Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1918-03-08
SHERMAN WRITES FROM FRANCE
Letter from Former Track Star Read
in High Schools Flying Cadet in
Aviation Service.

boro high school read to the school
Tuesday letter from Flying Cadet
Laurence G. Sherman, formerly q star
on tho high school track team, son of
Manager and Mrs. George T.. Sherman
of the Brooks House, written in France
Jan. Q. At the request of The Phoenix
Mr.. Smith permits its publica'
ton. Cadet Sherman writes:
My dear Mr.. Smith
On the last day of 1917 the package
sent me by the high school arrived.
When l saw the picture of that old
school building it surely did set me
thinking of all the people and the
things they were doing. l want to
thank you for remembering me and
for sending such appropriate things.
The raisins are still going strong but
the chocolate lasted just about one
minute. If you could eat the choco-
late we get here you would appreciate
just how much a cake of Peter 8 means
over here. Since left of here l re-
ceived a clipping with all the names
of the. high school alumni and others
who are in the service. 1t will be in
teresting to see how many will come
back Probably whole lot of peo-
pie would think that was n blood.
thirsty and pessimistic way to look at
things. However when you get mixed
up in it its a whole lot different.
Another clipping came q short while
ago telling about the wonderful game
at Bellows Falls. You can bet l would
have iourneyed a long way to see it..
You will have to give the boys an
awful lot of credit, for they had a
whole lot of things to contend with.
All the same when yoi, come to think
things over and see good, clean teams
come out the front door of that old
school every year, you just have to
know that it isn't all the boys. You
will have to lay some of the success
to "Died' himself. Without doubt
he s the best school coach in the coun-
try. I might say that right on the
back of this clipping was another ac-
count of game in which some boys
from Providence seemed to be mixed
up. That didn't interest me quite as
much, especially the score. C'est la
gucrre! You hear that all around here,
so why not lay that fateful event up
against it, too. The mess call just blew
and you know what that means in the
army.
We didn t have much to eat today
"bully' beef and rice. No doubt you
have read about the winter we have
over here. Well, all they say about it
is fine and then some. The one we are
having here would run the one in old
Vermont an awfully close second. We
have about four inches of snow and
the wind bowls most all the time.
There arc very few woods and prac
tically no hills so that wind has full
sway, and it sure does sweep. 1t seems
pretty cold here but mostly because
it is very damp. This is funny place.
Every day it is gray and murky, but
the nights are most always clear and
bright. They may talk about this
"Sunny France but they'll have to
talk to somebody besides me.
About the first day / was here l
found Jack. Adams, LINCOLN g and
Icons brother. He enlisted directly
from the ambulance and started flying
at (censored), he already has his com.
mission. That's about all L can tell
you about the flying for the Censorship
is so strict. AL the planes here are of
the fighting type and the stunts you
see every day would make the exhibit
ton flying at home look like awful
pikers. l suppose that isn't, proper
expression to use to o professor, but it
answers the purpose so why go further.
The Christmas we had here was a
wonder The Red Cross gave every
man a little bag filled with everything
one could ask for. However there was
one thing l couldn't understand. The
stuff they had in it was all French ex-
cept the cigaretts and tobacco. Candy,
tooth paste, tooth brush and soap were
all French. / thought it was the Amer
lean idea to conserve all French stuff.
Still, funny things happen in the army.
Christmas morning our bunch of cadets
were called out with our little bags
and some "movie" company took our
pictures. They said the Red Cross was
to use them in the states for advertis-
ing purposes.
There is a Miss Wheeler from Bur
! lington who is in the Red Cross work
in this camp. | believe her father is
professor at Vermont. The work
that these ladies are doing is a wonder
full thing. They work from morning
till late at night and always with a
smile and CHEEKY word for everyone.
Without them life around here would
be pretty dull and lonely.
This is n whole lot longer letter than
l started out to write and as usual |
haven said whole lot. | want to
thank you again, Mr.. Smith, for remem-
berng us over here, and believe that
it was appreciated. If any of your
! kids have an open study period
would be more than glad to hear from
them. With kindest regards to your
self and the rest of the teachers, | am
Very sincerely.
LAURENCE SHERMAN.
Flying Cadet l.. G.. Sherman, 3rd
Aviation instruction Detachment
A. +. f., France, via New York, Cadet
Co. No. |.
This is the only address / have sc
| don I blanc mo