The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1941-02-27
Sank Centres
Farewell To Soldiers

half the soldiers with their full
packs, the civilian "hand waivers"
braved the cold - and waited.
Scheduled to leave at 10:45 the
troops boarded the train at 11:40,
were on their way by midnight. =.
The crowd shuttled the length of
the platform and shouts for "Bill'
for Jim" and "John" rose as ar
irving friends and relatives sought
to find the departing soldiers. Ov-
err the crowd hung the wispy veil
of steam-breath from hundreds of
mouths.
Each departing soldier became
the focal point for little knot of
proud family and friends.
Captain Carl Fischer was visibly
moved by the demonstration. He
shook more hands than a candidate
for sheriff. Dozens of the crowd
stopped him; take care Of my
boy" they flung at him. Almost
paternally, with real sincerity, Carl
replied to them all: "I'll do the best
job know how"
Ex-service men were there almost
to man. The boys who in IT and
'18 had headed out were there to
see the boys should have a farewell
they wouldn't soon forget.
Jerry Daniels, who in London
had marched with Pershing's Own,
recalled how one Of the boys had
missed the train when he left and
how he had been bundled into a
car and caught the train at Free
port. Lookout for number one"
advised Charley Pendroy. when
payroll time comes you'll all wish
your name was Anderson. Those
guys used to have their pay spent
before I even got mine" Earl
Pangburn, down to see his son
away, couldn't recall if zone or two
men" were at the depot when he
left.
There was high humor too. One
girl, with chattering teeth in the
cold, suddenly wondered If my
brother would do this for me-"
where's all the teachers you
were Dragging about" Lieutenant
John Carter demanded of Private
Russell Nelson. IT couldn't hold
them any longer" Nelson said. An
other, installing Russell for his
basket sniping brother, Stan, said.
We'll miss your baskets" Quip-
ped Russ, "Tll send you a May
basket"
In homes that day mothers work.
ed on patches of fudge and cookies
for the boys on the train. At sup
per families had quiet little gath
erings, nestled together for the last
time before the soldier in the home
went away.
During the day the battery had
finished loading its box cars. John
Kane had sent boxes of chocolate
bars for the battery. Miss Lucy
Hunt, who wrote that she had had
more than half those boys" in her
commercial classes in school, sent
along batch of fudge enough for
two pieces for every man. Sergeant
Lloyd Billman, reading the accom-
panying notes, said I'VE certainly
want to thank them" Dozens of
others about the city sent small
gifts to individual soldiers.
AS this town and those SO men
looked back over the strangest ten
days in their lives, the ten days
that as soldiers they had lived in |
the armory, had been feted by fam
lilies, by former business associates,
by the Legion, by the Veterans of
Foreign Wars, by the Community
Club, and by the private citizens
the train moved in.
The sound of the bugle rustled
over that crowd, the fall in, the
last goodbys, the roll call and then
the tramp of boots on the platform
as the boys swished by the crowds.
They swung aboard and were on !
their way.
On the train the soldiers went
to bed. In Sank Centre half-froz-
EN- populace went home to battle
hands and feet. Both
had learned the old and important
axiom "He also serves who
stands and waits"