Evening star., 1942-07-12

trimming Of the Field Artillery
along the seam Of his overseas
cap approached the woman at the
desk just inside the service mems
lounge at Union Station.
His hand closed around q set of
brand-new chevrons and his eye
was fixed on the neat sign on the
wall, 1--WE have needle and thread" :"
Might I use needle and thread,
ma amp" he asked When the at
tendant had given him a heavy
needle and khaki colored thread,
the youngster sat on huge couch
next to a technical sergeant who
was sewing q button on shirt.
Without a word to each other they
frowned over their stitches.
Over in one corner Pvt. Daniel
Ferri, en- route from 15-day fur
Tough at,his hQme in New York City
ftNsNoprS Field Mission, Tex, lifted
fhMs black eyes toVhe ceiling as Ben
ny Goodman's clarinet walled on
the huge radio Victrola in the cor
ner, The last big combination ma
ci1neato come 81 the lines Of the
mxh, ecturer, it I'd been presented
town Prpducti@ Chairman DON
ain lsoA and gfien by him to the
folmG resiAerRs lounge, now
turned over to service men.
Stirred but Didn't Wake.
Corpl. Paul r. Mercer, on his way
home from his radio intelligence
station in North Carolina to Toledo,
Ohio. stirred uneasily in a lounge
chair at the strains of the music
but did not really wake up.
Back Of his head Ensign Carlton
Jensen, on his way from the Jack
sonville Naval Air Station to his
home at Penn Yam, N. Y, sat down
at a small table to write on free
USO paper, Dear Betty, here /
am in Washington"
The 5000 soldiers, sailors and
marines who walked into the lounge
yesterday were an example Of the
nearly 100000 who have read their
hometown newspapers, checked
their baggage or obtained directions
there since it opened May 10. A
United Service Organization club, it
is run by the Travellers Aid, with
Miss Frances Merely as director.
When it is hot as it was yester-
day the porch outside the lounge
is crowded with boys resting on
long deck chairs. Pvt. Gilbert Bot
vim of Trenton, N. j., stationed at
Quantico, Va, was impatiently wait
ing for the hands of his watch to
get around to the time he was to
go to meet his girl by the Western
Union booth.
Just as Miss Merely explained to
two tanned sailors that it was all
right for them to take the lounge
detective stories along with them to
New York because they were ''vic-
tory books" for servicemen, a long
distance call came through from
Camp Lee, Va. A quartermaster
sergeant had arranged to meet his
wife at the lounge at pm. Now
he couldn't make it till midnight
and would Miss Merely look after
her till he got there?
Other Calls to Mare.
Miss Merely would. She also
would wake up boy kidnapping in
a big chair till his train left at 7
pm, and direct a lad from Fort
Benning to the Knights of Columbus
dance, and another private to the
Arlington Recreation Center, where
the servecemen get bed and break
fast.
Getting places for the servicemen
to sleep isn't the problem it is sup
posed to be, according to the volun-
teers working at the lounge and at
Travellers Aid booths. AS a matter
of fact, since the scarcity Of beds
for soldiers over the week end was
first brought to public attention
more and more places have been
made available. Rooming houses
have been complaining, 1t was indi-
Gated, that their rooms are often
not all occupied.
Servicemen are not allowed to
spend the night in the lounge. But
If they come In from date at
l am. and want to catnap till they
catch a 3 am. train, the attendants
are glad to wake them in time. II
the Military Police see boy falling
asleep on the wooden benches as
he waits for a train, they send him
to the more comfortable chairs in
the lounge. Many Of the men, the
M. Ps said with grins, prefer to
sit outside where they can watch
the pretty girls 60 by.
The M. Ps are complimentary
about the effect Of the lounge on
the squabbles some OF the soldiers
used to get into late at night at
Union Station. The number Of
these, said the patrols, have notice.
ably deereAsed.