{ Go I 1~ ( 4-q Lj. JCAVKf? Wif/V /?E40 7>W/ Going In The Service? Then Read This! Contents 1) What It's All About 2) You're Leaving Home 3) You're A Catholic 4) Your Leisure Time 5) You And Morality 6) Why Are You Going Into The Service? 7) Now? — You Wait Copyright by YOUNG CHRISTIAN WORKERS 638 Deming PI. Chicago 14, Ell. Published by: OUR SUNDAY VISITOR, INC., Huntington, Indiana tessm&st Nihil Obstat: VERY REV. MSGR. T. E. DILLON Censor Librorum Imprimatur: * JOHN FRANCIS NOLL, D.D. Bishop of Fort Wayne Before You Start... Read This yHE pages you are about to read should open your eyes to much of what the service is all about. That’s good. Many of the fellows who read these same pages will never do any- thing about them. That’s bad. Some of the things you read about will be new. Most of what you read, you will already know. Read it anyway ! It will be a big help to your future life in the service. But don’t just read. Be critical of what you read. If you see something you don’t like, or think is wrong, get someone to straighten you out. You will certainly be critical of your draft notice when it comes. Do the same to this. When you finish this Pre-Armed Forces Action program, you can do one of two things: 1) you can take some action from what you read, or 2) you can forget about the whole thing. This is one case where you have to make your own decis- ion. After you make it, there won’t be anyone to check up on you. What It’s All About JZVERY fellow, whether he goes to school, is working, or is ~ in the service, wants to “rate” with the fellows he hangs out with. This is something common to all young fellows. What this means is this: you and the fellows you go around with are subject to what is known as social pressure. What is it? Look how a few of the “whips” in your high school started fads overnight. DA haircuts, drape pants, Eisenhower jackets, hot-rods, loud colored windbreakers were all examp- les of this. After the fad got going, did you notice how many fellows weren’t “one of the boys” any longer because they didn’t happen to be in on the current fad? Because most of the fellows wear the same clothes, or do the same things, or think the same way, they pressure the fellows they come in contact with to do or wear the same things. And the fellows they pressure go along, because fel- lows want to “rate” with the guys they go around with. That’s what social pressure is. This same principle applies in the service. If a fellow hears his buddies act and talk about women, for example, in a certain way, the chances are that in a few months he will act and talk in the same way. It’s contagious that way. Many fellows would like to break away from the “usual” way of thinking and acting, but they either don’t have the guts to do it, or they just don’t know how. Why Are There Problems In The Service? Because there are people in the service. It’s that simple. Also, because there were problems in civilian life. Problems like fellows only eating and sleeping at home, getting boozed — 5— up week-end after week-end, guys not knowing what to do with their leisure time, fellows thinking they “know the score” about women when actually all they know is what they picked up on the street; all of these carry right over into the service. The guy in the service, in one sense, is the same guy who comes from a good or bad home, from a crowd which acted like a bunch of morons or from a crowd of “real guys,” “good Joes.” He is a fellow who knows nothing about God or re- sponsibility to his neighbor, or he knows that there is a God, that he must do a good job on the Ten Commandments. Yes, the fellow in the service was once a civilian and when he entered the service he brought the same habits of living with him. But the service brings a change to everyone. Everyone must make some adaptations. In one sense the service is so different that it can practically make over a fellow’s whole life. With a background like that, no fellow is going to change the minute he enters the service. In fact, he’ll probably be — 6— the same way once he gets in. Obviously, many of the prob- lems which plague fellows in the service have had their be- ginning well before they were ever eligible for the draft. What Can Be Done? Much can be done for the men in uniform, but the first steps are always small. What would be the first step in break- ing up the “Syndicate” in this country, big as it is? When the cop on the beat turns down a five-buck bribe to fix a ticket. What would be the first step in getting honest politics in your city? When Joe Alderman begins to clamp down on the “books” in his ward. More than that, when John Q. Public uses his privilege to vote. As for the service—when Paul Pri- vate goes out of his way to make friends with the new guys who come into his outfit, then he is beginning to make chang- es. It’s small, sure; but, it’s a beginning. We’re biting off too much? Maybe, but you don’t build a house from the top down. You put one brick on top of an- other. A cop refusing a “fin” for a fix, an alderman putting the finger on bookies, friends of yours voting, a guy in the service realizing that his buddies are sons of God, are small things. Maybe small when you look at the big problems, but plenty big when you look at what can be done when each fellow does his bit. A New Social Pressure Do you know how many sidewalk peddlers “clean up” with some hair-brained product? They have a couple of their friends working with them known as “shills” who stand in the crowd watching the peddler give his pitch. Then, when the time comes to buy the product, the shills start talking up the product with whoever happens to be standing next to them, and, with a big flourish, hand over a dollar for the product. When people see the shills making purchases, they lose some of their hesitancy about buying and thus another “sucker” is — 7 born. That’s the wrong kind of social pressure or leadership. We re looking for a different kind, the kind you can help to begin. Don’t let anybody fool you. A lot can be done in the service. All that is required is somebody who has the will to do something. Why You Should Be Something Look! Last election time, 52% of the people eligible to vote, voted. A common saying these days is- to "let George do it,” but no one wants to bother about anyone except him- self. Look again! Christ died on the Cross. That day there were a lot of scared people. Only John of all His apostles was standing around. Still, Christ died. It was not in vain, even if He was practically alone. Millions of people have worked for His cause since then and got to heaven doing it. All they did was to add their little bit to what He began. What about you? You’re supposed to be a Christian. That means you’re to imitate Christ. He died leaving part of His work for you to do. Christ’s Christianity is forgetting yourself once in a while to help the other guy. Your job is to push yourself—for the other guy, in what- ever job you are in. As a serviceman, you will be concerned with the immediate needs of the fellows in the service, be- cause they are important—to God and you. That's Christianity for you in the service. While in civilian life, it will be being concerned with your friends at work, in your neighborhood, and with your family t too. That’s Christianity for you as a civilian. The odds of your going into the service are very low. The job ahead, whether in the service or out, will demand your putting to practical use all the things you have learned. You’ve got a lot of good principles from your parents, your — 8— teachers and your Church. There is no better time than now to get these down pat in your life. You Can Do Something Now Pay close attention to what goes on during these sessions. Read the material thoroughly. You won’t get a grade for it, but if you flunk this material, later on it may be the biggest flunk you ever made. But, if you give this a “college try,” you get an excellent return later on. This material demands a little thinking on your part. You may not go for some of the things you read. If you don’t understand some point, put up a beef till you get a good answer either from some of your friends or from someone whose opinion you respect. How Can You Do Something In The Service? You can have an organized program once you get into some branch of the service if you want it. You can gear it for 3 or 4 fellows who are in the same company, on the same ship or in the same outfit with you. More on this later in the seventh session. What It’s Going To Take Men generally are supposed to have a lot of guts; yet few fellows have the nerve to change the way their friends think about what is important in life; about women, about the Church, about decent recreation, about marriage. Hun- dreds of fellows going into the service are way off the beam on these subjects. Yet, they are expected to get to heaven too. No “Casper Milquetoast” will be able to do it. Secondly, a strong conviction that there are problems in the service and that they need a Christian solution. These 9— problems are not so big that they can’t be beat as a lot of people think. They are present because the fellows in the service allow them to exist. If fellows in the service want them to be changed, they can. This is where you come in. Discussion Questions 1. How many fellows do you know who expect to be in the service within a year? 2. From what you have heard in the past years, what will life in the service be like? Give examples of what you heard. 