Here is a group of young men, who were just starting out to build their lives in a world of peace. Young men who were trained as children to live in harmony with other people and to love their homes and surroundings. 

In the midst of whatever they were doing, going to school, working on the farm or in business, their lives were disrupted and they must begin all over again. In this new life, they are separated from their homes and friends, they are regimented in everything they do, and they face an entirely new phase of living...in which the background is—WAR. 

These young men are studying college subjects at the Eau Claire State Teachers College and have written the following articles in their English classes. I was fortunate enough to have some of the articles turned over to me and have found them very interesting and want you to share them. The articles show that the men have accepted this new way of life agreeably and sanely and are seriously accepting the task ahead...in the hope that peace may be restored as quickly as possible. The first of a series of articles follows: 

My Sunday as a Guest of an Eau Claire Citizen
This last Sunday was one of my most enjoyable days since I enlisted in the Army. All this was possible through the hospitality of the people in Eau Claire. All the soldiers at the Teachers College who desired an invitation for dinner could get one. My friend and I went to church, where we were introduced to our host. After services, we were escorted to our host's home where a very delicious chicken dinner was served. Even though our host had only an "A" gasoline ration card, he took his wife and us for a very interesting tour of the city. After seeing all the points of interest, we went back to their home, had another delicious meal, and were escorted back to our barracks. Private C.

Letters, Please
The high point of the soldier's day is the mail call. I wish that every civilian could see the mad rush that ensues when the mail is ready for distribution. I wish that ever person at home could see the undisguised joy on the faces of the lucky ones who get letters or even cards. Those letters are treasures to be carried around and re-read and shown to friends and talked about and re-read again at night.

It would be difficult to overestimate the value of mail to soldiers as a weapon of war, for it is only through those letters from home that we soldiers have contact with all those things that we left behind —with our friends, our homes, our schools; with that little spotted dog that used to run out to meet us when we came home in the evenings; with the sound of mother, singing as she worked; with that gaudily decorated bedroom that we used to call our own; with all those little things that used to make life worth living; with all those things that we are fighting for.

I see now why the Germans, in bombing a convoy of ships, concentrate on the mail ship. And then I can see another thing—the sad face of the soldier who sleeps in the bunk below me, when he gets no mail day after day.

If only all the civilians at home could see and understand these things, I know that they would send us soldiers what we want more than anything else—longer letters and more of them.  Private A.

Although not all the soldiers clean up their plates quite so neatly as did the boys pictured here, Mrs. Lyne states that there is less waste per person in the cafeteria of the training center here than in the average American home. It has been estimated that the waste runs as high as three-quarters of a pound of food per person every day. Mr. Lyne found that about one-third of a pound per day was thrown into the garbage can. Since each boy eats 6 to 8 pounds daily, the proportion of waste was small. 

One way to keep the "Clean Plate" membership large at the college, Mrs. Lyne said, was to find out what the boys liked best. Many of the lads came from the South; therefore, the cooks catered to Southern eating habits and frequently served black-eyed peas, corn bread, hot breads, and hominy grits.

The favorite dinner menu (and no wonder!) consisted of steak, gravy, mashed potatoes, fruit salad, peas or corn, and pie a la mode. 

Favorite salads are fruit salads, with tomato and lettuce as second choice. The boys eat salad every day besides fresh raw vegetables. They like unusual greens, such as Chinese celery or cabbage. 

Popular desserts are date torte, devil's float, tapioca cream, gingerbread, pie, and devil's food cake. 

The favorite breakfast consists of home-made caramel rolls, fried eggs and bacon, fruit and tomato juice, milk or coffee, toast and jam. 

Some idea of the task of feeding this group of servicemen may be obtained from amounts of foods purchased for each meal. 

When the detachment was at maximum strength, 150 pounds of roast was purchased for one meal. If chicken was the main dish, 150 pounds were required. For a turkey dinner, 250 pounds were used. Other figures of food amounts per meal were 50 pounds of bacon, 70 pounds country style sausage, and 200 pounds of potatoes. Three hundred quarts of milk per day as beverage, besides that used in cooking. Twenty-five pounds of butter were used a day, 30 dozen rolls or doughnuts per meal. As for desserts, 50 pounds of fresh frozen strawberries were served at one meal, 4 gallons of gelatin at another, and 55 pies when pie was on the menu. Of cream puffs, 350 were served per meal. When griddle cakes were served, 5 gallons of buttermilk, half a case of eggs, and 120 cups of flour were required.

For apple, celery, lettuce salad, a bushel of apples, a bushel of lettuce, and several bunches of celery were needed.

Each soldier gets an average of two eggs per day and about one quart of milk, besides what is used in cooking. He is served one pound of meat.

Mrs. Lyne states that some of the boys have gained as much as 20 pounds in the five-month training period at the college.