Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1945-01-05
Whats
New?
By
EdWdrd Duck
On Leave
With The
Army
WHAT PEACE?

WHAT PEACE?
It's Christmas Eve here in
st. Augustine, Florida, the
oldest city in the United
States. In fact, it's Christmas
Eve in lots of places all over
the world, where American
boys are fighting for their
lives, or lying in hospitals,
wishing they could be home
for just few hours tonight
and tomorrow.
I'm at my favorite spot, the
USO center, where throngs
of Infantrymen, Coastguards-
men, Navy and Air Corps
boys congregate to listen to
phonograph records, play the
piano and write letters.
A rugged-looking Infantry
rifleman is giving an inn
promptu piano recital of
Chopin m u C, astounding
everyone, including Toledo
an named Kenneth McDon-
aid, who tells me he knows
Dick Gosser and Clayton
RuSch.
Throughout the afternoon
frequent m roph one an.
nouncements invited us to
take trips to the nearby os-
trich-alligator farm, and there
were numerous other offers of
boat trips, musicales, dinners
and other entertainment.
IN CAMP
In Camp Blanding there is
a genuine effort being made
toward providing real holi-
day for the boys. Thousands
of pounds of turkey will be
consumed. Mail call has been
held four times daily. Almost
anyone who has requested a
pass has been granted one
(most of the men will return
to camp tomorrow for the
"feast"). And when our Off
GERS wished us Merry
Christmas, they really meant
it.
Yes, tom orroW will be
Christmas. In a few more
hours we will celebrate the
birth of the Prince of Peace.
Merry Christmasses will echo
around the world. Gifts will
be opened, hearts will be
gladdened, little children's
eyes will bulge with astonish-
ment and happy gatherings
will be held.
The lights will still be
burning on many Christmas
trees when Tuesday mornings
reveille sounds at Camp
Blanding, which means that
Co. c, including one Private
Duck will rise and shine,"
race for the formation, shouI-
der their rifles and march off
to learn all about the big 81
nm guns used by the Infan-
try's Anti-tank Division.
GONE
Gone is Christmas. There is
no peace. st. Augustine was
good while it lasted. Folks
back home will be in their
work togs and on their way
to the home front arsenals.
The little children's excite
ment has cooled off and those
happy gatherings are but a
memory. Yes, even Bing
Crosby's white Christmas"
won't sound the same for an
other year. That's the picture
of the day after Christmas.
No, there is no peace. On
the battle fronts of Europe
and the Philippines history
is being made-bloody his
tory. The ugly head of Fas-
cism has barred its fangs and
threatened democracy, reli-
gion, liberty and the home.
The political and economic
liberty for which organized
labor has fought and is fight
ing would be lost completely
should our boys fail in their
assignments. The Century of
the Common Man, as depicted
by Henry Wallace would be-
come an empty fairy tale,
should we lose this war.
All of us hope that Ger
many's latest move will has
ten her ultimate destruction,
and that Japan, too, will be
finished off before another
Christmas rolls around.
AS FOR PEACE
But, as for peace-there
will never be any form of
universal or lasting peace un-
til there has been a change
in the hearts of men. Greed,
lust for power, and an utter
disregard for the rights and
dignity of the individual will
create wars so long as they
exist.
These things are not con-
fined within the borders of
any particular country. Per-
haps it would be a good idea
to examine few "home-
grown products so that
when the war has been won
it will not be too great a