(Page 1) ARMY AND NAVY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION "WITH THE COLORS" YMCA Camp Raritan Metuchen N.Y. 1-29-'19 Dr. Geo A Still Kirksville, Mo, Dear Dr. Still, Your letter of a recent date at hand and I shall at least let you know that I received it and appreciate hearing from the Kirksville Rotary Club. My, "say something," you ask for will of necessity be about work on this side as it has not been my privilage to go overseas even tho' [sic] I've seen some over thirteen months service. A good soldier does what he is told and not as he wishes TO THE WRITER: SAVE BY WRITING ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PAPER. TO THE FOLKS AT HOME: SAVE FOOD, BUY LIBERTY BONDS AND WAR SAVINGS STAMPS. (Page 2) [no text] (Page 3) ARMY AND NAVY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION "WITH THE COLORS" YMCA Something over a year ago I landed in Camp Wyston which is on Long Island about 60 miles out of New York. It was one of the large contonents [sic] I think you were there some time back so you know what it is like. I was placed in the Depot Brigade with the other Ordinance men who were put there until the ordinance training camps and ordinance hoses [sic] were completed. As it happened at that time the Depot Brigade was the recieving[sic] station for undesirables so our invitation into the service was hardly pleasant. I remember one big simple minded fellow named Ice who TO THE WRITER: SAVE BY WRITING ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PAPER. TO THE FOLKS AT HOME: SAVE FOOD, BUY LIBERTY BONDS AND WAR SAVINGS STAMPS. (Page 4) [no text] (Page 5) ARMY AND NAVY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION "WITH THE COLORS" YMCA was a conocientious [sic] objection and he refused to wear his uniform except on Saturdays and Sundays. He had 18 claims for exemption in but he was still there when I left on March 11 after the 14th Ordinance Company was formed of which I was a charter member. This new company was sent to this camp, Camp Ranitan. We were the first company here and tho' [sic] some members have gone the original company nucleus is here still. The camp was very new and on the night of that particular day we arrived the mercury was low & the wind strong and penetrating. The water supply for the camp was temporary and was frozen up so we had none to use and our first war occured TO THE WRITER: SAVE BY WRITING ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PAPER. TO THE FOLKS AT HOME: SAVE FOOD, BUY LIBERTY BONDS AND WAR SAVINGS STAMPS. (Page 6) [no text] (Page 7) ARMY AND NAVY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION "WITH THE COLORS" YMCA when one end of a pipe started to dribble the following evening. This camp is located about 30 miles out of New York in New Jersey on the Renton River which connects with New York harbor and affords a waterway for small lighters. It is an ordinance camp only and at present we have barracks for some 10,000 men; some 100 magazines for ammunition; a large arsenal and a dock for loading overseas shipment. It is an ideal location for such a camp because of it's [sic] waterway and is centrally located in the ammunition manufacturing area. Immediately adjoining is a nitration plant for the manufacture of gun cotton and signal lights, reverse the TO THE WRITER: SAVE BY WRITING ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PAPER. TO THE FOLKS AT HOME: SAVE FOOD, BUY LIBERTY BONDS AND WAR SAVINGS STAMPS. (Page 8) [no text] (Page 9) ARMY AND NAVY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION "WITH THE COLORS" YMCA river du pont has a plant and the huge Gillespie factory that burned some time back is only seven miles away. A gas plant is in Bound Brook near by. Many trucks assigned for overseas drivers in trains from Detroit and Midwest points came here for shipment. So you see we are right in the thick of the stuff that had German names on it. The magazines are very substantially built and are located down in the swamps near the river and are in rows with a railroad running along each row. There are seven engines in constant use down there moving cars. The magazines are made of hollow tile walls with concrete floors and roofs TO THE WRITER: SAVE BY WRITING ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PAPER. TO THE FOLKS AT HOME: SAVE FOOD, BUY LIBERTY BONDS AND WAR SAVINGS STAMPS. (Page 10) [no text] (Page 11) ARMY AND NAVY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION "WITH THE COLORS" YMCA and the end of the building was blown out & considerable other damage done no wonder the Germans quit. The cotton used is of the poorer grade and is shipped in 500# bales. The first process consists in opening the bales and tearing the cotton to pieces and thoroughly dried by passing it on an endless heet [sic] then dry, hot air from there it is weighted into 15th lots & put in the acid vats for 20 minutes. The aids used are sulphuric & nitric in 65 & 35 percentages. After it's [sic] 20 minutes nitration the acid is wrung out of the cotton and thru [sic] water it is carried into huge vats where 1800lbs are hailed in water for 20 hours. During the nitration any particle TO THE WRITER: SAVE BY WRITING ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PAPER. TO THE FOLKS AT HOME: SAVE FOOD, BUY LIBERTY BONDS AND WAR SAVINGS STAMPS. (Page 12) [no text] (Page 13) ARMY AND NAVY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION "WITH THE COLORS" YMCA of foreign material causes the vat to burn and then great volumes of the brown oxide of nitrogen so irritating to breath escapes. After 20 hours bailing the water is drained & new water applied & boiled for 5 hours & drained & fresh water put on for another 5 hours. This kept up until the total hours is 40. From there it is chopped very fine under water and again boiled for 20 hours and dried down to 20% moisture. This boiling or "pooching", as it is called, removes all uncombined acid which