Written by Corporal Herman F. Gerdom, Co. F, 52nd Inft.
Hardly did we realize when we left home to answer our
country’s call, that we would be somewhere in France long before the beautiful
sow would give mother earth a coat of white, but we are here and making the
best of it. Our experiences have been many—some of them very trying—but we have
withstood the test and are as happy as a lark, trying to perform the mission
that was placed in our hands. As all “Over There” are interested in the welfare
of the boys “Over Here” and their experiences, I will try to relate some of
mine after leaving our camp and enroute over the Atlantic Brook and then
Somewhere in France. If I were to relate them in detail I could write for a
week so I will relate the most interesting ones in brief. So here it goes.
After several weeks of good hard training at a southern camp
the Regiment of which I am a member received the order to have the A.E.F.
stamped on their Barrack bags and pack up their “Dudds” and get ready to make
the trip across the Briny Deep or as you would say “Over There.” We started our
long journey one beautiful Saturday morning about 8 o’clock and we sure felt
like millionaires for we had very fine sleepers to travel in. The trip was full
of interest and many spectacular sights were to be seen on our journey through
13 States. We stopped at several places to avail ourselves of that famous
“Seventh Inning” stretch to loosen up the stiffened joints a trifle, by
parading through the main thoroughfares. Wherever we went we were applauded to
the utmost and every factory window and those in homes brought forth shouts of
applause that made one soon realize that he was not in civil life anymore but
in the army. To put the proper finish to this, we of course helped them along,
but it did not take us long before we were thankful that we were in position to
bring forth a whisper.
The Red Cross performed their part in a very admirable way
and at almost every station we were served with hot Java, fruit, etc., and
cigarettes were handed out in such numbers that the supply lasted until we got
to the next station and these courtesies certainly proved to the boys that
there was more to the Red Cross Organization than merely the name and began to
realize where the money went that was donated to this noble cause, before they
were fitted out in the uniform of the most popular design approved by Sam’s
Fashion Center.
Finally after several days of traveling through tunnels and
valleys, over hills and trestle work, we arrived at an eastern camp where we
spent considerable time at all duties required of a soldier. The life at this
camp was very agreeable in spite of some of the inconveniences, as it was not
so terrible hot there as at the other camp. Again came the order to move, and equipped
with a full field pack (it seemed to weight a ton) we gallantly started for the
gang plank of the boat that was to take us across the Atlantic Creek. It was a
funny sensation to see the land fade away and the old Goddess of Liberty did
not even smile. The ship on which we traveled was not a regular passenger liner
but a regular troop ship, and when it came to classes they never took the
first, second and steerage into consideration and we were in about the 58th
variety and had one on old Heinz of pickle fame but it was the largest ship in
our little caravan and when it came to speed it did not lack any. The captain
of the ship looked just like all the rest of them, heavy moustache, goatee and
kinda fat, but the small boys aboard certainly amused me, for their lingo
seemed so peculiar to me but it did not take us long to get wise to it. In
spite of the congested conditions and poor ventilation and other conditions, we
soon made up with them and before long we were again as happy as if we had our
right sense. Heavy beams on the ceiling of the boat with plenty of hooks
furnished the place for the hammocks to be strung from and it took regular
acrobatic stunts to get into them and then it meant lay quiet or down you go
hard on the floor. The first night I was lucky enough to draw a hammock, but
the next night luck was against me and I received a mattress instead and made
my bunk on the floor. Well, it was real comfortable, but the next morning to my
surprise a beautiful pair of about No. 12 Hobnails were dangling in my face and
it did not take me long to dodge the other hammocks and hike for the place
where the waves often play cross tag, for fear that the rope of the hammock
might break. The next night the “man above” had the heart to take off his
hobnails and as he was ticklish under his hoofs it did not take me long to let
him know that the place for his feet was upstairs.
The boys held up very well throughout the trip and only a
few of them got seasick but those that did almost had to anchor their hobnails
to the deck to prevent them from going overboard. One night while fast asleep
and dreaming of days gone by, I was suddenly awakened by a bump on the chin, At
first I thought a fish had kicked me, but when I looked around I found myself
bleeding like a stuck hog and a beautiful steel helmet lying at my side, which
had fallen from one of the racks above, while one of the boys was getting his
overcoat for a cover. Well if this is all the bumps I get in this fray I will
not complain, but I sure will remember that helmet.
