Letter dated April 16, 1918 from Private Lionel E. Mintz to the Ithaca Journal. Published in The Ithaca Journal, Apr 20 1918, P. 6, Cols. 1-2.
"April 16, 1918.
"Well, here is that letter that I have long promised to write you since I went into Uncle Sam's service. You have probably been wondering somewhat over my silence. The fact is that I have been extremely busy adapting myself to army life.
"Being a newspaper man for nine years and then going into the army is a change nothing short of radical insofar as the routine is concerned. Do I like it? You may wager your last cent that I do. I have been in the service for nearly two months and I wouldn't put on civilian clothes for a lot, that is, unless the last vestage of Prussian militarism was stamped out forever from the universe. I am very fond of my work here. The Signal Corps is one of the most important branches of the service. It is the arm of military communication, the guiding pivot of information which moves the armies and its value cannot be and is not underestimated.
"When I was younger I used to think that all a man in the signal corps had to do was to get out into the fields and wave his arms but this was a mistaken idea of youth. The semaphore drill is of course important but there are a number of more important requisites of which I cannot go into detail.
"We are nicely situated here at the College of the City of New York. The meals are good and our accommodations excellent.
"Our commanding officers take a special interest in the work of each man and I believe that this kindly spirit instills in each man a spirit to be ambitious, resourceful and a desires to push himself ahead by close application to duty. The men are made to feel that they are fitting themselves for a highly important branch of the service. It is up to each man to take it upon himself to accomplish successful training and by doing so uphold the noble traditions of the signal corps. I say traditions because the pride of signal corps men, I understand, in their work and achievements, is traditional.
"Harry, you ought to see me working in the kitchen. I have been on kitchen police duty several times and am now qualified to set tables, wash and wipe knives, forks, dishes, etc., as well as the most accomplished housewife. To continue in a lighter vein I am on clean up squad occasionally and one of our duties is to manicure the floors, said manicuring being done with brooms.
"Oh, I tell you, Harry, this war is going to make a lot of good husbands.
"Any distaste of kitchen or similar duty is removed by the more pleasant and interesting features of our training. It is early to bed and early to rise with us and it hardens us and gives us pep and good physical condition. It may seem severe to go to bed early in New York City but then, we are down here for work in a serious game and not for pleasure.
"I see that our friend, Brigardier General George A. Dodd, U.S. A., retired, gave a splendid talk on the third Liberty Loan. I wish to endorse the sentiments he expressed. I told him before I enlisted that I would write him and he said he would be pleased to have me. He stated that a number of boys in the service correspond with him and that it is a pleasure for him to keep
in touch with them.
"Last Saturday I heard Augustus Thomas, the noted dramatist, speak for a few minutes at the Lexington Opera House during the intermission of the musical comedy, "You Know Me, Al," given by 40 boys of the 27th Division at Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, S. C. It was a wonderful production and is playing here for several weeks. The proceeds are to be devoted to erecting a portable theater for this Empire State Division. Society girls sold programs in the lobby. 'Chick' Divine, Binghamton boy and Cornellian, has a poem in the program. He is called the 'poet laureate' of Camp Wadsworth.
"Mr. Thomas' brief talk was worth the price of admission alone. It was on the same day that General Haig made his startling statement that our backs are to the wall; we must not give any more ground,' etc. Mr. Thomas repeated this assertion and thrilled his hearers with a plea for young men not of draft age to enlist and fill up the ranks of the 27th Division. He implored the married women to go home and urge all male relatives available of the ages desired to 'do their bit' by enlisting in this fight for humanity. It certainly made me feel very proud to be wearing the uniform of my country and also to know that my brother, Sergeant Lawrence M. Mintz, is also with the colors at Camp Wadsworth.
"New York is athrob with patriotism and any lethargy that exists will fall before the drive of the third Liberty Loan campaign.
"It is up to every Ithacan to purchase a bond whether they have purchased previous issues or not. I heard a sailor last night urge a crowd to buy a bond and help put us across.' That's the spirit! The good old United States must have the support, moral and financial, of every layol individual before we can expect that victory which will ultimately be the Allies.
"Well, Harry, I will close now and will write you again some time. Tell my friends in Ithaca to 'buy Liberty Bonds.' We'll do the rest.
"I would like to be remembered to my brother Elks and all others whom I know in good old Ithaca. Give my best to all on The Journal.
"We're in it Let's Win It Buy A Bond!
"PRIVATE LIONEL E. MINTZ,
"Fourth Service Co., Signal Corps, College City of New York, New York City."