Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 68, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 November 1918 — George M. Babcock Hopes to Be Home By Christmas. [ARTICLE]

George M. Babcock Hopes to Be Home By Christmas.

In a letter received Wednesday from George M- Babcock, who is still at the Wilbur Wright field, Dayton, Ohio, and written Monday night, he says, among other things: This has been quite an eventful day or evening, for us. Wje did not have supper until 7 ° elock, but it was a big affair, served n courses extending .from soup to cigars, including fried chicken, ice cream and cake. The occasion for such festivities marked the farewell of the squadron commander and the welcome to the new commlding officer. Spoeel.es were made afterwards, but I duckea out” in order to write a few letters. When I got to the K. of C. building I found the program tonight nrovided a jazz orchestra, so I am dividing m y time between this Ster Ind listening to the music, which is furnished by colored people from Dayton. I do not know how long it win be vet before we are discharged from the army, but hope the time will come soon, because I wou d like to get home and help you. We have heard several rumors, which range from a month to six weeks, but one cannot always tell, as this army was not built in a day, and I suppose will fiot be demobilized in a great hurry. But

I a>m< going to try very hard to get home by Christmas or before, as I 'hear we will have a bettier right to look for furloughs after having been in' the service a year or more. The good people of Springfield are going to have ue fellows at their homes for Thanksgiving dinner. That is a wonderful city for real hospitality and most of us are trying to think of some way by which we can properly thank them when we leave here, because it is impossible to be treated any more royally than they have treated us, and they never seem to be satisfied with all they do for us. The weather here tonight, feels very much like snow may be with us before Thanksgiving. It has rained practically all day and last night, and is considerably cooler than yesterday. Dayton had a wonderful parade yesterday in celebrating the end of the war, there being twentythree bands in line, besides other interesting features. We have been watching he antics of a monoplane when the weather would permit the last few days. It seems almost impossible a single-winged ship could canty two passengers and do the things this one does at such a rapid rate of speed. It would be interesting to remain in the cervice and see the rapid development of the airplane by the government, because I believe its possibilities have hardly passed out of the embryolic stage as yet. I hope we can soon hear that “Deb” is homeward bound. He surely will have a bunch of interesting stories to tell. All of us fellows here have decided to take a very back seat when those lucky enough to get across start to tell how they licked the Germans.