The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-08-30
Tenn. Boy Mokes Good ln Army
BY WILLIAM H. TILLY

United RreSs Stan Correspondent
 Birmingham, Ala, Aug. 30-( (UP)
 -This is the story of Elmer, a Ten nessee mountaiueer, and his life- long ambition.
 Ever since he was a little shaver wandering around Henderson, Tenn. an hand~nae down overalls, Elmer Frost had just one ambition in life. Elmer wanted to be soldier.
 Only one thing stood in his way. He coulan't read or write. Since 1884 He regularly tried to enlist tn the Army and was just as regu- larly turned down.
 So Elmer, who still wanted to he "a soldier, came down from the hEls to Birmingham, where he got job.
 The came fateful Oct. 16, 1940, when the wheels of Selective Serv- Zee first began to. grind. Dutifully and happily Elmer signed up with < A big "X'.
 Then he made for the nearest re- prlliting station. But again he was turned down.
 Back to the Hills
 That settled it for Elmer. The Army didn't want him. So he packed up his bag and went back into the hills of Tennessee.
 But Elmer, not being able to read, didn't know about keeping in touch with his draft board. His Birmingham board, unable to To- cate him, listed him as delinquent.
 Tn December, 1941, they found Elmer and clapped him in the Birmingham jail. While he was there, still think Ing about the Army, a forger taught Elmer to write his name. 2 Finally, on April 13, 1942, he was released from jail with orders to report to his draft board April 20. Lonesome and broke, he was staked to a bus ticket home by U. s. Mar Ehal Raymond Thomson.
 Things went bright for Elmer. His Henderson draft board even said they would let him be i1- ducted there rather than in Bir- mlingham. They said they would fix things with the Birmingham board.
 X, Hitch liked Back But April 20 passed. Then the Birmingham board said Elmer would have to return to Alabama for induction.
 But Elmer had spent his fare back for a pair of shoes for his little sister. So he hitch-hiked back to Birmingham to his friend, the marshal, presenting letter of exoneration from the Tennessee draft board.
 The marshal, however, had no choice. Elmer went back into jail for the night.
 The next day the draft board refused to induct Elmer. He was delinquent, they said. Things looked dark.
 Then D. s. Commissioner Louise O. Charlton stepped in. The board should have paid Elmer's fare back to Birmingham, she said. And here's the part of Elmer's tale that Marshal Thomson and NUAAu11AS0tOk16I Ol1dI1IO11 LCn - 1lOWs Until . few days ago it was secret.
 Elmer went home with Mrs. Charlton. She and the marshal s'borrowed" copy of the Army psychological tests. Elmer, coached by the two federal officers, memor- azed the tests, even though he still couldn't read.
 So Elmer went to Ft. Mcclellan. Ala, to be inducted. While he was on the bus bouncing happily to- ward Army life, Marshal Thoma- son went to work behind the scenes.
 When Elmer went through the line of men taking psychological tests, he was singled out by an Army officer. When the other men finished their tests Elmer was showed in line with them.
 T/Sgt. Elmer Frost is back in his Tennessee home now, his life ambi- ton realized. On his chest he wears . Pacific theater ribbon with three battle stars and good conduct rib- bon
 And that's the story of Elmer, a Tennessee mountaineer who wanted more than anything else to be in the Army.