The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1919-01-30
INTERESTING LETTER
FROM EARL MILLER
Bremerton, Wash,
Jan. "a, 1919.

the boys in the service in the
Gazette e-Times, and thought that
"erhaps my limited experience in the
Navy might be of some interest to
the folks at home"
When | enlisted | was sent to the
Puget Sound Navy Yard and went
into training on the shores of that
beautiful body of water. | was put
on guard duty my first night in
camp and as | slowly paced my post
l gazed at the tented city which lay
below me, The noise of the horse
play which was being INDUCED in
came to me through aisles of the
mighty fir trees, whose serried ranks
marched majestically up from the
waters edge. While | walked my
post the bugler sounded tattoo, and
every tent went dark, leaving their
indistinct outlines shining pure
white in the darkness. | paused TO
listen to the sweet mournful notes
of taps as they were caught up by the
echoes and thrown from hill to hill
as they became faint and indistinct
and finally died away. AS re
Gumed my measured tread, | won
dered how mary of those boys
would make the supreme sacrifice
that Liberty might not perish from
the earth. AS | mused thus, ! rested
the butt Of my rifle on the ground,
and made q little silent prayer that
if it was my fate to be one Of those
VINO would lot return, that when it
came my time | would NEE, it un-
afraid and die as an American Blue
Jacket should. From that my
thoughts turned to loved ones and
friends at home, and wondered
what each one was doing and if /
was even given passing thought by
my former associates.
But my pleasant reverie was sud-
denly and rudely interrupted by the
officer of the guard. He jerked my
rifle away from me, and asked me If
l thought | was leaning on my hay
fork back in the field. He went so
far as to remark that | was no doubt
considering myself the pride of the
Navy, but that everybody else could
spot me as a simple and uncultured
pounding g-son-of-the-soil Having
reduced me to where | would have
said Sir" to a googoo mess attend
ant, he warned me that If he ever
caught me using my gun as it
shouldn't be used again he would
see that got nice quiet room all
by myself, where all my meals, con-
sisting of sponge cake and wine,
would be served to me for thirty
days.
In time | learned to do infantry
drill without calling a special curse
down upon my head, and would
smile when some fellow who had
just come in, was unloaded on. But
one day a boy kicker IN charge of
my company caught me at this, and
made 1t perfectly plain that it
wasn't my superior intellect that
saved the pareing which he had just
delivered to the aforementioned
rookie.
l have met some of the finest
fellows in the world here, and must
say in passing that some of the most
degenerate reprobates living find
their way into the serviie. / have
met men from all parts of the U. S.
and whether they hail from New
York or Texas they are all Ameri-
cans. l think this, that the l. w.
w, must have, managed to get some
Of their destructive propaganda
started in here, as one alleged sailor
was making remarks that would
have brought storm of applause
In wabbly meeting. However, he
had short shrift, as some big water
tender knocked him coo, coo, before
he could finish his little lecture.
1t seems little tough that | have
been here at Puget Sound ever since
my enlistment, and never had a
crack at the U-boats. One can hardly
keep from feeling a tritle peevish at
the Germans for quitting so soon.
But maybe there will be another big
scrap sometime, and we who were
seeing America first" may have a
chance to glut our blood lust before
returning home.
| grasp this opportunity to state
to the world at large that Uncle Sam
has got the finest navy that ever
floated, and she is manned by the
best men who ever tasted the salt
spray ON their lips, and they are
backed up by the best people Of the
greatest nation that civilization has
ever produced.
1t is almost time for me to go on
watch, and hoping l havn't bored
you too terribly, l bring this ramb-
ling monologue to a close.
Sincerely yours,
LOUIS EARL MILLER,