Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-09-24
FROM REV. w. O. CARRIER
Great Lakes. Ill. Sept. l

Great Lakes, H., Sept. IA, 1918.
My Dear Mr.. Thayer,
Editor of the pilot
1t is eighteen years ago this month
that | left Wausau after twelve years
as resident there. but l still have
the kindest regard for your city and
there is no place in the world quite
so dear to me.
During all these years, both as
resident there and since, l have been
a faithful reader of "The Pilot" and
have always regarded it as one of the
best community papers l ever knew.
Since the first of June | have been
connected with the Y. M. G. A. work
at Great Lakes, Ill. | ara under ap-
pointment to go overseas but circum-
stances have made it necessary to de-
lay my going so | am devoting myself
to the work here, and as you are pub
fishing a number of war letters |
thought would add mine to the rest.
Great Lakes Training Station now
has nearly fifty thousand men in train
ing and is at an astonishing enlarg-
ing rate, with the expectation of hav-
ing accommodations for a hundred
thousand men in the near future.
The Station at present is divided into
seventeen regiments and there will be
many more soon. The plan of the
Y. NJ c. A. is to have a Hut or Head
quarters in every Regiment with a
corps of Secretaries to look after the
general welfare of the men, physically,
intellectually and spiritually. l am in
Detention Camp where the men
come direct from their homes and
spend three weeks in preparation for
their advance training. They receive
their uniforms, have a careful medical
examination, are vaccinated and in
occulated and given preliminary mill
| tary drill. 1t is one of the most in
| teresting periods in sailors life, as
| he enters upon his Navy life and
adjusts himself to new conditions.
Men come here from all over the
| United States and are divided into
Companies of 144 men, in which fire.
quently no two mem previously knew
each other. 1t is my privilege to be
associated with these men during
these early days. l speak to all the
new Companies in Camp Decatur
shortly after there arrival and give
such advice. and helpful suggestions
| DIS Sc0lll n6C6SSdI dlu SudplCu "
meet these men personally in a friend
ly way in the barracks and to have
with them a most delightful fellow
ship. Because of my years l am conf
monty known among the fellows as
Dad" and one certainly learns to
love these men almost the same as
his own sons. There are many things
that take place in military life that
might we'll be eliminated but am
frank to say that every day l spend
at Great Lakes, my appreciation OF
the young manhood Of the country
increases and | come to love men
more and more. The moral tone OF
the Navy is high; the spirit of patrio-
tism is intense and there is kindly
expression of interest in one another
that makes for comradeship and friend.
ship. Two or three months training
! here is preparing the large majority
! of these men for active service anG
! the Y. NJ. c. A. with its many activ-
! ! tiles is certainly doing much to helI
in the efficiency of our men, and some
! of us who are too old to be in the
service feel that we can accomplish
a great deal by being thus associated
in a helpful way with the military
organization. l frequently meet Wau
sau men here and always feel a per
sonal interest in them.
Cordially yours,
w. o. CARRIER.