The Washington herald., 1919-06-29
As You WERE!
Soldiers-SaiLors-Marines
By Charles r. Maruin

Some time ago. Buddy. 7 wrote you
about old man "Discontent," who was
then cumming up to you fellows
a bit Seems the old bird has done
q Brodie or something; haven't seen
him around lately-congratulat
Picked up a copy of the Come
Back" last evening and read some
thing which made me think You
know me. Al; 1 can't keep still long
when there's something on my mind
You see. Buddy. I'm one of those
poor War Riskers. been one of them
almost since the start. Tried for
a training camp, turned down be-
cause over age; chucked UP every
thing at home and came to this hold
Hp town to do my bit; hasn't been
much. but it eased my conscience.
l tell you this about myself so that
you will know that / know what I'm
talking about.
Well. this something in the Come
Back was an article by "Asyou-
were" This name and what he said
got me guessing. You see, Buddy.
this "Asyouwere' fellow told of his
said that about $50 to 1854 people
asked him a thousand and one fool
questions and ended up with Its
been a wonderful experience. hasn't
itE' And then "Asyouwere' went on
10 say something like this:
'And one gripped me hard by the
hand and said a bit huskily. Oh,
sop, but it's good to see you bao
Gain-
'iAnd one held me close in her dear
arms and cried 4 little and saw that
mad my favorite dessert for din
uer''
And one said and did a number
Of things which are no ones damn
business but hers and mine
This picture of home coming set
ne thinking. Buddy. for some of you
boys have been doing a powerful lot
Of talking about how glad you were to
be back with your loved ones again.
instead OF pushing up the daisies. I'm
wondering II you're really doing a
powerful lot of acting to back up all
this powerful lot of talking with. or if
some of you are falling down a little
On this backing up. How many of you
are "as you were?" Now. Buddy, l
lnOw what YOU were. for I've seen a
'Ortnight's business of the Bureau of
War Risk Insurance exceed by S1,C00, =
H0.C0O the total life insurance written
seventy-three years by the largest
ife insurance company in the world.
I've seen st. Valentines Day CThurs-
lay. February IA. 1879. come around
With the most stupendous tribute to
owe ever given in the history of the
world. On that one day. Buddy. you
gave s501. .622.O 600 worth of life insurance
o your dear ones-some Valentine.
wasn't it?
I've seen these proofs of your affec-
ion for those at home pile up day by
lay until all the life insurance in
america (of all kinds) was more than
aqualled by this great business of
YOURS, not yet one year and nine
months old. I've seen it grow from a
mere handful of girls and men to a
point where had we all stretched out
our arms and touched finger tips we
cOuld have reached fifteen miles. I've
seen an average of four and one-half
miles of checks sent out daily to your
owed ones by our disbursing office,
and I've heard the criticisms when
some allotment and allowance checks
went astray-or, because of your or
our mistakes, never went at all
There's something mighty funny about
mistakes. Buddy. and we've made
.hem-what new business. of this gil
Santic size, wouldn't make them, with
great force OF hastily-trained clerks
and over 100000 separate records to
Keep in apple-pie order. Yes, there's
something funny about mistakes,
:hey're like unhappiness. they climb to
he highest house tops. get the biggest
negaphone, and yell their fool heads
m; while work correctly done is like
happiness, never a peep-mum as the
grave-and / guess that's the reason
we've heard SO little praise from you
Buddies, for all that has been done.
specially from the millions of Bud
lies whose families have. month by
month and year by year, received
heir checks just as regular as clock
work ever since the war began.
Well, no one is looking for praise