September's Header Picture

These beautiful pictures were taken from the Owen Ken Earl book. "Descendants of Joseph Ira, Calista and Viola Earl -- Southern Nevada Pioneers, Volume II", 1988 pgs. 398 - 399. They did not have a year posted, but here is the story line that was written underneath these pictures.

MISSION CALL - DRAFT CALL - WHICH TO ANSWER?

"World War I was going on then and many of the fellows my age were being drafted or going into one of the branches of the service. The year was 1917, my senior year in high school. in the spring of 1917 when I was about ready to graduate from high school, I received a draft call and also a mission call to the Central States Mission. Father told me that President Joseph F. Smith would be in St. George for stake conference on a certain date shortly thereafter and suggested that I should go and talk to him because the mission date was set before the draft date. I went up to conference in a small black-top buggy and Erma went with me. We stayed with my sister, Elethra Earl Cox and Uncle Frank. On Sunday we went to the morning session of conference and afterwards we worked our way to the front and asked to speak to President Smith. He knew father, listened to my story and told me to answer the call of our country, and said, "I promise you that if you will live a good life and do your duty, you will live and get a call to go on a mission when you return home."

This was a great blessing and also a comfort to have such a promise from the Prophet of the Lord. Erma and I came home very pleased. On 17 June 1918, Marion and Erma took me to Moapa where I caught a train and left for Las Vegas to join the Army. I was sent to Tucson, AZ, for three months of training at the University of Arizona. Then I was shipped to Camp Sheridan in Alabama near Montgomery. I was pleased to find that Alvin Reber (Erma's uncle) was in the same company with me for a while and we were able to see each other on special occasions.

WWI ended on 11 Nov. 1918 and I returned home on 28 Jan. 1919. While I was still in the Army, I received another call to the Central States Mission and father just sent work back that I was in the army."

To find out what Grandpa Milton Earl decided to do next, come back to October's blog posts! :)