After a long journey over the deep we finally landed at a
European port and it was raining like sixty. Our Company Commander gave orders
to put up a good front, as our “Rookie” days were over and we could show the
people that we were real soldiers and were not allowed to talk or yell at any
of the spectators. Well we did put up the front alright, but it sure was some
job at that, for the heavy pack sure did make the face “leak” and the sweat
just ran down our foreheads with poor chances of getting hold of our
handkerchiefs as we were marching at “Attention.” Some kindhearted old lady saw
me in my predicament and offered me her handkerchief, but I did not make the
effort to get it and she finally put it on my arm. I certainly appreciated her
efforts and was only sorry that her address was not included, so that I might
be able to repay her for her kindness or at least send her a letter of thanks.
Arriving at the railroad station and a bunch of girls singing “The Yanks Are
Coming” in their peculiar ling, we sure did laugh, for when we saw those dinky
little engines and cars we almost dropped, for they sure were only a drop in
the bucket against those at home, but when it came to speed, they just sizzed
along. At the next camp the real circus began and when we went to buy things,
the old saying of “two bits” lost its popularity and it seemed funny to run
around with a “pound” of money in our pocket all in one piece—but it did not
take us long to get wise to the coins of this place. Even though we were “roped”
a bit we soon found our old standby, the Y.M.C.A., the best friend the boys
have, where we were given the full value for our money. Without a “Y” we are
lost and they have just opened one here. So if tis ever a cause which the “Y”
is striving for, don’t forget that they are our best friends.
After a short stay at this camp we were again put aboard
another ship and we were on the last lap of our journey “Over Here.” The sights
on this ship were amazing and after we had unslung our equipment and placed
them in proper order it was almost time to hit the “hay.” I stayed on deck as
long as I possibly could and when I went down to our quarters a sight greeted
me that I will never forget and the only way I can express it is by saying that
one mass of human flesh covered the equipment and to help it along I simply
piled in with the rest and made the best of it—longing for that good old bed at
home arose but after one has been in the army for a while you get so that you
can sleep in a “Dog tent” on the ground as well as you do in one of those beds
over here that seem to have feathers about three feet deep in them. The next
morning after a horrible night on rough sea, we put our feet on solid ground
again and then it was another long hike to another rest camp. After a day in
this place we “mooched” on again and were put aboard another train which was to
take us to our present location. Every time we received our rations for the
trip I had the honor to carry the canned “willie” (corn beef) for our squad and
since carrying it so many times I seem to like it and even hardtack tastes good
when you are hungry.
The trip to this place was surely interesting and many
sights were to be seen. The buildings here are very odd, but beautiful in
architecture and we saw several of the oldest ones, that are crumbling with
age. Well we arrived all O.K. and are now stationed Somewhere in France, where
we will complete our training, which will be an indefinite time. We are all
feeling good after our wearisome journey of over 6000 miles, which is some
ground to cover, but every foot of it has been interesting in spite of some of
the hardships, which we had to undergo. The places over here are very odd and
antique in every respect and I cannot understand how they keep abreast of the
times as comparison to the good old U.S.A. It is a spectacular sight to see a
two-wheeled cart as one of the main means of transportation, where at home a
Ford would be burning the edges off the curbstone to get there on time. The
villages are very typical and house and barn are of the combination type and a
large manure pile generally heads the column of adornment. All houses are built
of stone or brick and are very substantial in construction, electric light and
gas, hard and soft water facilities are not at one’s disposal as in days gone
by. Our nearest washplace is a creek about a block from our quarters, but the
water is nice and clear and answers the purpose as washbowl, generally bath and
laundry and cold enough to wake up a dead man when we go for our morning
splash—it sure is the most essential cure for drowsiness and all other ailments
I have ever seen and it is no wonder that quack doctors signs and patent
medicine advertisements do not adorn every other door or fencepost. The method
of washing clothes is another non-appealing one, but very essential to those
who are in need of exercise to ease up their muscles a trifle and work up an
appetite to the highest pitch. At the creek we lay our clothes on stones and
then it’s heavy on the scrub-brush and soap is not in abundance either. At one
place they have a sort of box filled partially with straw to protect the knees,
while another board is nailed to the top of this box, which leads to the creek
and answers the purpose of a washboard, but the genius who devised this scheme
forgot the zinc corrugation to help take off the dirt. The horsepower of the
“electric wringer” depends solely upon the muscles you have in your hands, but
when it comes to wringing the heavy shirts and trousers we generally form a
company make it a regular Merry-Go-Round stunt. Oh yes we’re in the army now.
