The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-04-29
Q After Many
Years
We Profit by Mis'ste,
OF World War No. |
USO Machinery
Doing the Job
Where Tacoma Can
Help Win This War
BY z. T. SHORT

hep WIN ihis "of
BY z. T. SHORT
ONE Of the not altogether
pleasant membranes Of
World War No. / is the way
we bungled the Job Of providing
decent entertainment and recre-
alton for the boys who were
sent TO army camps to receive .
not too thorough training in the
art OF war.
Besides entertainment, pro-
gram carried on by half q dozen
unrelated organizations some
times working at cross purposes.
was designed to take the keen
edge off the feeling OF homeless
ness that came to a lot of boys
whose training camp experience
was their first away from the
family. II was intended to keep
VI what il meant by that over
worked word, morale"
In the minds Of q great many
who read this there Is still the
memory Of the near-racket that
was made out of some of the
training camp projects which
were provided in 1e17-1s, in
most instances the result of q
management unfamiliar with
work OF that character. Ia
coma will remember particularly
Greene Park" and what IL
didn't do for the boys at the
then Camp Lewis.
It's an III wind that doesn't
blow good somewhere, and out
OF the plumbers Of World War
No. I we have taken some les
sons that are working to the
benefit Of the boys who have
offered their lives TO save
what We call the American
way.
Instead of the poorly or
gained, misfit programs and
the mistakes of jealous but in
experienced persons, there has
come a closely Knit, highly
specialized organization to
minister TO the spiritual, rcre-
ational and social needs Of the
boys who will do the fighting.
II IL the USO-United Service
Organizations.
Part OF the personnel TO set
up the USO was selected by
President Roosevelt. He made II
clear that this was to be q new
deal for the fighting men. Into
it was brought the Young Mems
Christian Associations, National
Catholic Community Service.
Young Women's Christian Asso-
Citations. Salvation Army. Jew
ish Welfare Board. and National
Travellers Aid Association.
In a surprisingly short time
the details Of coordinating these
groups into an efficient working
organization was accomplished.
What happened then is repre-
scented in the $40 units estab-
lished in 269 communities in the
United States, Alaska. New
foundland, Hawaii. the Panama
Canal Zone, and the bases in
the Pacific.
To do all this USO has raised
more than S14 900, 900. Since
Pearl Harbor and the speed up
in mobilization. the demands on
the organizations facilities have
trebbled.
To meet this situation USO is
asking for s32. 000. 900 to be
raised in a nationwide campaign
to start May II and continue
until July 4. Tacoma is going
TO be asked to guarantee a por-
ton OF this sum. How the money
is raised isn't important. It il
extremely important that Ia
coma do its share.
There are two reasons why
the Tacoma quota should be fully
met. First and best reason is
that the USo can perform a real
service 10 the boys who are go
Ing into the RAINY from all walks
Of life - the farm. office. fac
tory. concert stage, etc. - TO
fight our battles.
The lesser reason, but never
theless q reason. is that Tacoma
profits to a large degree from
the money spent here by the
army. In a generous contribu-
ton TO the USO fund Tacoma
is only paying back a reasonable
interest on the money the army
leaves here every day.
What % many OF Us overlook
IN this business Of getting UP an
army To make America a safe
place IN which TO live is that
there are a lot Of heart breaks
associated with il.
You just can't grab a lot Of
normal young fellows out Of
homes like yours and mine
fellows who go 10 church and
Sunday school and take our girls
TO the movies and parties - and
send them away off 10 a mobil-
nation camp without creating a
social and spiritual shock. And
what goes with that is homesick-
ness an affliction thar breaks
some % the sturdiest hearts.
One Of the jobs OF Uso is 70
take up the shock Of this break
ing OF homie ties and provide a
decent place in which normal
activities OF normal young men
ear % carried on in surround