3. What do you think about the “social pressure” men- tioned in the chapter? Do you think that what you read about it is true? Why, or why not? 4. Give some concrete examples of “social pressure” in your life? In your neighborhood? At home? Is it good, or bad? Why? 5. Why should you know about “social pressure” before you enter the service? What if you don’t go into the service? Should you still know about it? You’re Leaving Home | S your being in the service just a ‘waste of time”? Take another look at that phrase. Let’s face it! You are probably going to enter the service for 24 months. That’s the law. You can’t change it. So what changes will come into your life because of your going into the service? If you were on a beach in Florida getting a tan, and all of a sudden, you were whisked away to Iceland, you’d notice the changes right away. First off, you wouldn’t be properly clothed for the climate. You’d have a different kind of home, different cooking. At the beginning you’d have no friends. Florida and Iceland are two different places. So what about service life? What will be different? — 10— A New Routine Think over what you do in an average day. What does your schedule look like? Seven or eight hours sleep; ball; T.V.; movies; home cooked meals; dates. That’s about it. Sounds usual, doesn’t it? But this routine is all going to come to a screeching halt when you enter the service. There won’t be any home life. You’ll see that all those jokes about getting up in the morn- ing are true. Up to now, whether you like it or not, you may have been treated like a boy. But once you get into the service, things will be plenty different. You’ll be treated like a man. You’ll be expected to act like a man. When you felt "down in the dumps,” or your girl gave you a raw deal, you always had your folks to go to for sym- pathy and understanding. But no more. They aren’t going into the service. You are. ‘The Boys’ Try counting all the times you and your buddies went out for a few laughs. How many times you went stag to a dance just to throw it up for grabs; the time you played ball and got second in a tournament; and the good times at one of the boy’s houses with his folks. Those are your buddies, your gang, your clique; a great bunch of guys. But you’ll have to say goodbye to them too. You’ll be starting all over; just as though you were actually moving up to Iceland, only it’s going to be a little different. Freedom ... It’s Wonderful Right now, you can go practically anywhere you want to in your city. Your time is pretty much your own. You may have a car to drive around in whenever you want. This is out. There will be certain restrictions and regu- ll— lations governing your free time. When somebody says “jump,” you jump. When somebody says, "run,” you run, or else. Discipline will be running out of your ears. And if you don’t like it, there’s a court martial of one sort or another waiting. You’ve Got It Made « Today, you can go to Mass just about every morning, if you want to. There’s no excuse for missing on Sundays either. When you want to, you can make a visit or say a rosary. But, in the service, you can’t count on getting to Mass every Sunday, much less during the week. Sometimes, there will be weeks between the times you see a chaplain. This isn’t exaggerated. To perform the minimum duties of a Catholic will be plenty rugged. The Girl Friend The girls you have been going with you have considered a pretty good group. Maybe a few are what you might call "knuckleheads,” but all in all, none of them have been out and out bad. Perhaps you even "went steady” a couple of times. You know the type of homes the girls come from; you know their families, and their friends. You may even have your eye on one of them now as something special for the future. All of these plans are shot, at least for now. In most cases, they have to be shelved. Meet John Doe One draftee recently said, "What a let-down!” "Since I got my 1-A card I sure don’t feel as important as I once thought I was.” Do you know what he means? — 12— If you were one of 85 fellows who turned out for Spring football one year, maybe you know how he feels. Perhaps if you went to a strange dance by yourself and had to get to know somebody, you know a little of what he meant. If youVe been reading the papers and watching the Congress decide your future with the draft laws, then you know some- thing of what this guy is thinking. If this fellow feels * unimportant now, hell feel it much more when he enters the service. This feeling of not being important, of being just another guy, is one of the biggest problems youll face in the service. What gives you a sense of importance? Your family, your friends, your girl. Youll be leaving all of them behind. How Are You Taking All This? For the first time in your life you will be on your own. There won't be any family to lean on. You won't have your buddies to hang around with. Your phone bill will be cut down because long distance calls to the girls you know will be awfully expensive. There’ll be rules governing practically your entire life. And so, you can take this service two ways: 1) By getting down in the mouth, sore at the world, facing the next few months like a condemned man, or 2) facing these facts and using them to your own advantage. What Is This ‘Advantage’ Business? It's for sure that you’ll realize (perhaps for the first time), what a wonderful family you have. You’ll realize that from the things you miss. You’ll know it from the letters you get. — 13— The new friends you make will be all to your advantage. To get along you have to make new friends. This is probably the most important move you can make when you get in. Without good friends, you’re through. What would you do with- out the friends you have now, on your block and in your neighborhood? Some of the fellows you meet in the service will be the greatest guys you will ever know. Some of them will be your life long friends.’ One or two may save your life. You’ll probably never again be in better physical shape. Your arms will feel like pin-cushions, but those needles will help ward off dangerous diseases. For many, it will be the first time medical attention has been so near at hand. The callisthenics will be a drag and they’ll be monotonous. You’ll moan, but you’ll be in good shape. Your weight won’t remain the same either. If you are fat, the work will trim you down. If you’re skinny, well, just cross your fingers. That may work. What Of Your Future? Don’t laugh. The service isn’t just a big blank space. But, it will be if you don’t do something about it. There will be days that will turn into weeks; weeks that turn into months. You can use some of this time for working toward high school or college credits. Ask about these when you get in. You may actually learn a trade through your service life. You may learn something about navigation or meterology, — 14— learn how to drive a truck, or learn about radio or electronics. There are many skills and much knowledge for you to pick up if you are interested. Any of the above, or any arrange- ments you have of your own, can be used to plan for your life when you return to being a civilian. Many fellows from World War II saved more money than they ever did in civilian life once they got into the service. It can be done. Life in the service won’t be beautiful, but it need not be a waste of time. It can be something positive, and thus make the rest of life better and happier. Positive In What Way? What do you expect the four years you spend, of spent, in high school to do for you? First of all, with your help, it should give you some much needed knowledge. Secondly, it should help you to mature in your judgment, in your actions, in your relationship with people. Finally, it should be pre- paring you for your future life. Your time in the service will do the same thing. You’ll learn a lot. Your knowledge of people, of life, of the world, will be increased. You yourself will change. Your decisions will be more thoughtful and realistic. Finally, your service life will contribute quite a bit to your future life. Your fam- ily and friends will recognize the difference when you get home on your first leave or furlough. An Attitude To Take Above all else, be cool. Don’t get rattled because you see a headline on the draft. Quite a few fellows have been doing more worrying than ever before because of the draft scare. Others are trying to crowd in all the good times they can before they get called, and they are getting fouled up in the process. Be optimistic in your conversation. Griping is catching, • —15— especially about the service and the draft. It’s more catch- ing than a cold. A few words on the bright side of the picture (a fellow usually hears the other side from everyone else) is sure to steady one of your buddies worried about leaving for the service. Give him a few constructive ideas about the service. Give him some of the ideas as to what he can do on the positive side now. Start now to be a better guy toward your family. They won’t be seeing you for quite a while, once you leave. Stay home one or two nights more than you do now. A little effort and kindness now will be greatly appreciated when you are gone. Resolve now to write to your family at least once a week during the time you spend away. This is the only way your folks will have of knowing how you are. This will let them know that you are still thinking of them. You owe it to them to keep in touch with them regularly. Discussion For Session Two 1. Need your life in the service be a "waste of time”? Why, or why not? 2. What immediate changes do you see that will effect your life when you enter the service? How will they affect you? 3. Have you noticed any changes mental or otherwise, in your friends because of the draft? (For example, drinking too much, letting home-work ride, blowing a lot of money, quitting school, etc.) 4. What are the reasons for these actions? 5. What positive steps can you take to help your friends, if any of them are "blowing their top” because of the draft? 