The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-08-28

OF pilots that just got their uniforms
and commissions as ensigns yesterday
and they lcok good with their shout
der straps. Speaking Of uniforms
reminds me that we are expecting to
change to q new navy aviation uni
form of khaki similar to the pilots
and they sure look kippy, believe me.
Navy blues are no clothes for land
duty; they make fellow look like
the dickens.
The air raids long ago ceased to
bother me except once IN q while
when they keep US up all night when
it is bound to. get on your nerves q
little. We haven't had any big shells
since the first of the month.
I've got new job now, easy work
and / have q lot of time to myself
and / make the most of it by washing,
darning, writing letters and things
like that. All have to do is to keep
track of the gasoline and oil that they
use and make out reports. / rate
an office and typewriter and read
most of the time and got rated first
class since I've been at it so you see
they think that I'm making good.
had chance to get in the office at
accounting work but had to turn it
down because haven't got clothes
enough to keep looking decent and
we can't draw any now as they are
not obtainable but we should worry.
III get another chance before long
and maybe it will be better than this
one was.
l got two packs Of papers from you
and two from Miss Mount today and
please tell her that l appreciate her
kindness and that I'm going to write
\ loxt nd kolI
about it.
Well, mother, l guess III have to
close as it's nearly noon and I've got
little work to do before dinner.
Give my best regards to all the
folks and tell Mrs. Pierson that I'm
soon be back where she and can talk
things over and have good times.
As ever, your loving son,
Lisle s. Seely,
u. S. Naval Air Station, Dunkerque
| (Nord) France.
While we are at it, Isle would
greatly appreciate getting letters
from any of his manv friends in this
city and those who will write can copy
the address given at the close of his
letter.
Roy Douglas, son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Newton c. Douglas. writes the fifth
letter which we publish this week and
like most all soldiers, Roy is loud
and strong in his praise for the Red
Cross society.
Camp Stuart, Va, Aug. 6, 1918.
Dear Folks All:
Arrived here at Newport News, Va.
Aug. 4 at 8:45 p. m. all o. k. Had
a fine trip; saw lots of very pretty
country; came through Georgia, North
and South Carolina, West Virginia
and Virginia. We came over the
! Seaboard Air Line r. r.
/ tell you folks when someone tells
you that the Red Cross organization
is all a fake you tell them for me
that they are liars. think it is the
best thing in the u. s. for the SOL
diers. They met US at every city
of any importance all along the road.
At one place we were all marched off
the train and given fine shower bath
by the Red Cross organization and
at every town at which we stopped
we were treated just fine. know
now where some Of that money goes
which is given to them. 1t is prec-
ious little pleasure or comfort a SOL
der would get on the road if it were
not for the Red Cross and Y. M. G. A.
Richmond, Va, is a very pretty
city. Reminds me very much of
Kansas City, Mo.
Say thought Florida was hot and
it was too, but here they say it is
10 degrees hotter than the hottest
place ever spoken of in the bible & I'D
/ believe them. 1t is terrible here.
! Well l have written all am allowed
to so will close and mail this.
Your loving son,
Corp. Roy w. Douglas,
M. S. T. Ais Motor Supply Co. 453,
Camp Stuart, Newport News, Va.
Mrs. Milo Towne received letter
from her nephew, Alden Towne, who
is at Camp Custer, being one of the
boys who left with one of the recent
contingents and which is as follows
Camp Custer, Aug. A. 1918.
Dear Aunt and Family:
Your most welcome letter came to
your soldier boy early last week and
you never can imagine what won
derful gift real letter is to a soldier.
Oh no, not until you are actually in
at once. Yes, I'm a regular man
now, khaki. gum, ammunition and
mess kit ready for the next move
Believe me, it is not long before a
recruit is made soldier; of course
it's lot whether you want to learn
or not and as for me, well I'm here,
and I'm going to make the best of IT,
I'm already an acting corporal, but
I'm trying to get in driving some
kind of machine so / won't have to
walk all the time. We have all a
working man could care for except
money, and that's scarce in the army.
Today for dinner we had chicken,
lemonade, ice cream, cake, mashed
potatoes and bread and butter and
then there were several side dishes
Do you think we should get poor?
III get some fat on these old bones
of mine and Saturday noon when we
came in for dinner we were met bv
sweet music from a player piano
which is in our mess hall. Yes, we
have it pretty nice only the officers
are awfully strict and when we meet
1 la n