St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-09-01
Master Sergeant
Harris Writes
Sunday Night,

we fellows are a nCCIe SLOW III our
letters to our home town people
via the Recorder and Spokesman.
l enjoyed reading his letter. We are
all busy, some more than the 9TH
ers.
Since am not so busy at present,
l would like to say hello to every
one in St. Paul and Minneapolis l
know. To the fellows on the fight
ing fronts in the two other theaters,
salute them. They must be doing
wonderful job, as my job as Oper-
alton Sergeant keeps me up with
all war news on every front. Many
officers and enlisted men stop to
look at our map to see the situa-
ton change and believe me, it is
changing and in our favor.
You people there, venture to
say, do not watch our Pacific Thea
ter as much as the European, but
we are doing a tough job also.
Many Minnesota boys are out here
in the many South Pacific Islands.
Those that are here that 1 know
about are Sgt. Dick Powell, James
Sonny Martin, Dewey Hill, Ches-
ter Oden, Henry Blakey, Nelson
Perry, Cleveland SmallNOod and
many others. Oh, yes, I liked to
have missed M/Sgt. Lee Harris.
He is here on the same Island with
me, singing as you all love to hear
him sing.
Now 1 am hoping Jimmy Cole
man reads this, because he thinks
it is tough there with their USO
clubs, the Pubs (taverns) and
hostesses. Well, fellows, we have
no USO clubs, no PUBS, and by all
means no hostesses, but we do see
lots of fine movies. Our headquart-
ers has a hard ball team that has
not been beaten. Our basketball
five are tops. And that is the ex-
tent of our pleasures. There are
always cards and checkers, but we
are taking it in fine spirit, as we
all know our loved ones want US to
be fine soldiers and men.
l would like to hear from Connie
Sutton, Alex and Jimmy and all
the fellows who would like to know
(all) we do, out this way. I would
like to pay tribute to my sister,
Mrs. H. C. Brown, 4O5 St. Anthony,
as she is a great little morale build
er. She corresponds with several
fellows she has never seen and l
know what it does to them. I am
soldier too. Keep it up, kidd
So now if you have enjoyed this
letter as I enjoyed writing it and
reading your paper, then 1 am
happy. Would love to hear from
all my old friends any time. Don't
wait too long, as 1 expect to be
home sooner than that.
Very truly yours,
M/Sgt. Noel Harris
ASH 372759O6
RegtI. Hq. 369th Inf.
APO SO
CO Postmaster
San Francisco, Calf.
More Praise for
Boys Town
August 27, 1914
Editor: 1 had never heard of your
paper until a visitor at St. Johns
gave me a copy. How surprised I
was to find on the editorial page
an article concerning Boys Town,
Nebraska. Although brief, it was
great in expressing appreciation
for all that Monsignor Flanagan
has done for Colored boys. I must
commend you for this article. I
have two reasons for being pleased
with it. l am Negro; I am citi-
zen of Boys Town.
Nothing can express the purpose
or the result of "The City of Little
Men" better than a phrase taken
from your editorial; namely, "Many
a youth headed towards an aimless
life has found refuge, training, and
understanding at Boys Town,
where his experience has contribut-
ed to his development into substan-
tial, useful manhood" And 1 might
add that just as you have said
this opportunity is given to every
one regardless of race, creed, or
color.
Before going to Boys Town six
years ago, l travelled or roamed
around to various places. From my
own experience I have come to the
conclusion that Boys Town is the
most American of any place in
America. Although there is a dis
astrous and destructive war going
on in another part of the world, al
though there are racial conflicts
and labor strikes detrimental to
our peace efforts being carried out
in many of our principal cities,
Boys Town is demonstrating TRUE
DEMOCRACY.
Boys town has been referred to as
being unique, because it is govern
ed by boys all under the age of
twenty-one. I, too, think that it is
unique. I think that it is unique
because its citizens are of all races,
creeds and color. Their backgrounds
and past lives vary greatly. Natu-
rally their temperaments, moods,
and habits are different. Yet there
are no riots, there are no racial
conflicts, there are no religious an
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