The country and landscapes are very pretty and they have a
very peculiar way of laying out their farms and fences are seldom to be seen,
but the method is very appealing and the greatest I ever saw. The method of
cultivation is also very odd and modern machinery has not entered the first
stages of popularity here yet. The people are very kind and do all within their
power to make us comfortable and contented. They work hard and diligently and
make the best of the conditions in realization of better days to come. In spite
of the terrible stress which they have undergone they take their part well and
even though tears take the place of smiles in a great many instances, they have
not given up hope and bear their lot bravely. Another fancy of theirs which
struck me very funny was that if a man and woman go to enter the same door, the
lady opens the door and lets the man in first. But this need not be considered
as odd, for what is right “Over there” is left “Over here.” Styles also do not
take up a prominent role here and the clothes they wear are very plain and when
the girls are at work they have beautiful big wooden shoes for footdress. At
work the girls can do the manual of arms with a pitchfork about as well as we
can with our rifles. We can not understand the language, but my maneuvers with
the hands and feet and twitching of the face we manage to get along fairly well
and they are learning fast (we also) and by the time this struggle is over
with, things will be different in this country.
When I first got here I thought every kid I saw was a girl,
as all seemed to have dresses on, but after a day or so I noted that all
children wear dress aprons sure some stunt to save on soap and water.
The value of American made goods is also recognized to a
great extent here and the boys can not quite save these that are made here and
the population in general is getting wise to the quality and are buying them at
every opportunity.
The orders and commands we receive at times seem very
foolish, but they are the proper tests of the discipline one possesses, which
is the most essential thing in the army and also later in civil life again, for
the old gag of wait a minute don’t go here, but do it as quickly as possible
and the best you can.
Our officers are very efficient officers, in fact the best one
could wish for and are real men from head to foot and treat us in a very
admirable way and do all they can for the boys and endure the hardships with
the boys in a very manly way. There is not one of them who feels himself too
proud to eat the same “chow” the boys eat, in spite of their rank, and this is
one reason the tests are very trying at times, but when you are training under
such offices as we have, the task is much easier accomplished and one goes to
it with vim and vigor and forgets the hard part. Every one of the boys has a
good word for them.
The boys are holding up very well and we have not lost a man
in the outfit. All are doing their utmost and the progress is to be admired and
the officers were highly complimented on the work their little army was doing
by some of the highest officials.
Aeroplanes are as common here as sparrows at home and we
hardly take the time to look up to see them anymore. Today a bunch of them
passed over here again—there were seven in a bunch and of course this caught
our eye, for we were wondering what had become of the eighth one or the
Corporal of the squad.
Uncle Sam sure has a model way of caring for his boys over
here and every available precaution for their health and happiness is used and
we are not lacking anything, even the eats are good when the goods arrive on
time. The only thing that lacks at times is that the people at home get tardy
and forget to write, and a letter from home is just as satisfying as a meal.
The other day we received our first mail since being here, and the way the boys
shouted was gratifying, but it was unlucky for the censor, as when they had
read them, they had plenty of things to write about, and then the poor sensor
had his “inning.”
Many other interesting things could be related, but this
will take too much time to do so. Well in spite of the many experiences we are
still here and as live as live can be and the sooner we perform the mission we
were sent here for, the sooner we will be able to return to the good old U.S.A.
and that will be soon for it is the grandest country on the globe and the trip
over here proved it to us within a short time.
With love and best regards to all. I must now close and
assuring you that the boys with “cheesecutters” are coming back in their O.D.’s
bigger, better, healthier and more experienced men who have learned to rely on
themselves.
I remain as ever,
A Doughboy Somewhere In France.
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