6. What do you think of the idea of "being optimistic” in your conversations? •16— You re A Catholic Nj/OUR name is Frank Miller. You’re just returning from patrol near Wuson in Korea. Your feet feel like a couple of Good Humor Bars. Ice is caked on your jacket. Your step quickens when you smell coffee over the fire. Man, does it taste good. Four other guys are sitting around the fire with you. The conversation about patrol duty is 'short and snappy. Did you see any “Reds”? Did you get anybody? What happened to Pete? You talk about baseball; women; the “States.” All of a sudden, the conversation hits religion—and it will —pretty often. You can remember phrases you read in the papers, “There are no atheists in a foxhole.” You aren’t in a foxhole; so you begin wondering if this will apply here. You listen. “You know, I wonder if God really cares about all those Commies we’ve been knocking off the past few days.” It’s the big guy from the Bronx. You can see each guy’s eyes suddenly begin to shift—a little too much. Who’s going to say something? Your buddy Bill sets his cup down. “Naw, He don’t care, I suppose. If He really did care, He would have stopped all this a long time ago.” “And He can’t care much for us either,” chimed in another voice. This is tough dialogue. How about this? Here you are with eight years of Catholic grammar school, four years of Catholic high school. You know the answers for these guys. Or do you? You sit and listen some more. The back of your neck starts to sweat. You’re wondering if you’ll be put on the spot to say something. Maybe someone will ask you. You hope they don’t. 17— Another voice says, “I guess most guys just never gave it a thought. All I know is that I want to win this thing as quick as possible and get out of here. Anyway we win is OK by me.” Then your buddy Bill opens his big mouth just as you thought the conversation was going the other way. “Say Frankie, you go to Church don’t you? What do you think of this deal? Does God care about what’s going on?” Just Whet Would You Tell These Four Fellows If You Were Sitting Around That Fire? That did it. Now you have to say something. You look around—there are four sets of eyes waiting for your answer. All right , Frank Miller , what are you going to tell them? Stop and think a minute. Just what would you tell these four fellows if you were sitting around that fire in Korea? At — 18— that particular moment you represent the Catholic Church. What you say is going to help form their opinions about all the Catholics in the world. And this probably won’t be the only time you’re on a “spot” like this, either. Look back! What were the circum- stances that brought you, Frank Miller, to this campfire near Wuson in Korea? It began a long time ago, when you were in high school. Remember when your two brothers, Steve and John, came home after two and a half years in the Marines? You heard how “rough” Okinawa was, about the “rugged” beach at Tar- awa, and about the time Steve got sick on the troop transport, plus a thousand other experiences they had. You heard about the terrific furloughs, the people they encountered. Life in the service had a kind of Richard Widmark, “Halls of Monte- zuma” appeal to you. That’s when it all began. Remember the old saying, “Distance lends enchantment”? That’s what happened to you in regards to the service. Corny as it sounds, you had a lot of romantic ideas about the service. And then you got drafted. It Starts Things seemed to get jammed up the first weeks you got into the service. New clothes, new friends, new duties, ad- justing to service life in general, helped to interrupt your civ- ilian regularity of going to Mass regularly. Let’s face it! You missed Mass legitimately. It wasn’t your fault. Some times you stood guard duty. Another time you had to go on bivouac. But one time, you did sleep in. The rest of the time you made Mass on schedule. As the weeks went by, missing Mass slowly became a habit, like not writing home when you should have. Spiritual- ly, you were way behind. Each week it got tougher to catch up, even when you knew you could have made it. Your re- ligious duties slipped farther and farther into the background. — 19— Sunday mornings it got harder and harder to get up. Be- cause you slept in a couple of times before, it wasn’t too hard to do it again. After a week of drill, callisthentics, classes and the rest of your service routine, that "sack” felt great. It was even worse to get to Mass when you saw none of the other guys in the barracks move to get to Mass. A couple of times you got ribbed by a few of your bud- dies. It got under your skin, especially because they were Catholics themselves, though they never went to Mass. After a while x it got to be a real mental problem with you. You worried about what your buddies would say. But all in all, Frank, when you get to the bottom of this whole idea of your beginning to lose your grip, it boiled down to the plain fact that you never really did know what the Church was or what the Mass meant either. But there are plenty of other guys in the service just like you, Frank. Other guys who went to Catholic schools who are in the same boat as you are. What Happens To These Fellows? For some fellows, nothing at all. They knew before they . entered the service what being a Christian and a Catholic meant. They knew how Christianity applied when they were out on a date with their girl, when they spent a night at home with the family, or when they shot pool with the boys. When they got into the service, they wanted to lead a good life. Being in the service hasn’t changed that a bit. Some fellows do get to the point where they begin to doubt that there is a God. It comes gradually as the life gets tougher. But don’t get us wrong, these fellows never had much faith. What they had, if they had any religion, was more like an empty shell. They "went to Church,” "did their duty.” All the service did was make it a little easier for them to drop the shell, because Ma wasn’t around or the teacher wouldn’t ask them on Monday. The Church never meant much to them and it won’t in the service. — 20 Just What Is The ‘Church’? A lot of fellows think the Church is a number of build- ings, Frank. That these buildings are run and owned by a group of people called priests. They think that these priests are like an army; that they have rank—monsignors, bishops, cardinals, and one chief, the Pope. The headquarters for this “army” is in Rome. They preach a doctrine of Christ differ- ent than other Christians. (Like the Lutherans, Presbyterians, etc.) All ordinary people attend a church of their choosing. Here in America, most fellows think there is little difference, as “religion is everybody’s own business.” But look Frank, you’re a Catholic. You belong to the Catholic Church. The true Church, the Church of Christ. A term more appropriate is the Mystical Body of Christ. You are part of that Mystical Body of Christ. You and all the other Catholics, your Mother and Dad, your uncle, your girl, make up the Body, with Christ as the Head. When you are in the state of grace, you share the very life of Christ. What you do while in the state of grace benefits the whole Body. What you do then, is really not only you, but Christ doing it in you. You are another Christ. So are your Cath- olic friends who are in the state of grace. When you fall into the state of sin, what you’re doing is hurting Christ in the members of His Body. It’s like a human body. If you cut your finger and don’t treat it right away, infection sets in. Not only is your finger hurt, but the rest of your body is affected too. Without good care, your whole hand can go; you, your body, would suffer. This is what hap- pens to the Mystical Body when you commit sin, the whole Body suffers. When you were baptized, you were made an active mem- ber of Christ’s Body. The way Christ willed it, you and all the other Catholics were left with the task of carrying on His work, the Redemption of all men. You are responsible for — 21— acting as Christ would, today, 1952, wherever you’re at and in whatever you do. Only through you and what you do will some people ever get to the point where they will realize that they too belong to the Mystical Body of Christ. How Does The Mass Fit In? If you saw a bunch of kids 4 playing” with a dog, tying cans to his tail, throwing stones at him, then taking a hammer . and some nails, nail him to a fence, you’d probably scream bloody murder and call out the Humane Society. "It’s in- human,” you’d shout. . But what if this was done to a man? Then what would be your reaction? Well, it did happen to a Man. A real Man went through this same torture. Only He did it for you. He too, had nails driven through His hands and feet. He was whipped. He was spit on. Know what it feels like to get your fingernail ripped, or have a sliver under one of them? This Man went through a thousand times more. He suffered and died for you.. He did it for only one reason. Because He loved you. . The man? Jesus Christ, Who was both God and Man. And what does this have to do with you and your going to Mass? Just this. Christ’s death and the Mass are the same. The only difference is that at the Mass you go to on Sunday, Christ does not shed His blood again. But, He told us that He would renew His death each time the Mass is performed. Yes, He would sacrifice Himself for us in 1952 again at every Mass. And how does this affect you? It should be the greatest thing in your life. At Mass, you are united with the Christ who dies on the altar, with the Christ who offers Himself to His Father and with all the other Catholics all over the world. The Mass is the true expression of all of God’s people giving to God what He deserves—His Son, Christ. — 22— That’s what sacrifice means—the giving of