What I did to help win the war

Introduction

WHAT I DID TO HELP WIN THE WAR. Two pages of REH-hand written schoolwork.

In his school paper dated October 5, 1920, Robert E. Howard reflects on his modest contributions to the World War I effort from his small village setting. Despite feeling his actions were limited by his rural location, Howard describes various personal sacrifices and community activities aimed at supporting the war effort.

Howard details his financial contributions, including buying Liberty Bonds and War Saving Stamps, the latter designed for children and others unable to purchase bonds. He participated in the Victory Boys organization, where dues directly supported military personnel. Beyond financial support, Howard embraced national calls for food conservation by adapting his diet significantly, subsisting mainly on cornbread, beans, and potatoes, despite his dislike for these foods. He also mentions eating “war-bread” and avoiding sugar as part of his efforts to conserve food resources critical to the war effort.

In addition to food conservation, Howard engaged in other supportive actions such as planting a war garden and minimizing his use of clothing to save fabric. He curtailed personal activities like hunting to conserve ammunition. Howard also highlights the community’s spirit, noting that he and his neighbors sent food parcels to relatives serving in the military, which included his cousins Jack Houston Howard, Clarence Manly McClung in the Army, and Earl Lee Comer in the Navy.

The paper concludes with a description of the local armistice celebration in Burkett, Texas, where despite the small size of the town and lack of grand festivities, Howard and his neighbors marked the war’s end with a night of noisy jubilation, shooting guns and anvils into the air, inspired initially by Howard’s shotgun blast from his porch. This celebration reflected a collective relief and joy at the war’s conclusion.

Howard’s recounting in the essay, while modestly critiqued by his teacher with a ‘C’ grade, provides a poignant view of how even those in the most remote settings sought to contribute to a global cause in whatever ways they could.

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