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Description
[transcribed text] The departure of our soldiers for the military training camps has been made an occasion of celebration in thousands of towns and cities all over the United States. Crowds have assembled at the depots hours before train time. Bands have played, factory whistles have blown as the boys have come marching through cheering thousands. There have been some tear-dimmed eyes, for mothers, sisters and sweethearts are not ashamed to show sorrow at the departure of their loved ones. There have also been many brave, cheerful women who realize that the soldiers do not like to have fuss made over them, and who prefer their boys to carry with them the memory of bright hearts and smiling faces.
While love perhaps does bid the men to stay, they are really eager to enter camp. While there is a certain sadness in the breaking of the home ties, after three or four weeks of camp life most of the men would not go home to stay if they could. When the wife or mother later visits her solider in camps and sees his comfortable surroundings, his improved physical appearance, breathes the camps atmosphere and is show what the life is doing for the men, she feels quite content. If the women of America could all look ahead and see the splendid opportunities for physical, mental and moral development offered the boys in camps, the parting would be robbed of its last drop of sadness and instead would be a feeling of pride and thankfulness that their sons and husbands were fine enough to be chosen to be a part of our splendid American army, the army upon which the safety of our republic depends. It is the attitude of the women at home that largely determines the morale of the boys at the front. A medium shot of a soldier and his lover kissing before the soldier's departure. The two are surrounded by a crowd of civilians. Keystone had obtained the entire file of Underwood negatives yet only a small percentage of war scenes were actually used. This was because Keystone was primarily interested in using sets that appealed to American war veterans and their families. (Darrah, William, The World of Stereographs, 194.) Keystone View Company did not gain permission to send a photographer to France until after the Armistice had been signed. After the war ended, Keystone sent is photographer, Iddings, to record war scenes. (Darrah, William, The World of Stereographs, 195.)
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