a gift. That’s what we do at the Mass. Christ gives Himself to God. We give ourselves to God. We give Him our work, our hard- ships, our whole life. That’s why the Mass should be so im- portant to us. We are participating in the highest act of worship possible. Remember Dave Johnson ? Dave was your big buddy through basic training. He’s been with you in the same outfit since you entered the Ma- rines. He’s one of those slow, methodical guys; but he usually gets what he drives for. Dave Johnson set up a goal for himself when he joined the Marines. He was going to be a better Christian and Catholic through his service life, not despite it. Does that sound sissified? Maybe, but Dave picked a plenty tough job. It would have been easier for him to stay in bed on Sundays and miss Mass. It would have been a “snap” for Dave to skip Confession when a couple of the Catholics in his company went one Saturday afternoon. Dave went on passes with his buddies. Morally he could have gotten into a lot of trouble if he wanted to. But he didn’t, even though it was tougher not to. He did something a lot harder. He figured God had just as much right to a good life from Dave Johnson in service as from Dave Johnson the civ- ilian. Dave tried to figure out for himself the answers to ques- tions he thought he would be asked while in the service. He read a couple pamphlets to brush up on what he had learned earlier in his life. Not only that, he decided he would definitely continue saying his prayers before he went to sleep every night. Dave knew the dangers he would have to face in the service. Though he might not see action at all, he still knew he must stay in the state of grace “just in case.” But, as he went along. — 23— the “just in case” changed to a “for the love of God”—Who had really put Himself out for him. Dave made sure of getting to Mass every chance he could. He received Our Lord in Holy Communion as often as he could. In some ways it was a lot easier now, because he didn't have to fast long and he could hear Mass often in the evening. He found some regulations relaxed for service- men. Spiritually Dave was getting somewhere. Although never a “rosary man” in school, he tried to say ‘the rosary every day. Sometimes he forgot, or was too busy, but he said it most of the time, sometimes only part of it. If someone had told him he would be doing the above with enthusiasm, he would have told him to take a jump. But, Dave saw a need in his life. And he did something to fill that need. Back To The Korean Campfire What if Dave Johnson was in your shoes around that campfire, Frank? Do you think he could answer your buddy Bill when he asked you if God cared about people, about the war, about the Commies? Could you, Frank, have told your four buddies how much God loves them? So much so, that He gave man a free will, like Himself, to decide what to do with his own life? Could you have given Bill and your buddies good reasons why God doesn’t stop wars Himself? If you can, Frank, more power to you. You probably should be able to handle yourself in the service. If you can’t, it may be a good idea to look over what your buddy Dave Johnson did when he got into the service. He knows where he is going, and is taking the steps to get there. — 24— Discussion For Session Three 1. Do you think the story about Frank Miller sitting around a fire in Korea could really happen? Why, or why not? 2. What was your reaction when you read it? 3. Do you think Frank Miller intended to lose his faith when he entered the service? Then what happened? 4. What is the “Church?” Can you explain what it is? Is it the Mystical Body? 5. What is your part in the Mass you attend every Sun- day? What is Christ’s part? 6. What is your impression of the Dave Johnson in the story? 7. Do you think he “went overboard” with his religion? Why or why not? Your Leisure Time ^ANY servicemen will tell you that the one thing they want to do when they get some free time is to catch up on their sleep. For some fellows this may be true. This may even be true of some of the fellows you know in your own neighbor- hood or class at school. But they will be doing other things during their leisure time too. So will you. And that’s what this section is all about, your leisure time in the -service. Before you start, see if you can give a good definition for “Leisure Time.” If you can’t come up with one, try this, “Leisure time is the time you don’t spend working.” That means what you do for “kicks,” the time you spend reading, attending a movie, shooting the breeze, on a date, plus the time you spend sleeping. — 25— What Do You Do? Think about that for a while before you read on. Just how do you handle the free time you have now? Do you play a lot of ball? How many books, outside of school books, have you read in the past month? How many hours do you spend in front of TV? What kind of records do you like? How often do you go out on a date? How many movies? How often are you alone just to think? Do you spend any time home with the folks? How many dances do you go to in a month? What else? So you do some of these things. Some you don’t. Maybe you have a few more to add. “But,” you say. “What has this got to do with leisure time in the service?” Right now you know quite a few fellows in your neighbor- hood. Run over their names in your mind. When was the last time you heard one of them complain, “Man, is this neighbor- hood dull. If we don’t get something different to do, I’m gonna go nuts!”? Maybe last week, maybe last month? Will this fellow and all the others who feel the same way have a similar problem in the service? Or is it going to be different? Something To Think About Take a look at an average fellow now. He either does or does not know what to do with the time on his hands. If he does know what to do, he won’t be complaining about his neighborhood. He has a ball team that he plays with, he and his family get along well, and he spends a couple nights a week with them. Probably TV occupies some of his time at home. He takes in most of the dances with the fellows he goes around with. Music? He has a few records but he’s not a fiend. A show or two is sure to occupy space on his program. In short, he leads an “American” existence, has a full schedule, and his leisure time isn’t a big problem to him in his daily life. 26— If a fellow doesn’t know what to do with leisure time now, you probably can see the results in his life. Why? He has to make things to do. Sometimes because he wants to do them. But too many times just for the sake of doing something. Why do some fellows go to a show five times a week? What kind of shape are the fellows in, who can be found on the same corner, or in the same drugstore, or the same pool room, six nights a week, week in and week out? No one is preaching. Just examine the situation as it is with your clique. You’ll know one way or the other if you and your buddies are using your leisure time right. Is your leisure time in the service going to be any differ- ent than your leisure time in your neighborhood? Probably not. But, this too, will depend upon where you are stationed, the kind of work you are doing, and whether or not you see action. (Incidentally, Senator Bridges has said that out of every 100 men in the Army, only 23 see action, so you can see from that alone how your leisure time will be influenced by what you are doing in the service.) What It’s Like On the whole, it’s quite likely that you will have more leisure time in the service than you do now. So, if you know how to handle your free time now, you should be able to put it to good use in the service. There are plenty of television sets in the PX’s. Every base camp has a movie theatre, there are lots of ball fields and recreational facilities for every sport. Most bases and camps have a library available to all. If you’re in action, well, that’s a different story. So the same situation may be present in the service as you now have in your neighborhood. Here too, you can do one of two things. You either do put your leisure time to good use, or you don’t. If you put it to good use, there probably won’t be any problem. If you don’t, well, take a look at the fellows you know now who don’t know what to do with their time. 27 — If you don’t want to put your leisure time to good use, this isn’t worth the time you’re spending reading it. But if you want to use your leisure time to your own advantage, look over some of the following suggestions. There may be one here that you can use. If you can find only one, it was well worth your while to read this. In the service you will find almost every camp well supplied with sports equipment for all the sports you want to participate in. The Armed Forces recognizes your need for competitive sports. They provide plenty of athletic gear for you to use. So use them! You’ll meet plenty of fellows who were star athletes in high school. Probably a few will be in your own company or barracks. You will be encouraged to get on a team to represent your outfit. Don’t worry about dis- continuing playing ball once you leave for the service. If you want to play, there are plenty of facilities in most Stateside camps for all sports. Duty outside of the States may be a little different, but then again, this will depend on where you are sent. Most bases overseas provide for as many sports as possible. Music If you like music, records, or television, there are music rooms in most camps. All you have to do is ask where they are. Many organizations have taken it on themselves to supply camps and bases with records, both jazz and otherwise. Many camps have musical instruments for the use of the servicemen. Whatever your likes are, be it TV or symphonic music, you can most likely find it where you’ll be stationed. • Reading Every