To a Young Progressive

Corporal Arlie H. Pate, 21, is one of the 23 American "progressives" held by the Reds in Korea who do not want to come home. One of nine children, he grew up in the bare hill country of southern Illinois, not far from the state boundary of the Mississippi River. His father, Daniel Howard Pate, ailing from epilepsy, was seldom able to work. After living for years near East St. Louis, Howard Pate moved his family to a cheap, 62-acre farm south of Carbondale, Ill.--two acres of corn and the rest scrubby, uphill pasture. Arlie had many friends near home, but he was restless, and ill-content with his lot. At 17, with his family's consent, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Arlie said he wanted to see the world. He was sent to Korea. He fought there, and was taken prisoner by the Chinese Reds. families of the 23 "progressives" "could send to Korea. Eighteen families, including the Pates, accepted the opportunity to plead with their sons to come home. Fortnight ago, Howard Pate, 47, his wife Zady, Arlie's 18-year-old sister, Beulah, and Mrs. Jeanette Daley, Arlie's aunt, were driven up to station WCBS in Springfield, Ill .

Dressed in their Sunday best, the Pates were shown into a studio, seated at a shiny table with two microphones. The announcer said later: "They'd been doing a lot of thinking about what they'd say, but when I told them to begin, it didn't seem to come. They kept looking at one another in a pitiful sort of way to see who would start." Then their speech came, in bursts that showed their grief and bewilderment. Said the announcer: "They were a family talking from the heart, and torn to pieces." What they said: Mother: Arlie, we been waiting a long time for you to come back. We got everything you said you wanted. I hope you come back. Father: What's the matter with you, boy, you don't come on home like you ought to? We've got everything ready. We've got the hog ready to butcher. Waiting for you a long time. Sister: Hello, Arlie, this is your sister Beulah. How are you? I hope you come home pretty soon. Aunt: Hello, Arlie, this is your Aunt Jeanette. You know you've been writing home and telling us of all the things so we want you to come home and be with us. You know you asked about Ed Allen and your friends around here and [they would] like for you to be home with them. They all want to see you so bad, and we're hoping and praying to God you'll change your mind, Arlie, and come home to us. Because your friends need you here. And your folks need you here. Your dad's in bad shape and he needs you home and he needs your help . . . Mother: Arlie, you always talk about the farm. Why don't you come up. We need you so bad. We've bought stock and everything you said you wanted . . . You said you wanted a lot of fruit and stuff to eat. Do come back to us. We sure need you. And your dad's not able to take care of the farm . . . Father: Son, what's the matter that you can't come on home. Your mommy's in bad shape and can't stand it hardly at all, you being gone like that. My Lord, why in the world don't you come on over here. We got the stock and everything here waiting for you and you can have fried chicken and everything, fried chicken, fried squirrel and fried rabbits, and you can just have a big time out here on the farm and all them neighbors all the time askin' where you're at--and what you're doing and why you don't come home. My Lord, come on over here with us and be with us. Shucks, we'll have a big time over here . . . Aunt: Arlie, this is your Aunt Jeanette again . . . Now, if you'll just come home and be down here where I'm at, you know the little house on the hill where we had so much fun. And picked apples. We can squirrel hunt. I went squirrel hunting every morning and killed squirrels and if you was here, you and me could go together . . . Mother: Hello, Arlie, your Uncle Sammy and all of them been looking forward for you to come home. They been hoping and praying for you to come home. Grandma, that's all she talks about. Sammy said come home, he'd have a big time with you, we'd all go over and see all of them --even in Arkansas--and see the rest of the family down there. We could do a lot if you could come home . . . Sister: Arlie, do you remember some of the times that we used to have when we were in school, and we were kids and how we used to have fights in the evening when we'd come home from school . . . Arlie, if you'd come back we could have some fun like we used to have. Father: My Lord, get on back here. My Lord, you're worrying mommy so she's pretty near crying nearly all of the time you look at her. Aunt: Hello, Arlie, I want you to come home and see us all. You could have all you wanted. We have cows, we have hogs and everything . . . Arlie, you know that this is the only free country they is. You know that you can't stay over there and be free, and you know well that you're a freeborn American. And there's no place over there for you. And you better come home, Arlie, and take your friends and your family and your loved ones because, Arlie, you know that we all love you. You're the same boy now as you was when you left, and we've got to treat you the same. You got to treat us the same. Because we're all the same blood, flesh and everything. Arlie . . . you're the only one that can tell us and be with us and let us know of all the things that's happening around the world! Sister: Arlie, this is your sister again. Arlie, you just don't know how much grief you put on mother. She sits and cries all the time and calls your name. It's just hard for her. Goodbye, Arlie, God bless you and good luck. Father: Son, I don't see what in the world is the matter with you if you don't come on home here. Here I'm letting Ronald take the truck and take mommy to town to the doctor. My Lord, she's needing you bad here. You could be with her and you could drive the truck and take her to town to the doctor whenever she needs you, my Lord, she needs you bad, needs you awful bad . . . Mother: This is your mother. Please come home to me. You're welcome any time you come, Arlie . . .

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