VV IT H SF R K

VV I T h S F r K / c- F IV\)= /v l>l2S~H3- A FRONT-PAGE EDITORIAL TO THE BOYS IN THE SERVICE By CARL L. WEICHT • Our country is at war, and war changes things. Yet this old town of ours, on the surface at least, is much the same quiet, pleasant place it used to be. Could you look in on us from a vantage point in the sky, you might say we haven't changed much. We go about our reg ular jobs the same as usual, we meet the old friends here and there, we see many of the familiar faces in the familiar places up and down Main street, we have our busy round of community activities. But our common effort as a nation has imposed here, as everywhere in America, new duties, a new spirit, a new prayer. Yes, our community is different than it used to be before you went away. Underneath there has been a change, for the fondest thoughts of the fathers and mothers, the wives and sweet hearts, and the friends of you men and boys in the armed services of our country are not here. They are with you. See those two motherly figures and that young high school girl chatting there on the corner? Do you think they're talking about the things women usually talk about, or even sugar rationing, the First Aid class that meets tomor row night, or that extra allotment of sewing the Red Cross must finish by next Saturday? They are not, altho, to be sure, these latter subjects have long since crowded the weather and similar items of conversation to the wall. What Mrs. Jones is now saying is that her big boy, Jim, has just been selected to go to an officers' training camp, he's that smart, while Mrs. Smith is telling what her husband, Ser geant Smith, wrote from his outfit's base in Ire land. Meanwhile, Jane Brown just can't be polite much longer and is about to break in to announce that Brother Bob is coming home next Tuesday for a week's furlough before leaving his training post for the East coast. When dad stops in at the drugstore to get that anti-mosquito dope to prolong his daylight evening hours in his Victory garden on the nights he isn't down at the Air Raid Wardens' class,, what do you think he talks to the store keeper about? Fishing and golf, which used to take up so much of his attention? Or wartime prices and restrictions, the sinking of those Jap battleships, or Winston Churchill's visit to our President? No sir! If the storekeeper gives him half a chance, dad is going to start right in tell- 1 T Li- 1 -'_ -1 -J____ 2__ TT 1 Oi / Now this isn't just dad and mother who are talking about you. The fact is you fellows off there in the training camps,Jn Australia, in Ice land—wherever you are—you are the ones we are thinking about, dreaming about, praying about. You're the cen&r of interest of all of us back home. It's you we know and love who are facing unknown dangers in the far places of the vtorld, or training for them, who have made the war retfl to us. We're proud of you,—proud and hopeful, too. We're proud that a new generation of strong, young Americans has come into its own, ready and able to do a hard job which needs to be done, willing to make great sacri fices that the hard-won dignity and decency of human beings may not be cruelly swept away. We are hopeful not only that you may come back to us soon, in a happier day of victory and peace, but that you will come back with the same high spirit and zestful strength ^ih which you left us. And because they are proud of you, be cause they are hopeful for you, and because they, too, are Americans of spirit, the home folks are determined that as our country seeks suc cessfully to meet the challenge that has been laid down to the things we cherish most, they will do their part in a manner worthy of you who stand bravely in the vanguard. r/ klx^'/Hx- WHAT SO PROUDLY WE HAIL'D What so proudly we hail'd at Lexington and Concord . at Boston Harbor ... at Gettysburg . and San Juan Hill ... is still worth fighting for. "Civil liberty" and "government for the people" aren't just phrases in a history book. We Americans have made these principles work for over a century and a half . and we intend to keep them working! These are the ideals we hail'd in Philadelphia in 1776 . the rights we hold worth saving, and worth dying to save. To this end, like the patriots of '76, "we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor" WE SALUTE YOU CAPTAIN ARNE WINGER, Port Washington, Md. PVT. KIRK ROE, Australia. CORP. ROBERT GANNON, Camp Sutton, N. C. PVT. EDWARD ROSTER, Two Harbors, Minn. THE NORTHFIELD NEWS L* ¥ 2- 6>/j.±-; Sammy, Budge, Paul M., Kirk, Al 'MOM' WRITES len and perhaps there are others, in way-off Australia. In that good JIAA-* TO HER BOYS old jolly Ireland, I see Amos, DEAR BOYS; "Frog", Junior, Paul, George M. and many of our other boys. Here As long as everyone else is put in the United States there are ting their little "say so" in The many faces of those I have known News this week in dedication to since little boys. Keep your chins you all, I'm going to have my little up, boys, and come home soon— fling too. The boss, "H.R.," and his as soon, I should say, as we can wife have gone to Canada to the have that same Peace, that Ever National editorial meeting, so the lasting Peace which we all hold whole "gang" at The News is do dear. ing his and her bit to help the When you find time, write a let cause along—that is to get the ter to us for the service column. paper out on time. Such a job—and You'd be surprised how many of here it is only Tuesday—but it your former pals enjoy bits of surely is lots of fun. ! news from or about each one of Joe Gannon, who ordinarily is j you. As ever, the foreman upstairs, now sits at I "MOM." the publisher's desk and is the whole "cheese." His wife came in the other night, found him with his feet on the desk and pipe in his mouth and wondered if this was the way for a publisher to act. We enjoy having him with us in the office. Yes, and there is "Eddie, the ad man." He not only takes care of the books, |[)ut has hustled ads this week too. For pinch-hit ting we gave "Aggie" Doyle an S.O.S. and down sh|e came to help us out. She's a "go4d egg." (That's aviation slang, I understand), and fun to have around. Upstairs Haines Cook is chief "cook and bottle washer," in fact makes an extra fine foreman. He thinks he is working the hardest and no doubt he is, but when you J look along the line, you would find "Knute" Johnson and Ken Lux do ing their big bit at the linotypes, Howard Bradford and "Randie" Jensen are both very busy with the press work, and Mildred Skaar in the bindery. (Say by the way, have you ever heard Howard laugh? It's worth a quarter any time.) Louie Williamson is on the job too, but John Hansen picked the wrong week for a vacation. Now don't think for a minute that we at The News have been responsible for this issue of The News. It has been the Northfield merchants and your friends who have been so grand in co-operating with us. They too, wanted to dedi cate this issue to all of OUR BOYS IN SERVICE. I must tell you, too, of the spe cial service the post office em ployees have given the mothers, sweethearts, wives and friends in Northfield. Last week seven let ters came all at one time from Kirk who is in Australia, and be fore they had hardly reached the News box at the post office, Ray Kelly phoned to tell of the arrival of these letters. Since then I have heard of many mothers and fathers who have had their letters deliv ered on Sunday by their mailman. A swell service, I'd say. But, you see, it is* for you and your families at home. As I sit here at my desk, just before going home, a panorama of faces goes before my eyes. I see many of you in the Islands. I see yt 2JT }*)%. News each week mistakes creep in —some of which are simply un- Across The understandable and often ludicrous and embarrassing. We hope that our readers will not be too exact Editor's Desk ing this week, and pardon~Jis_iiL4iej> • Appropriating the heading of a chance we "pull some boners." former editor's column, the writer • aims to utilize it as a kind of "wail It has been our thot and our ing wall" against which to spatter ambition to present a News just our tears—some of which may pos a bit different this week—recogniz sibly be just ordinary drops of ing the local boys who have joined every-day perspiration — and take the colors during the past year.

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