camp, base, and ship has a library of one sort or another. Whatever you like to read you should be able to find. — 28— • If you still want to get your home town paper, it might be a good idea to subscribe to it before you get in service so that it can follow you through your service life. Right now, you may not like to do any reading at all. But many fellows see themselves do an about face when they get in the service. Once in, they begin to read anything they can get their hands on. “Anything to break the monotony.” But unless they are a little choosy about what they read, some fellows will get fouled up. This ought to be a good point to think over. Educational Advantages There is every opportunity in the world for you to con- tinue your education in the service. All services, in fact, en- courage you to do so. You can learn a trade, or catch up on any subjects you feel you need for your future civilian life. You will probably get literature and a lecture or two on this same subject. If not, contact the educational officer in your unit and he’ll give you all the dope you need. Contact your local recruiting station, Army and Navy. They have a service designed to give you information as to their respective educa- tional advantages. Time Off In the Navy they call it “a liberty.” In the Army they call it “a pass.” No matter where you are, though, it’s time off from your ordinary duties. In fact ? it means leaving the camp or base where you live. You may have heard that it’s pretty tough to have a good clean time while you are in the service. Whoever said it, doesn’t know what he’s talking about. If you . want to take advantage of being away from home, your friends, and your neighborhood, to indulge in wrong desires, it will be easy for you to do so, oh so easy. But, on the other 29— hand, you’ll find plenty of fellows in the service who have the same principles you do, and who want to lead the same kind Too Much "Craps" Before Service Will Mean A Lot Of "Craps" In The Service of good life you do. Go on your passes and liberties with these guys, the chances are that you won’t get “jammed up,” yet you’ll still have a good time. Movies, Shows, Etc Most camps and bases have a movie a night for any and all to attend. That doesn’t mean though, that it is a good idea to take in a show every night. It may be wise to think over what can happen to fellows who practically live at the « . » movies. Most likely, you will have the opportunity to see a num- ber of Hollywood movie stars who will put on a show for you and your buddies. They won’t come often but when they do, it will be a lot of laughs. • You’ve heard the old expression, “Birds of a feather, flock together.” This is never more true than in the service. You’ll see fellows split into cliques based on the part of the country they hail from, or the amount of schooling they have had, or — 30— 4 the interests they have in common. Remember that. It’s im- portant to your leisure time especially. If the fellows you hang with have a sensible outlook on their leisure time, the chances are you will too. If they go looking for trouble, you’ll prob- ably wind up looking for trouble with them. It’s a good idea to pick fellows to hang out with who have the same recreational likes and dislikes you have. The reason? By now the reasons should be fairly obvious. In A Nutshell The chances are that you will have no problem with your leisure time if you know how to handle your leisure time now. The means you have at your disposal for recreation are going to be available through most of your service life. The only thing that remains is for you to use them and to plan your leisure time accordingly. Reading these pages is not going to be the solution to any leisure time problems of anyone. If you want to do some- thing constructive with your leisure time, the opportunities are there. If you don’t, reading this isn’t going to help. Discussion For Session Four 1. What do most fellows do with their leisure time now? Does the average fellow, in your judgment, handle his leisure time well? 2. Why do some fellows go to a movie three and four times a week? Why do fellows stand on the same cor- ner, or in the same drug store night after night? 3. Can you contact the Army or Navy recruiting centers to find out what kind of educational programs they offer? 4. Discuss what you should do with regard to picking your friends once you enter the service. 31 You And Morality |F you are approaching draft age, you are approaching physi- cal, intellectual, and spiritual maturity. You are no longer a boy. You have strength and knowledge and habits of life which are Christian. You are grateful for these gifts which came your way as you were growing up. Now you’re probably anxious to take on the greater responsibility. As a young fellow, you are a pretty important person. You’re important to God. God died for you. You’re important to your family too. Your mother and father have worked for and worried over your life, your health, and your progress. As a young fellow, you are important to the United States which has passed laws to protect you, which needs you for the defense of all its other citizens. You are vital to your community, which provides you with opportunities for em- ployment, with ball fields, parks and playgrounds for recrea- tion. Someone Else? We mentioned God, family, community. To them you are important; for them you have a job to do. But there is one other to whom you are important, one other for whom you have a job to do—right now. That one? A girl. Who is the girl? What’s she look like? Where does she live? Well, you don’t know right now. But there is such a person and some day you’ll meet her and marry her, and she will bear your children and help you raise them. She will help you to live your life so that finally you will get to heaven. You probably haven’t met her as yet and probably that’s just as well. Why? Because both you and she realize you have a lot to do in preparation for this marriage. What you expect her to be doing about it now, you know you should be doing yourself. Even right now you’re pretty important to her, though — 32— she doesn't know who you are. Your strength, your know- ledge, your habits of life are important to her right now . When you do meet her and marry her and help her to raise a family, your body, your mind, your Christianity will mean life and goodness and happiness to her. A Fine Idea, But... A fine idea, something great to look forward to. But be- fore that, perhaps a hitch in the service. What does the service have to do with girls, marriage, and family life? Plenty. You will still be living during the time you spend in the service. And you should be still making some- thing out of your life. You should still be making your mind, your will, and your body into a better mind, a better will, a better body. In other words, your life in the service can be, in fact must be ... a preparation for your marriage . As a result of the last war many fellows let themselves take a terrific moral beating, and for that reason, many of their marriages gave them nothing but misery and discontent. The life they lived in the service prepared them for anything but marriage. On the other hand, many fellows came out of the service with a real sense of what a girl means to a fellow. They had to face all kinds of temptations. Opportunities to let them- selves go were all around them. It was generally far easier to "fall” than to "go straight.” "Easy women” were so common that fellows sometimes thought there weren’t any good girls left. But Joe Serviceman (one of many) knew there were good girls. He knew because he had known many good girls at home and intended to get to know one better when he returned. He prepared well for marriage by learning that you had to push yourself to do the right thing. When he looks back, the service was a big help to him, and the odds were well in his favor that his marriage would be, with God’s help, a real happy one. — 33— What Does The Service Think? What is the attitude of the military toward sex? In the first place, you must remember that the military is interested in one thing, training men to protect the country and to win wars when wars are to he fought . That is the reason for which armies are created . Consequently, the mili- tary thinks of sex in terms of health. There is no sin except venereal disease. Such disease can defeat an army and so must be stamped out. Even if you were to take for granted that such an attitude is necessary, it still cannot become the ideal of the individual fellow in the service. If a fellow is going to retain respect for woman, for his own body, his future marriage and his status before God, he can never accept the idea that the only sin is V.D. and that sex is merely health. For the military there is no mystery about sex. The natural shyness (and this is good) which most people have toward the subject of sex is soon broken down for the young recruit. Numerous physical examinations, and movies on V.D. set a tone which the young fellow in the service soon adopts. Conversation is frequently straight sex. No mystery, no shy- ness here, no awe and reverence for this great power. What Does The Service Have To Do With Girls And Marriage? — 34— What Do The Men Of The Service Think? What of the attitude of the fellows in the service toward sex? There are millions of fellows in the service, from every type of home, with different educational backgrounds, from every type of neighborhoods. Some are really great guys; some are close to being “morons.” Many haven't made up thier minds ’yet, and some of these never will. Some are married; most single. Some have a girl at home; some are still “playing the field.” Some are timid in the presence of girls; some are at ease; some are “operators” and unmitigated liars. All are conscious of sex and that, at least, is normal. Almost all expect someday to marry. The fellows who “shoot off their mouth” are usually the ones whose ideas and practice on the subject of sex are the filthiest. Because they talk so much on this subject, you get the idea that all servicemen are of the same stripe, that all of life is sex, that all women are sluts, that a man is not a man unless he thinks of a girl as a means for his own physical pleasure to be used when desired. Obviously, there are thousands of these fellows in the service. There are thousands more, however, who perhaps are much quieter on the subject who have respect for women, and who respect their own bodies; thousands who believe that purity helps to see the God who will care for his life, his girl, his marriage, his children, and his entrance into Heaven. All Of Girl Is God’s We have eyes to see, ears to hear, feet to walk, powers to generate life (in union with God who creates a human soul). Each part of our body is designed by God to perform a particular function in human life and each function is meant by God to help ourselves and others to one day reach heaven. — 35- All parts of our body are good provided we use them as God intends. If we use our eyes to read other person’s mail, we are doing wrong and the use of our eyes, in this case, is not helping us to get closer to God and heaven. In the same way, when we make use of sex powers outside of marriage then this function of sex is a hindrance rather than a help to reach- ing God and heaven. Our bodies are not merely our own; they belong to God . The body of a woman is also the creation of God. She has no right to give it to another (even for necking and pet- ting) until she gives it to a man in the Sacrament of Matrimony when the two become one flesh, as Christ said. Even if a girl wished to give it away, a man may not accept. She has the right to do that only after her marriage. A girl is attractive to a fellow because God wanted her to be. Her physical make-up is designed by God for her great natural function—that of motherhood. She is attractive to man so that the creation of new life will be possible. Her beauty, her gentleness and softness are meant by God to fill out for her husband the things he lacks and which make herself and and husband one. Your Decision Your service life can be a means of preparation for your marriage. Can be P Yes, can be, because it’s up to you. You can make the time you spend in the service a great prepara- tion for when you meet the "one and only.” You can make it a time of great moral, spiritual, and physical development for your marriage. You can make it a period that you can look back at with great pride. Some Important Tips 1, Be careful of the wrong things you read. You’ll find after awhile, that there is nothing new in any of them. — 36 Things will be tough enough without adding to the difficulty by reading filthy literature. 2. Look around for fellows whose ideas and ideals are the same as yours. They are around. All you have to do is look them up. 3. Write home often. Write to some of the girls you know in your neighborhood. 4. Get to know the Catholic chaplain. Drop in once in awhile for a “bull-session.” Talk over any problems you may have. He can give you a few clues that may prove useful. 5. If there is a Catholic parish nearby where you are stationed, drop around once in a while. You may be able to get some good instructions. Not a few fellows have wound up with a good meal after going to Mass at a new parish. 6. Stay away from “blind dates” made for you by a casual acquaintance. Steer clear of the girls who call up the base or camps. You’re asking for trouble if you do, 7. Get to the Sacraments more than you did at home. Many fellows did during the last war and they said it was a big help toward solving their “sex problems.” 8. Don’t fall in love with the first girl you date—at least on the first date. She may be the best girl in the world, but you better wait till you settle down in service life before you make any judgments. The first date in a uniform when you’re away from home can be plenty deceptive. 9. Don’t become a liar on dates. You hurt yourself and the girls you date. You may like to tell the girls that you were all-state football, president of the class, etc., but if you weren’t, admit it. 10. Help out whenever you can by giving the right dope on sex and marriage. Some fellows just never had a chance to get the straight dope. They were raised on — 37— the street and actually have never met the right type of girl. 11. One last clue. Don’t think for a minute that you will be able to beat this sex problem by yourself. It can’t be done. Christ is waiting for you to ask Him for help. His Mother Mary will especially listen to your prayers when you pray to her about your problems of purity. The way you would talk to your own mother on earth is the way you should pray to Mary. Just ask for some help and you’ll get it. Discussion For Session Five 1. Do you know any facts which would point out the effects of war on marriage? 2. What was the general attitude of the world toward women in the pre-Christian days? 3. What is the modern attitude? 4. Why is marriage the most important step that most fellows ever take? 5. Can you give some reasons why sex is the theme of so many vulgar conversations today? 6. Why is purity a positive thing? 7. Where does the Blessed Mother come in in our idea of marriage? Why Are You Going Into Service? yHERE is a good possibility that you will spend two years or so of your life in the service. You might see action. You might even get killed. These are very serious possibilities. As long as you are involved in them, you should have reasons. Do you have any? — 38— Today, a lot of servicemen come up with reasons like, “I was drafted”; “That's the way the ball bounces”; “For de- mocracy”; “Because of a lot of politicians”; and the most truth- ful, “I don't know.” Suppose you do go in. What is your reasoning for being there? Will you figure that' it is fate? As a Christian, you can’t. You aren't a fatalist. Suppose you were in an accident. Was it fate? Or, did God’s Providence have anything to do with it? What's the reason? What if, after the accident, you are in a hospital? What are you to do? Is your job still to serve God in your new ca- pacity and to take advantage of the new opportunities? Or, would you consider it a vacation from your job on earth to serve God? Your being in the service isn’t a vacation either. It is an- other opportunity to serve God. Just as you have responsi- bilities as a Christian in your school life, and later on in your work life, so you will have in the service. For some fellows, this will be the beginning of realizing their responsibilities to live a Christian life. For others it will be their last opportunity. This is one boat that cannot be missed. Why You? Why do some fellows get ‘greetings’ from their draft board? Why you? Largely, because your neighbors decided. Your draft board is composed of the guy who lives down the street, across the alley and a few others from the neighbor- hood. Who gave them the power? Your Congress; and who are they? Your duly elected representatives. Do they have the right? Yes. Do you have any binding moral obligations to carry out their decisions? Yes, it is one of your duties as a citizen. Spending a few years of your life in the service, maybe seeing action, maybe dying, is a very large price to pay for 39— “world peace for all.” The question to ask ourselves is, do we think it will all be in vain? Everywhere we look, we see people struggling. Strug- gling with themselves, struggling with others. But looking at ourselves and others, it is easy to see that there are all kinds of wrongs being committed every day. They call these “human failings.” May these be avoided? Definitely. Christ became Man to redeem us and show us how to overcome these human failings. He gave us the necessary help to work against our difficulties. He lived and showed us how by charity. Yet there are enormous evils still in the world. And So We Have Wars People have been fighting since the beginning of time. Man versus man. Tribe versus tribe. Nation versus nation. And today with the world so small because of the advance of science, we have the Communists, who compose almost one half of the world, fighting for world domination. You live in a worker’s world. More and more, the workers of the world are assuming the position that is rightfully theirs. You may ask, “Why has all this attention been paid to them?” First, workers compose the backbone of our Twentieth Century Society, and without them you have no food, no clothes, no houses. And their problems are the most acute. Workers have been exploited for the last one hundred and seventy-five years. The Popes, especially Leo the XIII and Pius the XI, have enumerated the workers’ problems and the solution. (See Leo XIII: The Condition of Labor, and Pius XI: Reconstruction of the Social Order) The Popes Have Said . : . It is easy to see where we have our obligations in small acts of charity and justice. Few people, including Catholics, are aware that the Popes have been pointing out to us our specific role in the extension of justice and charity, so that it — 40— permeates all of society. For example, many workers don’t fully realize they have a moral responsibility to vote. Even after the Pope’s urging, there are employers who do not realize that they have the responsibility of paying their em- ployees a just wage, providing decent conditions, charging their consumers a fair price. These things are your job and the job of all peoples: the rebuilding of* all of society, so that there will be harmony among the peoples of the world. This is the