Evening star., 1944-02-27

Doubts About +
Stalk Servicen1<
The boys in uniform are not wor-
rying about not coming back after
this war, but they are worried about
what kind Of life there will be when
they do come back, writes Aviation
Cadet George r. Wainwright to his
father, J. Dutton Wainwright of the
Union Trust Co.
We've got this war in the bag
he declared, but If and when we dc
come back, what will there be?
What's it going to be like? That's
what we think about most of the
time. And" he added, "some loud.
mouthed politicians, looking for 9
few votes, would be shocked that 9
couple Of the big things he thinks
we're risking our necks for" aren't
even considered.
Cadet wainwright, 20, who is now
taking his basic night instruction al
Minter Field, Calf, was a student
at the University OF Maryland and q
member Of the ROTC, when he en-
listed in the Air Forces. His mother
Mrs. Emma S. Wainwright, lives at
1902 Third street NV.
Wrote Letter on Train.
While en- route to his California
station in troop train Cadet VAIN
wright wrote:
I'm sitting here in the Pullman car
alone. We're rolling through the
desert. It's about dusk; the sun has
disappeared behind the distant hills
It's very quiet and good place to
think. That's what I've been doing
sitting here, looking out of the
window, enjoying the soothing
"drags" from a cigarette and doing
lot of thinking about this and
that.
I've never put my thoughts In
writing before-perhaps for lack OF
time-perhaps because I wonder If
any one outside the fellows l live
and work with would be able to
understand them, or even be inter-
ested at all
So. for no particular reason at all
I am attempting one of those So
called "man-to-man" letters. When
you finish reading this you'll prob
ably wonder what the Army has
done to your son, who was never too
serious about anything.
Let's start with Army life in gen.
eral. My thoughts on what It's all
about, and the opinions of my bud
dies, which have helped me reach
the conclusions I have. Sitting in q
classroom at the University of Mary
land, some II or II months ago, ]
could think of nothing greater or
more exciting than leaving home or
school for the Air Corps.
Looked Like Adventure.
1t looked like a great adventure;
relief from the in-and-out dragging
existence of school, girls and foot
ball games. No, patriotism wasn't
tapping me on the shoulder, nor was
the draft board breathing down my
back. So off L went to soar on "sil-
yer wings through clouds and sky
Flying is great! It's all I wanted
it to be-and more! It's something
that one can't express, to be up there
alone-your own little self, so insig-
niflcant on the ground, now like an
eagle, lowering about in the sky, free
of all earthly bonds-just you and
your plane, which is part of you
and God is your co-pilot.
But there's one drag to it all. It's
not a game any more-not an ad-
venture-not the glorious. glamorous
life that magazine and stories like
about. which I thought about back
in those classroom days at Mary
land.
No! It's just a job-a tough job
one that gets tougher and more
complicated as each day goes by. A
job that goes on "a hours a day and
pays SIS minus deductions. A Job
that demands everything and gives
nothing in return, except, perhaps
the satisfaction that you're doing
the best you know how in spite OF 1t
all
We fellows have a lot Of bull ses-
sions when we get time-they're
pretty serious, and one gets a true
cross section of America. Fellows
from all walks of life, all different
angles are brought up. but they ali
add up to the same thing.
Boys Know War Aims.
There isn't a boy in this bunch
who doesn't know what he's fighting
for basically. We've got lot OF
things on our list, and a lot of peo-
pie back home would be surprised at
some of these. A lot of little things
maybe unimportant to the fellow
who takes cab to the bank once q
month and buys $500 War Bond
thus helping to win the war;" but
most important to the boy up there
in the cockpit of training ship five
hours every day trying to learn what
it's all about. And some loud
mouthed politician, looking for few
votes, would be shocked that a
couple Of the big" things that he
thinks we're risking our necks for
aren't even mentioned.
We've got this war in the bag
The boys "over there" are making
the enemy look like Mickey Mouse.
Sure, we've losing lots of our boys
that's to be expected: we know that
quite we'll The gang in the factories
and mills and shipyards are swell
Ar