Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

was something else about him I did not like, but it eluded me.; But after all, when he came, I enjoyed the visit we had. And I was struck with how little he had changed in manner or appearances. When I drove up to the bus he was waiting – his whole posture, the way he wore his hate etc was so like his soldier appearance.; He told me an episode of his making a cast of a dead mule which completed and enhanced what I already knew of it, which had to do with an officer (major) riding up on his horse over an artificial hill, and going thru, much to his disgust and rage. This I had joyously beheld myself as I sat under a tree making camouflage designs.; It was Capt. Yanow (the Camouflage Commander) idea to model a dead horse, which being follow would be used for a periscope out let over a dugout, an ingenious idea. Pearson, was given the job, as he was a budding sculptor. He thought it would be simpler and more realistic to make a cast from a dead horse itself. Dead horses were not easily procured, and so after a two weeks wait, they had to content themselves with a dead mule secured from a nearby farm. The mule was already two days on the way toward disintegration, nevertheless, Pearson and his helpers, who had requisitioned a truck for the errand, sat on the mule as they went thru the camp, and sang ribald songs, at the top of their voices, much to the amazement of lookers on – ; Pearson’s work proceeded slowly, and the the [sic] odor of the