The Pittsburgh Press (August 28, 1941)
We, the women –
MAYBE PARENTS ARE TO BLAME FOR GRUMBLING OF DRAFTEES
By Ruth Millett
Every mother and father of a draftee who hears that there is considerable grumbling and complaining going on in the Army camps over the country should ask themselves if their attitude might possibly have caused their own son to be one of the dissatisfied.
Did they, for instance, carry on and indulge in a lot of “you poor thing” talk when his draft number came up – instead of taking the sensible attitude that he was just facing an unavoidable duty, and that he should make the best of it?
Did they when he left for camp drown him in tears or give him a cheerful sendoff?
When he wrote home complaining of the food, or the heat, or the strenuous physical life, did they go easy on their sympathy and make light of his experience, or did they write him how terrible they thought it was for him to haver to go through all that and encourage him to grumble in every letter home?
When he was careless about Army regulations and was disciplined for it did they get in a huff and tell him they thought it was a crying shame and they had a good mind to write their Senator and let him know what was going on, or did they make a joke of it and remind him that he was “in the Army now?”
Haver their letters been full of interested questions about Army life and all that he was learning from it, or have they been woeful tales of how much he was missed at home and how well his friends not in the Army were doing?
When he came home on leave did they brag about him a little in his presence and let the conversational spotlight fall on him when friends dropped in, giving him a chance to show off his new knowledge, or did they take the “Poor Willie” attitude and make him out a victim instead of a hero?
In other words, did they “baby” him or treat him as the man of 21 or more he is?