The history of Company B, 311th Infantry in the World War
History
The history of Company B, 311th Infantry in the World War
United States. Army. Infantry. 311th regiment, 1917-1919. Co. B; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- United States
By that time two large doors in the side of the building opened and
out came a car that looked like the ones they have in circuses to
carry animals in, which was divided into compartments with numbers
corresponding with the number of your bin, which were full of shelves
and hooks. Into your compartment on this car you put everything you
had except the articles in the Red Cross bag. This you still had hung
around your neck. Everything had to be taken out of the Barrack bag;
your puttees could not be wound; your underclothes and socks which
you took off were not put in the car however. They said this was to
kill the cooties, and suddenly you had a feeling of pity for the poor
cootie. As suddenly as the car came out of these big doors it went back
again and the doors were closed; then you were ordered to pick up your
soiled underclothes and “move along.” A little further along you threw
your soiled underclothes out of a window marked “Salvaged Clothes.” You
were wearing your shoes but nothing else. As you passed out of this
room you were handed a towel and as you entered the next room you were
met by a couple of doctors who asked you if you had been to Paris and
then refused to take your word that you had not. From here you entered
the bath room where you had the grand and glorious feeling of a real
shower bath, although the so-called soap was beyond description. From
here you passed another long line of doctors that reminded you of your
first day at camp, and then you passed into a room which reminded you
of Gimbel Brothers at home. Your famous slip of paper which had been
kept in your Red Cross Bag, now came into use and you began to learn
the reason for it. Everything that your Supply Sergeant at Flavigny
had refused to give you was handed to you here. First you were given a
suit of underclothes and a pair of socks to take the place of the ones
you had salvaged. Then down the line you went, getting new blankets for
the ones you had left in the hangar, and new trousers for the ones you
had said were no good, and even a new tape for your dog tags. From here
you passed into another bin similar to the first one, and while you
were putting on your underclothes out came the car with all your things
on it, but everything so hot you could hardly touch them. Poor cooties,
not a one remained alive to tell of what happened inside.
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