Arizona republican., 1918-05-08
CHILDISH AMBITION ON ROAD TOREL|TY
 PHOENIX BUY BECOMES PETTY OFFICER
Raymond V. Patton's Boy ish Ambition to Shine In
 Navy Realized; Youth Tells of His Experience

When Raymond V. Patton. son of MT. and Mrs. Elwood F. Patton of this city, was eight years old, he visited his uncle, a naval officer. upon the Pacaific coast and thereupon his boy ish ambition crystalliZed. Most lads of that age decide their future voca- tion. Some hope to grow up good enough and great enough to become a drum ma jor in the band or clown in the circus or something fine and noble like a highwayman or a first class burglar. Few accomplish the lofty ambitions thus formed and most even forget what they hoped for when eight or ten.
 Raymond V. Patton is an exception. At eight he decided he was going to be an admiral and his indulsent uncle, A. C. Warner, still in naval service, had the lad outfitted in really. truly naval outfit, albeit the insignia of rank, while strictly official, was hardly ever all worn at one time by anyone outside the Horse Marines.
 Time rolled by and the boyish uni form was almost forgotten when the Phoenix lad heard the call to the colors in the war of 1917 and went clear across the continent to enlist in the navy. Now at 19 years of age he is d petty officer in the service and wear ing some of the badges of honor which adorned his boyish suit of clothing. He may be an admiral some day, for he is an earnest, hard working and enthusiastic youth, as the following letter to his parents here clearly indi- cateS:
 U. $. Receiving Ship at San Francisco,
 May 3, 1918. Dear Nom and Pop:
 l suppose you wonder why I have not written more often and probably think that I am neglecting you. Please don't think that for l am always thinking of home and you two.
 The reason for my not writing was because I was waiting for something definite to turn up. l was also put ting every available moment into good hard, earnest study. This studying proved of great value to me when I passed a very hard examination We'd nesday afternoon, and now I am wear ing two bright red chevrons instead of one. l now rank between a sergeant and top sergeant in the army. My pay has been increased five dollars and fifty cents and I am about the happiest gob on the Pacific coast. Two chevrons look much better than one but three look better still, so if you i folks will come here this summer 1 (bringing the flivver, of course), may stay here for four or five months long CT and earn my three stripes before l | go to France.
 l am back on my old line of work l have charge of all the insurance and allotments of all men aboard the Re ceiving Ship, new recruits coming on 06 in hn 1At4 | Camp Sims) have charge of all the liberty cards and the issuing of liberty and absentee reports. Also I am the deck court yeoman. have my own desk. When a man comes on board his record starts on it's regular routine When 1t comes to me I hold it up unti 1 interview the man and fix him up, l have the most independent job ir the office-no one interrupts my worl or gives me orders concerning it.
 There are only two of us in the of flee that understand the insurance enc of the game so nobody can tell us wha to do. The other man did have my jol but relieved the correspondence yeo man (who went to foreign sea-service and l relieved him. My work is no hard; at times I am rushed and othe times have nothing whatever to dc nave to make a trlp about every twl weeks to the Union Iron Works il San Francisco to fix up some of ou men on duty there, and it gives me ; chance to see some of the new de stroyers under construction.
 1 was over at Laney's house las evening and went to an illustrated lee ture on the war at the Oakland audi torium with them. They are alway tinquiring about you. I told Grace tha you were going to write her and sh is expecting letter, so you had bette write.
 We'll, it is getting quite late and had better turn in and make up a littl lost sleep.
 Hoping this finds you all as it leave me,
 Your loving son, RAYMOND.
 P. S.-Give my best regards t Grandpa and Grandma, and to all tn D Y