform and gives
himself to Uncle Sam"
Heaven help and pity you if you
can read that without feeling the
Thrill of Radiant Americanism!