responsibility that is your job as a Christian. The days are gone when you could go around living your own life, being a nice guy, not bothering anybody, and save your own soul. Life in the Twentieth Century is a little too complicated for that type of arrangement. Helping a guy that you know is in a jam, is a must; so is going to Union meetings. The latter is a little tougher than you realize; both are necessary. Why Are We Fighting? By now, a little of the smoke should have blown away and two predominant reasons should be seen sticking up. 1) We must stop further Communist aggression in the world, and 2) We must stop the Communists so that we can re-build the whole of society. If the first is not accomplished, that of stopping the Communist expansion, the whole world will be enslaved and the second will never be possible. The Communists with Karl Marx as their messiah have utilized the exploitation of the masses of the workers to their own advantage and have subjected the working people of one-third of the world to the almighty State. They have done away with freedom—political, religious, and economic. They aim , as part of their plan, to conquer the entire world. They believe that this will only be done by a bloody revolution. They have proven they mean business. — 41— The World’s Last Hope The world is in a mess. It can be straightened out. As an American you have a few other things to realize. America is now the leading nation of the free nations of the world. Con- sequently, we have a great responsibility to carry out our obligations in justice and charity. We are, in the eyes of the other free nations of the world and to many of the oppressed peoples of the satellite countries, the most important strong- hold of freedom. Ours is a big job. We have a Christian obligation to help other countries if we can. Christ told us, “What you do to these the least of My brethren, you do to Me.” Our Lord also said “What You Do To The Least Of that when the Last Judg- Brethren, You Do To Me." ment comes, He will judge us on how we treated our neighbors. This not only means those with whom we live but also those in other countries. Christ said He would take those to Heaven with Him who fed Him when He was hungry, when He was thirsty, gave Him to drink, when He was naked, clothed Him, and a prisoner, visited Him. To boil it all down, we have the job of stopping the fur- ther expansion of the Communists so that other countries, like South Korea, will see that we want them to participate in maintaining the security of the world. But more than that, we have the job of seeing that the Mystical Body of Christ is promoted as far as its health, strength and extension, by whatever means we may rightfully use, whether it is physical —42— protection of a free country, economic aid, or spiritual help (through Missionaries and prayers). In this country we %have political freedom. To a large extent we have economic freedom. We have religious freedom too. We must insure these by keeping out aggressors, and secondly by fully utilizing the freedoms that we do have to build a society in America and in the rest of the world based on charity and justice. If we lose these freedoms, we lose the opportunity to correct the defects we have in our existing institutions. No other country in the history of the world has had a greater responsibility than the United States has right now. Part of this responsibility is yours. Discussion For Session Six 1. What do the fellows you know in your neighborhood think about going into the service? Give actual focts as to what they said. 2. Can you name two fellows among them who have given you good reasons for their going into the service? What were they? 3. Did any of the fellows you know feel they were being forced into the service? Among the fellows who en- listed, was the main reason for enlisting "to beat the * draft?” 4. Why did the United Nations intervene in Korea? 5. Why is it that some people are "taken in” by Com- munist theories and practices? 6. What obligations do we have to the rest of the world because we are looked to as the leader in world affairs? 7. Who is responsible to bring about peace and harmony in the world of economics and politics? Why? —43— Now ... You Wait “pHE material you have just finished, is by no stretch of the imagination “it.” Because you have read these pages doesn’t mean that you have all the answers. There are many more. But you’ll find these when you meet the actual problems of service life face to face. This program tried to do three things: 1. Give you a clear and realistic picture of service life. 2. It showed you that the way to live a Christian life in the service is through the problems you face, not in spite of them. 3. It showed you that the only way you and your buddies can lead this Christian life is not isolated from one another, but united with one another. In short, a fellow cannot lead a Christian life alone; he must do it to- gether, with others. WBat Now? You wait. Wait for some notice from your draft board that you are classified. Then more waiting. Then you are re- classified. More waiting. Wait- ing for word when to report. All of this, if you get drafted. But, what are you going to do in the meantime? You can either do something or nothing. If you’re going to do nothing, probably you wont change. If you want to do something, read on. Your thinking about your future in the service is something like a fellow saying that he is going to settle down when he What Do You Do Now? gets married, but is going to have all the "kicks” he can before. Actually, he ought to be preparing for marriage long be- fore he even meets this one and only. Not that he is going to be "buggy” on the subject but he should start saving a few dollars each week, take stock of the qualities he is looking for in a wife, and look at his own assets and liabilities to see if he is mature, mentally and emotionally, to enter this new life. In a sense, your entering into the service is going to be very similar. You will be entering into a new life, a strange life. It will be to your advantage to look yourself over before you report for induction. Think about it; are you ready to be drafted? This Pre-AFA has helped you some. During this booklet you covered the following: an intro- duction to the program, you saw the problems in leaving home, problems of leisure time, you saw what happened to two fellows and their religion, you read something of the moral problems of the service probably for the first time, you got reasons why people are fighting, and finally, this review of the program. A Look Ahead It may start when an article about the draft hits you be- tween the eyes. It may come when one of your buddies gets called up, or maybe when some guys you know are reported missing or killed in action. It may not come until you get your notice to report for induction. It may not come at all. But shortly, you may be hit by an engulfing sense of futility, a feeling of, "What’s the use?” This will be hard to take, but it won’t be too bad. Your being drafted is no "offer it up” routine. If you get drafted, you have a definite calling from God that for the next few months you will serve Him in a different capacity than you expected. Maybe you don’t like the way He picked. That’s the hard part. But this will be the test of the kind of stuff Christians are made. —45— The word “vocation” may not mean much to you. You usually associate it with fellows going into the priesthood. But a guy that becomes a doctor, or a ‘machinist*, or a time- keeper, or a street-car conductor has a vocation too. It is the job of that doctor, that machinist, that time-keeper and con- ductor, to bring Christ into his job, his home, his recreation, to his friends, to the world. If you could see Christ standing in front of you and saying to you, “I want you to go into the service. I’m going to give you a job, a tough job. I want you, together with your friends, to show the fellows you meet what being a Christian means. Remember what was said about My early followers, ‘Look how those Christians love one another ? That’s what I want you to do.” If He were saying this to you today, going into the service would be easy. But He will choose another way of telling you. It will be your draft board, if you get called. Let’s Get More Practical Listed below are a number of things you may want to do something about. Read them over. See if you can use any of them. 1. Papers: Get all your valuable papers in one safe place —a deposit vault if they are that valuable, or at least get them together in a box to turn over to your folks. Go through them with your folks so they will know what is there. 2. Instructions: You ought to make a list of all the things that will have to be taken care of while you are away and give it to your folks; insurance premiums to be paid, payments to be made, where to go and what to do if this or that comes up. 3. Address : Leave your address with someone besides your family. Your friends will want to know where you are and where to write you. If you don't know your service address now, be sure to send it home as soon as you do know it. 4. Mail: If you want your mail forwarded on to you, be sure to send the Post Office a change-of-address card. 5. Power of Attorney: To handle your affairs while you are away, you ought to give your mother or father a power of attorney. This may or may not be necessary, depending on whether or not you own property or anything else that would require the use of this power of attorney. 6. Life Insurance: Get your life insurance in order, if you have any. Be sure you have designated the benefic- iaries you want. Make arrangements to have your premiums paid. 7. Car: Transfer the title of your car to whoever is going to use the car; same with your auto insurance. 