South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-10-06

you can readily see how long it takes
for my mali TO reach me.
You said that you often wonder
ed where was and what am doing.
wish l could tell you where / am,
but 1 can not 1 am not permitted
TO do so. All that I can tell YOU is
that / am away in the interior OF
France can give YOU some idea
as 10 what / am doing when I tell
YOU that I am helping 70 take care
of wounded men from the front or
from the surrounding country. Ny
lieutenant is fine man and he IS
making a regular nurse out Of me.
I I have been called into tho operating
room several times 10 assist in oper-
atoms one of the worst operations
/ / have seen was the amputation Of a
mans hand who had been run over
+ by a train
You ask me to write about the
work OF the Y. NJ. c. A and Red
/ Cross
The people OF America have been
Z called upon 10 subscribe millions
and millions Of dollars TO support
and finance the great Y NJ c. A.
work and Red Cross work in our
armies No doubt many OF you
| back home have often wondered
whether your BOYS are actually re-
/ ceiving the benefit that these great
/ Institutions claim TO administer 20
I the soldiers. There are no meta
/ phorical phrases. no matter how
\ beautiful or strong they may be, that
/ can exaggerate the services that the
/ Y. NJ c. A. and Red Cross give TO
/ the soldiers Of the American army
/ in Europe today. European people.
/ European cities and European Gus
| toms are entirely different from any
! thing that we have in America. Be
cause Of the continual wear and
| tear Of war conditions over here"
\ there is apparently nothing for us
| to buy that is OF any use or benefit
/ to us whatever Your boys are not
/ in the cities where there are beau
! tiful flower gardens, beautiful parks
! or avenues Of aristocracy. on the
contrary they are facing a most for
midable enemy in the wild, desolate
swamps of No Mans land. Being
confronted with these environments
! the Yankee boy longs for a place
where he might obtain q few deli
! cacies such as chocolate. cookies and
hot cocoa. He yearns for a smiling
/ face and few words of cheer. Upon
/ looking either to the right or 10 the
| left. away down in the valley he sees
a small hut covered with black tar
paper. Above its door hangs a
bright red triangle. It's briliancy
shines forth a hearty welcome to our
| BOYS in khaki 1t is here that he
receives many things that our hearts
long for Plenty of stationery, pen
and ink and writing tablets are al
ways at our service. Many Y NJ. c.
A. secretaries have thrown a sack
full of chocolate and cookies on their
| back and carried il out 10 the boys
who are standing in the mud and
mire and trenches, forming a stone
wall to the barbarous hordes of the
| enemy. Could there be any deeper
| conservation 10 service than this?
The forces of the red triangle serve
as angels, entering the shell torn
! trenches Of No Mans land. spread
/ ing comfort and consolation where
erst mayhap were misery, depres-
sion and despair
LAS a member Of the hospital
corps I am in fair position to know
Of the magnificent work Of the Red
Cross. We have received hundreds
| o. pajamas. wool sweaters, wool
socks for our wounded comrades. l.
would be almost impossible for you
| TO realize what these articles mean
TO a soldier unless you knew some
thing Of the damp. cool atmosphere
in Europe In support of these in
stitutions the American people have
shown that they are back of us and
are determined TO win.
With this assurance the Ameri-
cans have jumped out Of the trench
es with their French comrades and
are hurting the enemy back into his
own territory
You ask if I were limited 10 any
certain number Of letters. I am glad
20 say that we can write al the let
ters we want to and we are not
I charged a cent for postage. AS for
my department being held in Europe
after the war. l can say that we will
/ all leave in our turn. I am sure that
we will not be held any longer than