they say reduces the explosive power of the gun cotton if left in. When dried down to 20% water it resembles flour in appearance TO THE WRITER: SAVE BY WRITING ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PAPER. TO THE FOLKS AT HOME: SAVE FOOD, BUY LIBERTY BONDS AND WAR SAVINGS STAMPS. (Page 14) [no text] (Page 15) ARMY AND NAVY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION "WITH THE COLORS" YMCA It is now placed into boxes holding 373#. These boxes are zinc lined and very substantially built. They are so built to prevent evaporation [illegible text] the resultant spontaneous combustion and each box costs $12.00. The arsenal is also of interest. The main buildings are fine in number & they too are of fire proof material being of concrete & tile. Two of them are fully equipped machine shops for repair & assembling of trucks automobiles, tractors, motor cycles, machine guns and small filed pieces. Here is where the Officers training school is located. The school is to teach the field repair of machine guns, care, field pieces etc. The school is of 3 months length and men who have followed a mechanical TO THE WRITER: SAVE BY WRITING ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PAPER. TO THE FOLKS AT HOME: SAVE FOOD, BUY LIBERTY BONDS AND WAR SAVINGS STAMPS. (Page 16) [no text] (Page 17) ARMY AND NAVY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION "WITH THE COLORS" YMCA trade were admitted the school was disbanded a little over a month ago. The men in this camp are principally either guards or, so we term them, stewdors. I happen to be in a guard company. It takes about 1500 men to guard this camp. The magazines must be closely watched and then there's the Arsenal camp buildings, etc. Our company has done guard duty here since last April. We worked with two companies of the 50th Infantry and other ordinance companies but now the 22nd Inf is here with us. That the camp is still here is evidence of the fine work of the men. They have been & are on the job in all kinds of weather day in & day out and TO THE WRITER: SAVE BY WRITING ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PAPER. TO THE FOLKS AT HOME: SAVE FOOD, BUY LIBERTY BONDS AND WAR SAVINGS STAMPS. (Page 18) [no text] (Page 19) ARMY AND NAVY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION "WITH THE COLORS" YMCA tho' we have had some exciting times the untiring vigilence and alertness of the services have always served the day. The men not in guard companies handle the ammunition. Many, many boats of explosives have been sent from here "over there". The work has been the hardest kind of physical labor and drudgery but the men saw that the fellows over there had plenty to go over the top with. Since the armistice was signed we have faced about now and instead of our interest lying in war it is where our place in the world is and every one is so anxious to get out & sit I know from my own feelings that I'll not be content until I am free again. My duties are to be Sarg't [sic] TO THE WRITER: SAVE BY WRITING ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PAPER. TO THE FOLKS AT HOME: SAVE FOOD, BUY LIBERTY BONDS AND WAR SAVINGS STAMPS. (Page 20) [no text] (Page 21) ARMY AND NAVY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION "WITH THE COLORS" YMCA of the Guard about once in 10 days. The rest of the time is my own. This army life has been a great experience for me. Uncle Sam had this war won long ago when he made 2 million men get up for Reveille. It's an awful dose to hop out this weather in the army barracks. I don't believe I ever saw as much goose flesh. This place & weather were meant for Eskimos only. And as to Chon-well the man who didn't like liver before eats it now & he who likes black coffee doesn't now. It is not a case of whether you like it-it is better eat or go without. There is one dish however that we as an army dislike and that is rice-pudding. In the front place it is cheap & for that reason very TO THE WRITER: SAVE BY WRITING ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PAPER. TO THE FOLKS AT HOME: SAVE FOOD, BUY LIBERTY BONDS AND WAR SAVINGS STAMPS. (Page 22) [no text] (Page 23) ARMY AND NAVY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION "WITH THE COLORS" YMCA often is our dessert and in the second place it sticks so to your mess kit that you have to take your fingers to rub it off. The way it is done is to walk up to the wash can shut your eyes & plunge down then the scum from many other mess kits & rub like thunder-then yank out & rinse them off. I do not need to tell people I have fared well because the clothes that I slid into last year are too brief. I am seriously contemplating using laces instead of buttons because of their readiness to adjustment. We are well accustomed to laces now so I guess one or two more won't add perceptibly to my difficulties. TO THE WRITER: SAVE BY WRITING ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PAPER. TO THE FOLKS AT HOME: SAVE FOOD, BUY LIBERTY BONDS AND WAR SAVINGS STAMPS. (Page 24) [no text] (Page 25) ARMY AND NAVY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION "WITH THE COLORS" YMCA Well I must quit. I guess I could tell about a lot of other things but I must stop for this time. I have appreciated hearing from the Rotary club thru [sic] you. Just when I will get home no one knows-at least they don't tell me. I hope my turn will come sometime between now & Christmas. I have been expecting it for a long time so keep the can greased as there's no telling when the long looked for discharge may come. Kindest regards Serg't R. W. Rice. TO THE WRITER: SAVE BY WRITING ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PAPER. TO THE FOLKS AT HOME: SAVE FOOD, BUY LIBERTY BONDS AND WAR SAVINGS STAMPS. (Page 26) [no text] (Page 27) RETURN TO GEORGE A. STILL, M.S., M.D., D.O. SURGEON-IN-CHIEF A.S.O. HOSPITAL KIRKSVILLE, MO. [illegible text] U.S. POSTAGE 1 CENT 1 (Page 28) W.W.I.133.47