8. Publications : If you want to receive any newspapers or magazines that you may be subscribing to now, be sure to notify them of your change of address. Be sure to keep them posted each time you have a change of address. 9. Draft Card: Be sure to carry your draft card with you at all times once you get one. This is the law. The law also says: 1) That you must notify your draft board of any change of address 2) Keep in touch with your local board; 3) notify it of any fact that may change your classification. Don’t Be Alarmed Don't be alarmed when you get your 1-A card. All draft eligibles are classified 1-A before taking any physical examin- ation. It's after taking your physical that you get your final classification. Then you will know whether or not you are drafted! Many fellows who want further knowledge about their draft status or have an individual problem with their board, are afraid to approach the board. Actually, this fear stems from the fact that they don’t know all they would like to about selective service. There are people at the board whose job it is to answer questions and to help solve problems concern- ing such things as deferments, student tests, essential jobs in industry, how soon before being drafted you can enlist in some branch of the service, etc. The laws could be put down here for you, but they are subject to change. If you have any problems or desire information go down to your board and they will do all they can to help. Another Thing Remember that you are a Catholic. You still have to attend Mass each Sunday. But, sometimes pressure will be put on you to attend a "general service” for all the Catholics, Protestants and Jews in the camp or base where you are sta- tioned. As a Catholic, you cannot attend these services. Even if you can’t get to Mass, you still can’t attend these "general services.” Get a group of the fellows you know who are Catholics and say the rosary together or have one of the fellows read the Epistle and Gospel for the Sunday and talk over how it applies to your life. If you can’t get to Mass, it is not your fault. But a "general service” is not for you. When you get into the service, look up the chaplain. That’s what you would do if you moved into a new neighbor- hood in your own city. The chaplain won’t know who the Catholics are unless you tell him. It’s the chaplain’s duty to give you the help you need. Later on, he may be able to give you some much needed help, spiritual or otherwise, when you really need it. What If... Yes, what if you want to begin an Armed Forces Action group in the service? What are you supposed to do? When you get to Boot Camp or Basic Training, don t try to reform everything or everybody you meet. If you try it, you may be labeled for the rest of the time you spend there. It’s a good idea to keep quiet about any of your ideas till you catch on how things are run. Even though you may think you have a ‘message” for*the guys in your outfit or barracks, be cool till you get the pitch . on service life. Get to know as many fellows as you can. You will meet a lot of terrific guys. Ask them where they come from, where they went to school, the kind of work they did before they got in, what they plan to do when they get out. In this way, you’ll get a general picture of the fellows you’ll be living, working and training with. By friendship alone, you should be able to find out who the Catholics are in your company or on your ship. Get to know them. Get to know the Catholics who don’t go to Church too. It’s the friends you have who will join you to begin an AFA Section. Your big weapon is Friendship. Another way of saying this is Christianity. Fellows in the service really need friends —solid friends, guys they can count on. You can be a big help in keeping your buddies from getting discouraged or lonely—two big problems in the service. The average fellow should be able to get his friends to begin an Armed Forces Action group. How? By friendship. By the way he treats his buddies. This is what really will at- tract somebody. It’s easy to give a good salestalk. Everybody does it. It’s another thing to live it. Many fellows will not be able to start an AFA group in Ba'sic Training or in Boot Camp because of the rigorous sched- —49— ule. But don’t worry about that too much if you are in that spot. This situation will improve once you get permanently assigned or stationed. On the other hand, some fellows are so determined, that they do start during Basic, regardless of the rigorous training schedule. When you get into the service and you want to start an Armed Forces Action group, write to: Armed Forces Action, 638 West Deming PL Chicago 14, 111. This is the headquar- ters for the AFA and they will send you the necessary ma- terial for you to start. They will also keep you posted on any new ideas that have been worked out by fellows using the same program. You will be sent a Bulletin from time to time that will bring together the experience of fellows in all branch- # es of the service. How Does The APA Work? Armed Forces Action has a program for servicemen. AFA is publishing a booklet to be used by men in the service to solve the problems with which they are confronted. This program is geared for use by three or four fellows who are in the same company, in the same barracks, or on the same ship. The point is, that they are together in the same unit and together want to solve the problems they see. What Do They Do? These fellows meet whenever they can and go through a short meeting. This meeting contains a gospel inquiry and a social inquiry into some problem that affects their service life. In the gospel inquiry or discussion, they take some pass- age in the gospels and examine it to see how it fits into their life. From the gospel they should draw a resolution that will apply to their present life. —50— In the social inquiry , they will Observe some problem in their lives or in the lives of their buddies. They get facts on this problem. They will then Judge these facts in the light of what Christ thinks about it, find out why this is a problem, and what’s wrong with it. They then compare the problems (real life) with the ideal (the way Christ would want it). From looking at the two, they arrive at the conclusion that some- thing should be done about this problem. They then Act- do something to solve this problem. And that is the third part of the social inquiry—the Action . What Are Some Of The Problems? You’ve already read about some of them in the previous sections of this program. But here are some actual problems that are contained in the AFA booklet. 1. Friendship in the service—with buddies—with others. 2. Contact with home—letters of family—to friends. 3. Why fellows are in the service—causes of world con- flict. 4. Treatment of the enemy—taking prisoners. 5. Use of leisure time—private leisure time and recrea- tion of many fellows. 6. What to do on a pass or liberty. 7. Duties in the service. 8. Respect for authority. 9. Loneliness—homesickness. 10. What are you reading? 11. Practicing your religion. 12. Marriage—courtship—engagement. These are some of the problems that fellows in the ser- vice can do something about. These are problems that de- mand a Christian solution. Take number 4, for instance. In —51— a number of cases during the last war, fellows were kill- ing Germans or Japs who were injured or disabled because they didn’t want to take prisoners. This is against the law of God. It’s also against the International law. We must hate what the enemy stands for but not the enemy. Sound funny? It shouldn’t. You’re a Christian. If you’re storming an emplacement and all your buddies are killing the Communists who obviously want to surrender —what are you going to do? What the AFA is trying to do, is to give a practical answer to some of the problems you will be confronted with. One Final Word Two thousand years ago, Christ died for you. He showed the world that “Greater love than this no man has, than a man who lays down his life for his friends.” Christ has given you and your friends, in fact everybody in the world, a chance to share in His sufferings. Take your Dad, for example. Some times his work really gets him down. Sometimes it seems too much for him. Yet, work doesn’t have to be a drudgery, when you know what work is and the part it plays in Christ’s creation and Redemp- tion. Yes, if your Dad knows about this he can actually co- operate with Christ in His creation, either directly (like a car- penter) or indirectly (like a clerk). He can share in Christ’s Redemption because of the suffering attached to his work. Your Dad suffers on his job. Therefore, Christ, through him, continues the work of redeeming the world. What a change this brings to the whole idea of work. You too, have an opportunity, a wonderful opportunity, to help Christ. You are helping Him in His creation by helping Christ to build the kind of a good world He wants. You are helping Him in His Redemption through carrying your cross in the service. Just like your Dad feels beat when he gets home from work, you will feel tired at times during your —52— service life. Like your Dad’s work, your work in the service does not have to be a drag. This is your great vocation for the time you will be in the servivce—to work side by side with Christ whether you are on K.P., in a Marine Boot Camp, or a signalman on the bridge of a destroyer, or rifleman in an infantry squad. This is a big chance for you to be a better man and a better Cath- olic. A big chance. But “chance” means that you may not be a better man, a better Catholic. This is your decision to make. It will take a man to de- cide. Look at yourself? What do you want to make out of yourself in the service? A Look Ahead —53— * Notes Notes Notes /