...YOU ARE HERBY ORDERED FOR INDUCTION
INTO THE BRITISH ARMED FORCES, AND TO
REPORT AT ASSEMBLY ROOM, 17th FLOOR,
FEDERAL BLDG, 1st AVENUE, LONDON ENGLAND,
ON AUGUST 20th, 1914, AT 7 A.M. FOR
FORWARDING TO AN ARMED FORCES
INDUCTION STATION...
Upon comprehension of the words printed upon the letter, Jon had gone
entirely NUMB. Nothing in that moment appeared REAL. Was he
ACTUALLY to be subjected to the draft for the first World War, FORCED to
serve as a member of the military in order to defend his country, forced to
PART from his MOTHER, from his COUSINS, from his UNCLE...?
Initially, the mention of a draft had never bothered the young man, for he
simply dismissed the idea, foolishly believing that, were there ever to be
such DEMAND for men to serve, he SURELY wouldn’t fall in to the category
of likely candidates. He was to continue living close to his FAMILY, to
attend university, and MAKE SOMETHING of himself. He was to, one day,
know the LOVE of a woman, and raise a FAMILY of his own.
With the possibility of DEATH so high within the war zone, would he LIVE to
see any of his dreams come true? Would he live to see his future?
He wanted to RUN, wanted to run and hide, taking his mother alongside.
They would find REFUGE in another country – the United Stated, perhaps?
– and he would be FREE of military service, FREE to continue LIVING the
rest of his life. He could marry a lovely American girl, raise his children in
Boston, or New York City...!
He would be branded as a FUGITIVE, then, a TRAITOR to his country, to
his PEOPLE. No woman would want to marry a man who RAN from his
duties. And what would his future children think? They would be fathered by
a man FROWNED upon, a man WANTED by his country...
He couldn’t remember moving, couldn’t remember walking when he found
himself standing in the living area of the home he shared with his mother,
watching her as she read passages from her book and sipped upon a cup
of tea, listening as she hummed a tune quietly to herself.
He wanted NOT to speak, yet Jon stood helplessly within the contours of
his mind as his body forced the words from his mouth.
“ Mother, I’ve been DRAFTED. ”