Evening star., 1945-02-10
Letters to The Star
Army's Own Explanation
Would Be Helpful
To the Editor Of The Star:

TO the Editor OF the Star:
Last year two 17-year-old boys en-
tered nearby university for training
under the Army specialized training
program. Both Of these boys are good
students, they made excellent records
and both were able to complete three
terms before they reached their 18th
| birthdays. They were then sent to
Camp Meade for assignment in the
Regular Army. Both were assigned to
the infantry, and one was sent to a
camp in Florida, the other to camp in
South Carolina.
I do not know what recommendations
were made in regard to the young man
| sent to the South Carolina camp but I
| do know that the other young man was
told that because Of his high marks,
| particularly the ones he had made on
the Army classification test, and be-
cause he had completed the first phase
of the specialized training, he would be
sent back to college upon completion of
his basic training. He was given II
weeks of training, Today furlough at
home, and Immediately sent overseas,
leaving this country sometime around
| Christmas. Now his mother has re-
ceived a War Department telegram
stating that her son had been wounded.
He could not possibly have been over
seas more than three weeks
The other young man was removed
from camp before he had completed his
basic training and is now at a we'll
knnuyn Snyythorn
weeks before, "a other young men who
had completed but II weeks of their
basic training were removed from an
infantry camp in Alabama and sent to
well-known school in Virginia where
according to the statement of one, he
is safe for the duration.
Wounded Boys Sentiment.
OF course, this is no time for bitter
ness and resentment. These are the
two things that every Christian mother
has to fight, for 1t now has become
almost impossible to reconcile what we
know to be fair and just with what we
see happening all around us. This
young man who now lies wounded in
some Army hospital cautioned his
mother before he left: mo matter
what happens to the other fellow,
Mother, don't feel bitter and resentful."
This is the spirit of Americas finest,
our brave and gallant fighting men.
God grant that we at home may be
worthy of them.
In last Sundays papers we were told
that the infantry needs requirements
very badly, and thousands of men
trained in other branches of the serv-
ice, particularly the Air Corps, have
had to be transferred to the infantry
because of this need. If this is true
why are young men being taken out of
the infantry camps and sent to college
before they even finish their basic
training? Naturally, the War Depart
ment must have the answer to this
question. and it would help consider
ably If it could be passed along to some
OF the mothers whose sons are not SO
safe for the duration.
In statement recently issued by the
War Department in connection with
universal military training, we are told
that: "A year of training would be
necessary. We know that If we devote
less time to the training of men who are
to constitute units ready for combat, we
shall be guilty Of sending these men to
battle without an average chance of
survival and success" If this statement
Is true, and we certainly have reason to
believe that it came from an authori-
tative source, why are thousands of our
young men, particularly the 18-year-
old boys, given but II weeks training at
infantry replacement centers, a Today
furlough at home. and Immediately sent
overseas for combat duty? The last
part Of the statement must be true, for
many boys, like the one mentioned
above, have barely reached the other
side when their names have appeared
on the casualty lists.
Questions Lack Of Training.
With but II weeks training they
must fight an enemy trained for years
In 1914 We were told that draft board
quotas would be met for the most part
by the $4,000 young men reaching 18
each month. These boys are Americas
most precious natural resources; they
are, as Jefferson Davis once described
them, Americas seed corn" Have they
now become Americas expendables?
They haven't had time to begin the
study Of one of the deferred subjects,
They haven't had time to find them
selves places in essential industry. They
must fight, and they are being poured
into battle like SO many tanks and
guns and planes, rolling OF the as
sembly lines.
Britain has been in the war longer
than we have, yet we had passed leg
islation drafting 18-year-olds before
Britain found such legislation necessary,
And unless there has been some recent
change, British boys cannot be sent
overseas until they have reached their
10th birthdays. And it has only. been
in recent months, and then with some-
what disastrous results, that Canada
could send any man overseas unless he
volunteered for overseas service. Surely
America can. afford to give her fine
sons at least "an average chance of sur
vival and success"
Last Sunday Undersecretary of War
Patterson gave radio address in con-
nectior with the universal service law
in which he called for fair play. It
was thrilling speech, filing every one
who heard it with new sense Of duty
and responsibility. But may respect
fully call Mr.. Patterson's attention to
the statement mentioned above? Is the
~ y,lo cat 3