The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-07-03
Observations
Letter Viewed as
Aid to Recruiting
For WACS
BY Helen EsSsry

hope she won't be too cross
with me for giving you her letter
II will help the cause nearest her
heart-WAC recruiting And, be.
sides. ! promise never TO do it
again. The letter came when !
was half sick with worry and re-
greet that had let my young daugh-
ter 20 on alone into an unknown
world.
Here is some OF what she wrote
me-
Dearest Mother: Well, I'm final
~ on dry land but still remember
the rocking rhythm OF the ship.
/ am temporarily in the New He
brides Islands" (Motherly query
where in the universe are the
New Hebrides? Where's my atlas?
Or are the New Hebrides in a poem
by Keats? Are they stars? ! didn't
know they really existed! Imagine
my child in a place like thatD
Il am only here temporarily"
the letter goes on, waiting for
transportation TO my destination.
This is a beautiful place. The jun
gle flowers and vegetation are gSrg-
eous. There are nice beaches and
a cool breeze all day It's 5fike
spring or autumn at home.
Il am the first WAC who has
ever been on this island and have
really been feted The captain
has been driving me everywhere in
his jeep. 1t has been wonderful.
But let me go back TO the begin
ming on my trip.
, Il left San Francisco the day
after talked TO you long distance.
was the only woman 10 leave our
camp for the ship and | was terri
fed that | would be alone.
But. TO my delight, ! was put
In a cabin with two Navy nurses
We were the only three women So
YOU can imagine We were not for.
gotten We really were awfully
spoiled. Marvellous accommoda-
tions. Hot and cold running soft
water constantly. three meals
a day most unusual on troop
ships which generally serve only
two meals In addition the stew
ard brought us our breakfast"
(Home is not like thisD
Our ship was swell. The trip
was uneventful as far as the enc
my was concerned. But we did
have a destroyer escort part, OF the
way A ship had been sunk two
days before in the route we were
following" (Heaven help Newly
didn't keep her home Letting
her 90 into such danger when she
didn't HAVE TO goD
Actually. mother the trip was
like a pleasure cruise. Every four
days we had an aged movie in the
evening Much of the rest OF the
time ! played bridge. And | ended
way ahead.
THE captain and the crew were
wonderful TO US. They sort or
mothered US. The first night out
OF Frisco was really rough and we
had 10 catch our suit cases and
bureau drawers as they raced
across the cabin. But after that
the sea was smooth.
What fun we had in the initia-
ton on crossing the equator! They
didn't shave our heads or make MS
eat garbage. But we had TO do
plenty that was silly. We had
70 wear our skirts backwards for
two days and paint our faces with
big red crosses. We had to stand
many watches on deck looking 10
sea through spy glasses made or
two coke bottles held together with
tape.
Il spent most OF my time on the
ship with a group of Navy filters.
A grand bunch II was awfully
hard to say goodby' TO them. Two
of them said they they were going
10 fly down and see me. They may
not be able 10 arrange that. Be
sides I think il was the moonlight
and the sea and the closeness OF
war that made them feel sort OF ro-
mantle. | am staying at the Army
nurses quarters on the islano.
They are nice. though little priml-
tive. The Sanitation Corps has
cleaned out all malaria. So don't
worry about that.
DO you want TO near about what
happened when we first heard Of
the invasion? We were at the
Officers Club on this island after
dinner About 30 OF us. was the
only woman.
Some one came rushing in and
shouted 1.-THE invasion has begun.
We hardly believed It. So We hur-
ried of to the nearest radio. tuned
in on San Francisco and heard the
announcements. We huddled around
the radio You should have seen
the faces OF the men
"One OF the men was the French
delegate here When the radio
report was ended we stood up ana
sang THE Marseillaise' 10 him.
Everyone was crying little.
II shall never forget that mo-
ment
"All my love and don't forget
me-
Forget you wish were 20
years younger, I'd be tagging
along tOOi