From the February 3, 1921 Skidmore News (Skidmore, Missouri):
Sick Soldiers Thank Friends.
Thanks and appreciation of the hundreds of sick and wounded soldiers confined in army hospitals at Camp Pike, Ark., Fort Riley, Kans., Fort Sill Okla., Jefferson Barracks, Mo., Camp Travis, and the border stations of Texas, have been issued to the people of the Southwest for the hundreds of presents and Xmas dainties sent to soldiers at the holiday season just closed through the agency of the American red cross. Scores of chapters of the Red Cross, schools and individuals co-operated to make the Christmas of the shut-in soldiers a happy one.
“The supplies received,” according to one of the field directors of the Red Cross at the camps, “were a remarkable expression of gratitude on the part of unseen givers to recipients unknown to them except as they were visualized in the generosity of their hearts. Every conceivable form of gifts, from turkeys, pies and puddings to Christmas cards from the children, many of whom could hardly form their letters, particularly touched the hearts of the lonesome soldier.
A shipment of toys from a room in the Fanning School at St. Louis, each toy purchased in person by the child and sent to Fort Riley, caused the biggest hit of the season. No distribution caused so much laughter, talk and merriment. For the time being the soldiers put aside everything else and for the space of a few moments were transformed into carefree children themselves. Each man vied in showing his toy as the best of all.