The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1943-06-17

the support they need TO bring TINS
war to quick and successful con-
clusion.
Unfortunately one of the enor-
mites, distressing your fighting
men the most, is the fact that up
on SO many rests the burden of
fighting which others likewise
should assume with them. There
is the tendency to break sol
dier's spirit when he learns that
men, eligible for the draft, accept
unnecessary deferments for So
called essential jobs. Jobs which
older men and returned soldiers
readily could fill instead. From a
soldiers point of view, every
American should be willing to
do whatever the war demands of
him in his particular case-wheth-
er his particular case directs him.
to serve on the fronts of battle or
on the fronts of home.
Manifestly the best means to
learn the soldiers point of view
is to get the reactions of a man
who, because of a medical dis
charge, has returned to civilian
life. A situation concerning my
own son, himself a. returned sol
dier, offers a good example here.
1t so happened that my son re-
Gently requested. to be released
from his employment with GER
tain firm. When he sent a copy of
his resignation to the War Man.
power Commission. he enclosed
letter which he wrote stressing his
motive for that resignation. His
motive so well describes a soldiers
point of view that I feel you
should read the letter.
Dear Sir: Enclosed you will
find copy of my resignation from
The 8. =. Company.
"Over a year ago received
medical discharge from the Army
after having spent seven months
in a General Hospital. A few
months ago-after my discharge
| took employment with The
Company as an instructor, in or
der to feel that l might do some
thing to help our country, since
| no longer could serve in the
Army. Ever since / haveibeen with
The 49,. Comapny, i hava seen
young men continuously receive
deferments for their so-called es-
Sential work.
Naturally this struck a sensi-
tive spot in me, for the Hospital
where / was quartered received
patients from an evacuation hos
pital on the Pacific Coast. Most of
these patients were war casual
ties, and have seen many lives
wrecked / have seen men come
back without feet and arms, yet
with smiles on their faces. | have
seen men come back blind, smil-
ing without eyes to smile from. /
have seen some die, while they
were struggling to live. ALI of this
has made a deep impression on
me, and | shall never forget what
these men have gone through.
Perhaps this has become an
obsession with me, for / fail to see
why some men can feel so SNUG
and sprisileged in their defer
ments while others must give
their very lives.
7 hals no particular fault to
find with The Company
aside from the fact that every
morning when l go to work l am
confronted with these instructors
who feel SO pleased with their
oeferments, contrasted to those
men in the hospital who felt it
was privilege and honor to give
their lives. l cannot easily forget
after seven long months of hos
pitaliZation.
Il have requested my release
from The -. Company and have
every reason to believe it will be
forthcoming. However, l wanted
to inform your office of the rea-
son for my request in the event
that I would not be released.
Hoping that you will under
stand my point of view, / am
Sincerely yours
t,ndar oo,4roI of -;,,,I I,L.o-