The Mountainair independent., 1918-08-01
To My Disko Friends:

10 MY DlSk0 FRIENDS:
1t is somewhat difficult to write a
letter that | know is to be read before
so many of you, because I do not
know just what part of my expert
ences all of you would be most inter
ested in and what you are most anX-
ious to know about army life. I can
best tell of the things I would be
wondering about were l a civilian
back home,
First of all, | want to tell you Of
the deepest impressions | have re-
ceived since being in the army. |
had no idea that there was such a
spirit of fellowship as there is strong
the soldiers It matters not whether
he comes from a rich family or poor
family or what his occupation has
been, whether a lawyer banker, or
dish washer. or a laborer of the low
est class-every man is treated as a
man. A soldier will do anything in
the world to help another-do things
gladly that | know lots of us back
home would have felt stepped upon
if we had been asked to do. It's the
spirit of "the other fellow first, me
last" and it has been so striking to
one, that | feel | must tell you about
it. If a man has a poor education
and doesn't pick things up quickly,
he gets an unusual amount of help
and consideration, and never is there
any criticism or joking made of it,
we're all here for the same cause and
purpose. How different this kind of
spirit is from that of Everybody for
himself and little thought OF your
fellow-man," that is so much in evil
dence in civilian life, and often when
| stop to think of it, feel real asham
ed of the way things used to go
Now this is what l have noticed 60
yer here" How much greater this
spirit of comradeship must be "over
there" And | believe the men who
return will carry it right back home
with them
If anyone back home still imagines
that when the boys join the army,
they are at once destined to bad nab
its and utter ruin, just go to some
army camp, stay for several days,
and see how they live. Frankly, l
have lived a better life since | have
been in the army than | did before
and am twice as strong. And there
are reasons for it, The soldier has a
regular schedule. He has a certain
time to get up in the morning, eat
his meals, a certain time he must go
to Led. Every day he is out doors
drilling, gets one hour of calisthenics,
half in the forenoon, and half in the
afternoon. In the signal corps most
of the men have a certain amount of
studying to do along technical lines,
so the mind is active as we'll as the
tody. In the time | have been in the
army | have seen very few drunken
soldiers. There are the Y. NJ. c. AS in
every camp where the men have ac-
cess to Libraries, can write letters,
have music, and there is always
ground where they can play football,
basket ball, or base ball. Uncle Sam
takes twice as good care of his boys
as the folks back home do and yet
they think constantly, "oh, if he only
comes back as nice and pure as he is
now" If he is going to go wrong, he
will do it twice as quick outside of
the army.
One more point that want to men,
tion and give you the feeling of the
man in Khaki toward the folks back
home. There are few soldiers who
do not know what they are fighting
for and I often think there are few
people back home that do know what
we are fighting for from the way
they give their support. 1t is nee