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Friday, August 31, 2018

Emily Morton Writes Of Her Army Service, 1918

From the editorial page of the Daily Times, Wilson, N.C., Aug. 31, 1918

The within complaint of Miss Morton, a trained nurse of this city who is now with unit 65 which expects to go to France shortly, is well taken. We think we are patriotic in this good old State and we are, but there are some things that we leave off and that we should attend to, and one is a demonstration of just appreciation of those who are giving their service to their country. All the reward that a soldier gets for the highest service that he renders his country is the proud feeling that he is magnified in the opinion of  his countrymen and that that his exaltation in their minds and hearts is now that of the kind that passes with the summer zephyr or the stray breeze of a whisper over some deed done most valiantly or the woman who also braves the shot and shell and dangers to nurse that soldier should he need her care. They want to feel and know that they are enshrined in the hearts of loved ones at home. If this is not true and if we have not quite nearly depicted this, though no words of ours or any one else can adequately express the emotions of the heart and soul either in the ecstasy of delight or the utter despair, then read the letter of this young lady to Mrs. F.A. Woodard of this city and feel that we have been remised in some thing, the very best things that give spirit, zest, animation, and buoyancy to patriotism.

Dear Mrs. Woodard:

I was real glad to get your nice letter. I thought when I wrote I would have been gone before now, but I guess they like us so much they want to keep us here as long as they can. Ha! We have right much work to do, but we have a good time also. Our chief is very nice and we all think so much of her. I know it will make our work more pleasant, she seems to take so much interest in each one of us.

We are in uniform now and I think they are real pretty; so nice each one dressed just alike.

We had our dedication of our unit last Wednesday in the St. Paul church. That was the church were Washington attended when he was in N.Y. I sat just across the aisle from his pew. It was a very beautiful and impressive service, wish you could have been here to it. Our flag is beautiful. It is made of a very pretty quality of taffeta with the stars embroidered in it and gold fringe all around it. If there hasn’t been anything in the paper about it you can call Mr. Gold up and tell him. I think the home people oughth to know what unit 65 is doing and we would be glad to hear from Wilson some time. N.C. hasn’t’ done as nice about that as most of the States have done by their units and our chief has taken notice of it and she is a western woman, and we Tar Heels love old N.C. and know it is among the first of the U.S. and we want everyone to know it and feel it. I wish the people of our town and State would wake up and think what unit 65 means. We feel very proud of it and we want everyone in N.C. to feel the same way and we haven’t even had the good wishes of our Governor yet. I am enclosing our program of our service so if Mr. Gold hasn’t had it in the paper he can have it, and if the people would like our unit song and yell we will send a copy.

I hope we will hear from our town and State before we leave for the other side.

Give my love to your sister and Francis and all. Tell them to write some time.

Lovingly,
Emily
Address Unit 65 American E.F., Madison Square Hotel, N.Y.

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