(Page 1)

Mare Island, Calif.
Jan. 4, 1918.

Mr. J. E. Aeschliman

Kirksville, Mo.

My Dear Friend and Teammate:-

I just returned from a very pleasant trip to Kirksville, where I spent six days including  xmas, and 
among the letters that were here for me on my return, was the one which you wrote. It is needless for 
me to say that I was very, very much pleased to hear from one who has been one of my friends for years, 
and who has been a team-mate with me in many hard fought games both on the gridiron and at basketball. 
You know Aeschliman there is a peculiar friendship which exists between fellows who have fought together 
on the football field, which is unlike any other friendship in the world.

Yes I read, with much interest, the newspaper accounts of your games last fall. Of course I was very 
sorry to hear

(Page 2)

[no text]

(Page 3)

of the defeats you boys met last fall, but I am sure that you all did as well as could be expected. 
No one knows better than I, that it is impossible to develop a winning team from so much green material. 
But keep this material together and we know, from experience, what it can be developed into.

I did not see you when I was home Xmas, so suppose that you must have been out of town. I would like 
to have visited school but it was not going on when I was there so didn't get to see many of the boys. 
Some of the boys told me that if school had been going on when I was there, I would have had to make 
a speech in chapel. Well if I had visited school, I would have been well out of sight at chapel time, 
because I am no speech maker. I had to make a speech at the Masonic Installation while I was home, and it

(Page 4)

[no text]

(Page 5)

scared me nearly to death.

I am now a Company Commander. I have charge of a company of firemen rookies. I am a seaman and this 
is the first time that I have had anything to do with firemen, but I have been helping instruct seamen 
for the last four months. It may sound queer that Naval firemen have to drill, but now everyone on board 
ship must know how to fight on land as well as on the sea.

I notice that both you and Roy Lilley need K.S.N.S. Committy [sic] on Field Service onveloped [sic]. 
I did not notice this until after I had mailed my letter to him. I suppose that the writing on the 
part of you students is voluntary. It certainly is very kind of all of you and I only hope that all 
of the fellows in the service were as much pleased with the letters that

(Page 6)

[no text]

(Page 7)

they received as I was with the ones from you and Roy.

That was too bad that your foot kept you out of the sevice. I remember if need to bother you come in 
basketball. The Navy has a very rigid examination. O. C. Corbin was turned down because of a very slight 
heart murmer [sic], and also Johnson, who works for Carl Burchett, was turned down because of an ingrown 
big toe nail. Both of these boys tried to enlist the same day I did.

Well Aeschliman I have written a young volume, so will close. If you get tired reading this, just take 
it on the installment plan.

Wishing you all the success possible during the coming year, I am as ever

you [sic] friend

Henry C. Gardner, Seaman

Mare Island, Calif.

(Page 8)

[no text]

(Page 9)

VALLEJO CAL.
JAN 7
11-30A
1918

U.S. POSTAGE
3 CENTS 3

Mr. J. E. Aeschliman
Kirksville, 
Missouri

To K.S.N.S. Committee on Field Service

(Page 10)

Henry C. Gardner, Seaman
Mare Island, Calif.

W.W.I.80.47