The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-03-05
Bordeaux, France.
February IL, 1919.


Editor of The Reformer:
Just word to the folks at home
from over here 81 sl5ee#
1 would like to say word in de
Tense against the critics of the. old
National Guard, of which | have been
a member since July, 1912.
Judging from n little Article | read
in & reliable publication some weeks
ago, ! guess that there is "a certain
class of people still alive in the u s.
A. who are under the impression that
the National Guard wasf composed of
men out of work, social outeasts and
thugs, for they stated in the article
that they are making plans for rebuild
ing of villages that have been devas-
tated and ruined by this war in France
and suggest that certain bodies OF
troops be retained after peace was de-
clared to carry on the labOrious end OF
this Reconstruction period
Now take it from one who is famll-
lar with the National Guard, and its
personnel, especially, because from the
New England states 90 per cent of the
men voluntarily enlisted when they
knew their government needed them.
The National Guard being more or less
a home organization where they would
be with acquaintance and friends,
they naturally chose 1T, and left their
homes. and good Jobs to serve their
country and to assist Uncle Sam in
putting an army in the field before the
draft or selective army could be mus
tered into service. And the same 80
per eent--or rather what is left of them
have waiting for them back home
the same jobs which they left. There
are many who have, as Guy Empey puts
it, "Gone West and we mourn their
loss. There is many a good man some
three feet, some six feet and some six
inches beneath the soil of France; some
covered by hands and some covered by
the flying dirt from the bursting shell
of a world enemy.
If this class or party feels that any
of the American troops should remain
in France to do this work after peace
is declared, / would suggest that these
people pay visit to France this
winter and spend winter in the train
ing environments of France, and famil
iarize themselves with every detail OF
foreign army life. with foreign condI
tions such as war ridden country only
can boast of. Let their shoes wear
out and old oozy French mud come in
and squeeze up between their toes; let
them cart 40-pound pack on theii
backs all day long; drill with a rifle
over the snowy fields of France from
sun up till sun down. carry water fol
two or three miles al times or assist il
building roads when there is scarcity
of engineers. Let them suffer the alb
sence of news from home, let then
wait six, eight or ten weeks without
a letter from home and those they love
on account of the shortage of box car
in France Then let them 90 into thu
front line trenches where the hant
.grenades and the shells are flying botl
ways with evil intent, instead of onl,
the safe way as in training. Then lie
them stick this out through the col,
days, let them enjoy dugouts knee dee
in the mud, the sleepless nights, the "a
attacks, and many more things NOR
horrible than pen can express; then W
are of the opinion that they will chang
their minds and will not try to max
a big name for themselves by suggest
ing burdens upon United States troop
but will do all they can to assist then
to make them comfortable and to %
them home as soon as possible afte
peace is declared
There are a thousand things that on
could mention that would discourag
this idea very much, but | win NJ
impose them upon you at this writin
and | trust that this new idea of SON
half-wit proposing kahki clad boy
stevedoring to build the mud huts tina
have been blown down in France wi
meet with the disapproval of ever
clear thinking man and woman in III
good old T. S. A., or God s country. W
are striving hard to fight the good figl
and are willing to make the sacrtc,
we long for peace and home, but re;