The Lamar register., 1919-03-12
Letter From Herschel Horn
Continued from Front Page

of Staff for the DIVISION, 10 denver tne
address in our hut, Major General Hay
and other members of the staff being
in attendance. The divisional orches-
ira furnished the music and Captain
Bassler, Hdq. Chaplain, had charge of
the devotions. Needless to say, the
hut was packed and the splendid ad-
dress of the Colonel, who had known
the ex-President and who had crossed
over here at the beginning of the war
with young Roosevelt, was an appeal
to the men for higher ideals and typi-
cal of fighting man.
Yesterday, the big event of the
month occurred. Big in the entertain
ment line. The game between the 28th
and the 10th. Both Pennsylvania div
isions. One National Guard and the
other National Army. The 10Th
brought its share of rooters and a
band along, while forty or more trucks
brought the men from the outlying
camps (some of the units in this div
ision being as much as % kilometers
distant, the division occupying 3S vii
lagos for billets).
The lines GAO yds. by 220 yds.) be-
ing surrounded by soldiers five to ten
deep, while officers occupied reserved
seats on benches inside or sat in cars
or on horses. Many of the men cover
ing the tops of the trucks and stand
ing on improvised grandstands behind
those in front
Four bands played alternately,
while during the entire game the Yell
leaders encouraged their sides with an
awful roar. To add to the entertain
ment, some planes dashed across the
field from nearby flying field, and
looped the loop and dived to show the
prowess of the American in the air.
1t was true army game, with only
few women (Army nurses) to be
seen among the thousands of men. The
players were nearly all officers, form
er college men, and wonderful game
was played in spite of the mud which
soon caused all the players to look
alike. Score, nothing to nothing. Such
a diversion is needed. 1t enlivens the
spirits of the men. The alility of the
American army to fight was largely
due to their ability to stand punish
ment and never say die. To play the
game and play it hard.
The above is the pleasant side of
army life and keeps up the morale of
the men. When not at work or being
drilled, an effort is made to provide
good entertainment and keep their
minds occupied profitably. The aver
age American soldier. believe, is 60
ing home better man, physically;
cleaner man morally; and a more |
useful citizen, because of this great |
experience. No longer will they be
provincial, but cosmopolitan, in every |
sense of the word. / do not say that |
all will 20 home that way, but the
large majority will. The average |
American soldier is of a high type and
army life is not as demoralizing as
some would have readers believe. !
Those soldiers who will not be clean
from choice are taken in hand by the
authorities. 1t is u clean army on the
whole.
AS to the hardships of war, / know
something, but it can best be told by
those who have spent the past few
months at the front. They have pass
ed through hell. The orderly who is
bunking with me in the hut, is not yet
21, but has been wounded by shrapnel
once and gassed twice. He, in common
with the others, does not bragg about
what he did as the army moved from
Chateau Thierry towards Metz, but
does the. janitor work about the hut,
looking forward to the time when he
can again return to his home and en-
joy mothers cooking. Fine men.
every one. In a recent issue of the
Paris edition of the Chicago Tribune,
the heading was Get the boys home,
'Toot Sweet" 1t made hit with the
men. That kind of French appeals to
them, for they much prefer their beds
at home to the quarters they have in
the billets here-abouts.
Having signed for the duration of