Camp Adair Sentry
Thursday, December 24,1942.
It's A Great Lite
Notes From a Soldier's Sketch Book
A weekly newspaper published for the military and civilian per­
sonnel of Camp Adair, Oregon, and circulated free to officers, soldiers
and civilians by written permission of thl> camp commander.
Published by the Camp Adair Sentry, publisher. Box 347, Cor­
vallis. Oregon. News matter pertaining to Camp Adair, furnished by
the Camp Public relations Office, is available for general release.
Editor and manager
Don c. Wilson
P. O. Address, Box 347, Corvallis, Oregon. Phone 865-M.
Subscription by mail S1.50 a year or $1 for six months
Advertising rates upon request.
Address all communications to "Camp Adair Sentry, Box 347.
Corvallis, Oregon."
News contributors to this issue: Et. George H. Godfrey,
Public Relations officer; S'Sgt. K. A. Brown, associate director
S/Sgt. R. L. Black, Sgt. Henry Beckett, T 4 Raymond C. John­
son. Cpl. John H. Gubelman, Pvt. Wallace Rawles, Pvt. Robert
Ruskauff.
Ji
The Sea Gull, mimeographed weekly of a Timber Wolf
infantry regiment, makes a plea for more reading about the
war. It says:
“A check-up around the area shows that about five men
in every 200 are reading newspapers daily. No wonder of­
ficers sometimes wonder if some of the men know there is a
war going on.
“Take it from the Sea Gull, it’s well worth your while
to buy a paper. You want to know, for instance, how. soon
you’ll be getting home. Well, that question is being decided
every day and reported in the press. You want to know if the
folks back home are backing you up with bonds and bombers.
That's in the papers, too.
"We’re ail part of a big team, part of which has already
got its hands bloodied and part of which has died. Don’t you
want to know how your team is making out? Buy a paper,
buddy, and get into the spirit of this war. You won't really
feel part of this army until you feel yourself part of this
war.”
ABOUT WAR SONOS
For Home time now a lot of people have been demanding
that a fitting war song Ite written — a song that would .stir
the fighting men on to bigger and better fighting.
We got on the band wagon along with the rent and won­
dered why Homebody didn’t write one. We now realize that
what everyone wanted without knowing it wan a singable,
whistleable »ong NOT about war.
Proof of thin is the amazing success of a «ong, paradoxi­
cally enough written by a fellow who in the last war wrote
war Kongs that were about the war. 'The song in "White
Christmas,” an Irving Berlin number that is hitting an all-
time popularity high.
It not only inn't a war nong. It isn’t even u love song.
Yet it has Hung its way Into practically every home and heart
in the country. No one seems to be able to explain just why.
Even Berlin is puzzled. "People read things into that Hong I
had never dreamed of,” he admits.
It amazed public-wise Hollywood producers of "Holiday
Inn," the film in which it was introduced, who had confident­
ly plugged "Be Careful It’s My Heart" and left “White Christ­
mas" to take care of itself—which it did to the tune of more.
Dreaming of a White Christmas brings memories to al­
most every American. Soldiers hum the tune on far away bat-
tlafronts. Snatches of it may la» heard in almost any barrack
in Camp Adair.
We are not suggesting that "White Christmas” be adopt­
ed as the Battlecry of World War IL But we’re not yelling
any more for someltody to write a stirring "war song" either.
We think soldiers want to be happy and sing happy songs—
It's lasing like that that makes them the greatest soldiers in
the world.
9. Instead, of singing praises to God, they released their load
of lannlia upan the earth beneath, and flew swiftly away into
the darkness.
Christmas is the holiday of the
heart. Because of all that it stands
for, and because our most tender
memories, all the way from infan-
cy to this camp, arc bound up
with Christmas, we are more sen-
itive right now than at any other
time of the year.
Death seems sadder at this sea­
son, cruelty more inexcusable, and
on the other hand we take delight
in trifles and are receptive to
gentle influences which ordinarily
may not touch us.
All of us must believe in Christ­
mas, if we believe in anything at
all, and wc mean to keep it here.
No doubt most of the camp person­
nel have been concerned, somehow
in preparing for the day, and we
see signs of that on every side. It
is clear that ;^l of us feel the same.
We want a Christmas just like the
one wc used to know, or as near
like it as possible.
Therefore the old familiar carols
are being sung. The sacred story is
being read. Pictures of the Nativity
are reproduced, as at home. Again
we hear the melodics that revive
the very mood of some particular
I bygone Christmas and again wc
are charmed by the traditional
symbols of the day.
Here, as everywhere, are trees
resplendent with silver tinsel,
lights and colored bails. We see'
the glittering star, the figures of
the herald angels and the shep-
, herds in the field, the Holy Family
and the manger.
Christmas must be merry, as
well. We have Santa Claus tokens
cution. It's a beautiful thought
considering the fear and persecu­
tion that prevails in the world to­
day. I admire our army because
we are going to give Mr. and Mrs.
Poland and Mr. and Mrs. Norway
and all the Mr. and Mrs.’s of those
conquered nations the chance to
live again in honor as before.
Through our efforts, they will be
happy once again and look upon
the United States as a great na­
tion of honorable men which has
made happiness possible for them.
Although my friends and I are
quite a distance from home, we
don’t mind it. Although we are in
the infantry we don’t mind it be­
cause regardless of what branch
of the army or service we are in,
or what part of the world we are
in, we have u job to do. We do
our job seriously because when we
do it right, we are closer to vic­
tory. I knew men gripe and Com­
plain about various things. Here
and gift parties and rollicking
songs which our forefathers knew.
Into Service Club, Day Room and
barrack, radio carries programs
and messages from all over the
world, reminding everybody of
how widely the feast is observed.
Then there is the mail, including
letters ever more affectionate than
usual, and cards of warm greet­
ings, and piles of boxes to be
shared in the spirit of the day.
Most important, in our Christ­
mas here, is the good fellowship
among men who share a single
mode of life and a single purpose.
It is true that some men will be
longing, more than usual, for wo­
men who are waiting, across the
continent, for them to come home.
It is true that the sad fact of war
itself, on Christmas Day, will seem
sadder still.
All the more reason to make the
most of what we have, and we do
have a comradeship which will
grow more precious as the years
pass, Let us cherish it now and try
to understand what it signifies in
the history of our country and even
'in the history of Christmas.
For Christmas, too. .has a his­
tory. Basically, it is the celebration
of birth. It is symbolic of the joy
accompanying birth. There is joy
because in every new birth there
is hope. Thus Christmas also is a
holiday of hope. This year it is a
hope that through our efforts a
better world may he prepared for
the generation of children now be­
ing born, or learning about Christ­
mas for the first time, or growing
up in a world of war.
Christmas is the holiday of kind­
ness, of people who care. Our mili­
tary service is caring, in action.
We care about what becomes of
our country and of the world. And
we know tha^ the world’s salvation
depends on making Christmas come
true in the hearts of men, all the
time. Vou know the exquisite lines
of Phillips Brooks, addressed to
the little town of Bethlehem:
SEASON'S
GREETINGS
From Your
Jeweler
MERRY
CHRISTMAS
SOLDIER
NOLAN'S
The Quality Store Since ’84
THIRD and MADISON
CORVALLIS
BISHOP'S
Men's Store
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(MUTTERINGS
12.
stern
KN ill:
CHRISTMAS
Officers, Men and Personnel
Camp Adair
To be clean around your barracks,
To be dean upon parade.
To be the battery's cleanest man
Is a promotion aid.
Uli I II
T*hone 880
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