The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1918-06-14
M4FFsEEE 9#s4 % 5i ~ a E- lPll58
S.TR0l)pS sing
BEFORE BATTLES
True Stuff m Average American
Appears When He Goes
9alnto Actions 0sT
CLEAN HEART AND MOTIVES


~
With fisa Aasers 6ua Arsag in Traaee.
~-Tlae pAe sfulf thai Ii III the .tver-
age SAlH@fieun soidIer comes to tle
surface 9asf before ne: gees into bat4
The Mura comes when he suadenly
quits I'LL foolsshness and horsepiay
wlthahi asfello@s and settles down to d
lot or sabsf thinking.
Far fr1sn being The rough, careless
felloM inasf,is life back pf ths linssi
might dllan iadIcste. he stnnds ntt ass
d yonngsEaan with Nlean heart and mo-.
tiyess fully aiise to the dangers he is
going iHlo. hut possessing i high pas;;
triotssnruDd courage and 4 determines
tion 10 see the thing through regard
less ef the cost to himself.
AlIiaiica's Interests will always be
safe Iii this hands of sueh young men.
H no atseflag 81 ssspiayedl
They. have felt. before the command
10 "a forward VAS given ihat their
names Mould likely figure IN the easn-
airy lisfs Wltfllnsp y very few daSs
Batathere VAS no faltering. Never
iii my Ifie huye seen such nobility Of
c0untamanca. 0n, exery. face. there ail-
peared the light Of an iron resolve,
writes G a Lyon IN the chieago I'osf.
4 soldlersan be JHlgAd w The shftss
he sings.
The Z. NJ, &. A. Inns done Il most
valuable work 4 tllfouehs its musicians
and Entertainers, lii breaking the ter
rihle tension that must necessarily
hang over the army just before a big
engagement.
Every evening X. M. q. A. sang Tend
ers went from battalion to battalion,
assembling The boys aRd kaying them
Join III songs.
] went our several evenings with a
Young fellow named Nee who fn civil
life fs d professional song director
Nearly every soldier had been pro
vided with one Of the r NJ g. As
soldiers song sheets. continuing
some 81 snldier songs IN the l.sl
were .Cuddle Up q Little Closer =
Wish Had a Girl oh, Yoa Heantt
ful Doll " aOh. Wy Darling Glemen-
tine. "polly -Molty Doodle and 9th
ers of sfmilar npshiftess.
But not once did | hear Il soldier
call FOR ofe of these Songs. They were
popular stuff hi the eare-free, rullicis-
Ing days back In tile rest camps, but
the boys Ind no heart for them rs they
waited. within earshot Of the big guns
10 20 into action.
When Director Nee would say
"What'il ne sing, fellows? Name it,
calls would 20 up on ail Sides for
Keep the Home Fires burning ISL
Yer Threads Among tile Gold"
There's a Long Long Trail My
Bonnie Lies over the 0eean, Little.
Gray Home in the West" and MY Old
Kentucky Home"
Fighting for Home.
..Boys whose Thoughts 90 hack. thon-
sands of miles across the ocean 70
their mothers and their sweethearts,
can generally be depended upon In Il
pinch d colonel said To me one even
ing, as he stood on the outskirts Of the
crowd listening to the singing.
These boys think they have to
show d rough exterior to nne another
In the army, but at rock bottom.
they're pure gold he added.
Letter.wfiting increased three-fola
among the boys after they reaefed the
Threshold OF the big battle The boys
have no illusions asfto wlnt they're
getting Into. They're dtaterainea that
ii shall he said Of them II they die,
that they gave q good account Of them
selves.