Letter of Appreciation

HEADQUARTERS ARMY SERVICE FORCES
WASHINGTON 25, D. C.

2 January 1946

Mr. H. W. Hargiss,
5411 Aberdeen Road,
Kansas City 3, Kansas

Dear Bill:

     Please accept the appreciation of the Tar Department and of this Division for your outstanding contribution to the morale of our troops during the difficult post hostilities period. The athletic program, stressing the teaching of sports skills and mass participation in competitive games, has not only kept our men healthfully occupied when no other activity would have done the trick but has helped to return them to civilian life with a fresh appreciation that our Government had an eye to their welfare. War and Army life in strange climes produce odd complexes which the American way of life as exemplified by a sound athletic program helps dispel.
     The program could never have gone without intelligent, experienced direction such as you helped supply, Innumerable Generals have testified to the new conception of the true values of athletics they received through your work.
     The coincident value of athletics in our own country in the period immediately ahead goes without saying. You may be interested to know that the germ of the original athletic program set forth in August 1944 and subsequently altered materially in manuals in various theaters has been reproduced over a hundred thousand times and that our teaching has reached either directly or through unit schools over thirty thousand service men.
     Thank you again for your very real contribution to the war effort.

Sincerely,

HENRY W. CLARK
Colonel, GSC,
Special Assistant to the Director,
Special Services Division.