THE JOHN O'HARA SOCIETY

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I love this passage from A Rage to Live (1949), because this is what took place in literally thousands of communities across the country when America entered World War One.

It's the early summer of 1917 in Fort Penn (Harrisburg), Pennsylvania. The women are Grace Caldwell Tate and her friend Connie Schoffstal. Ham is Connie's brother.
                                                         
   The war was not catching on very quickly in Fort Penn or anywhere else, but on forty eight hours' notice the officers and men of the 114th Infantry met at the Armory, passed a night sleeping on the Armory floors, and the next morning marched to the station.
   Connie telephoned Grace on the morning the regiment was to entrain. "They're leaving on an eleven o'clock special," she said. "We can watch them from Ham's private office if you want to."
...
   They went to Ham's office, a corner room with windows in the west and south walls, which had been preempted by several office employes who promptly and silently filed out when they saw Connie.
...
   "They're starting to clear the street," said Grace. "My, I never realized Fort Penn had so many motorcycle policemen. We must be growing up. Look at them."
  "Uh-huh."
   "I'm glad we're over the heads of the crowd. Look, Connie. A moving-picture camera taking pictures, on that truck. I think that's the first one I ever saw in Fort Penn." Oh, no. Inaugurations they have them. What're they taking pictures of? I don't see anything coming."
   "The people, I guess."
   "Oh, now they're stopping. I guess they're going to wait there and take pictures when the regiment comes."
   "Well, here they come. At least I hear the band."
   People along the curb stepped out and looked when they heard the music, and in a few minutes the marchers came into view.
...
   They saw the colors and the color guard, and Ham marching alone at the head of the regiment, and their first view was of solid olive drab, with lines drawn regularly through it, indicating the rifles and campaign hats, rising and falling rhythmically to the tune of the Old Gray Mare. The two women went silent as the regiment came nearer. Under the cheers they could hear the incessant steady growling of the marching feet. As Ham came abreast of the Schoffstal Building a personal cheer went up for him from the people at the other windows, and he held his head back a little more and raised his eyebrows, but he stared straight ahead and did not, by smile or salute, acknowledge the greetings.
   "He's wonderful," said Grace.
   "Yes, he is, and he's a German," said Connie. "So am I a German, don't forget."
   "You are not. Your'e American and nothing else," said Grace. She put her arm around Connie's shoulder, but Connie moved out of the slight embrace.