The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1918-08-09

In Spezia, the Italian port officials
quarantined us for fourteen days on
account Of smallpox. During this period
our food was pretty bad; In fact, the
meat became rotten. This could hard
ly have happened on an American ship,
because they are provisioned with
canned stuff and preserved meats, but
the French ships, like the Italian, de-
pend on live stock, fresh vegetables,
etc., which they carry on board, and
we had expected to get large supply
Of such stuff at Spezia. Long before
the fourteen days were up we were
out of these things, and had to live on
anything we could get hold of-mostly
hardtack, coffee and cocoa.
We loaded a cargo of airplanes for
the italian aviators at the French fy-
ing schools, and started back to Brest.
On the way back we had target prac-
tice. In fact, at most times on the
open sea, 1t was regular part Of the
routine.
1t was during one Of these practices
that the French officers wanted to
find out what the Yankee gunner knew
about gunnery. At a range Of eight
miles, while the ship was making eight
knots an hour, with fourteen-inch
gun I scored three d's-that Is, three
direct hits out of five trials. After
that there was no question about 1t. AS
a result, was awarded three bars.
These bars, which are strips of red
braid, are worn on the left sleeve, and
signify extra craftsmanship. l also
received two hundred and fifty francs,
or about fifty dollars In American
money, and fourteen days shore leave.
All this made me very angry, oh,
very much wrought up indeed-not
I saw a merry life for myself on the
French rolling wave If they felt that
way about gunnery.
/ spent most of my leave with my
grandmother In ST. Nazaire, except for
a short trip made to star-shell fac
tory. This factory was just about like
one / saw later somewhere in Amer
lea, only in the French works, all the
were men. and they were "blesses"
(wounded).
When my leave was up and said
good-by to my grandmother, she man.
aged a smile for me, though / could
see that it was pretty stiff work. And
without getting soft, or anything like
that, can tell you that smile stayed
with me and 1t did me more good than
you would believe, because 1t gave me
something good to think about when
was up agains. the real thing.
hope lot Of you people who read
this book are women, because have
had II In mind for some time to tell all
the women I could q little thing they
can do that will help lot. am not
trying to be fancy about II, and I hope
you will take it from me the way I
mean Il.
When you say good-by to your son
or your husband or yo1r sweetheart,
work up smile for him. What you
want to do is to give him something he
can think about over there, and some
thing he will like to think about. There
is SO much dirt, and blood, and hunger,
and cold, and all that around you. that
you have just got to quit thinking
about It, or you will go crazy. And so,
when you can think about something
nice, you can pretty nearly forget all
the rest for while. The incest things
you can think about are the things you
liked back home.
Now, you can take 1t from me that
what your boy will like to remember
the best OF, all Is your face with a
smile on 1t. He has got enough hell on
his hands without lot Of weeps to re-
member, If you will excuse the word.
But don't forget that the chances are
on his side that he gets back to you;
the figures prove 1t. That will help
you some. At that, It will be hard
work; you will feel more like crying,
and so will he. maybe. But smile for
him. That smile Is your bit.
Iwill back smile against the weeps
In q race to Berlin any time. So am
telling you, and I cannot make 1t strong
enough-send him away with q smile.