Rookies will always be teased...

A couple of blasts about U.S. Army life in 1918...

"Well about camp life, when we got here Sunday we had dinner then we took our mattress bags up to a barn and filled them with straw. You would be surprised what a comfortable bed it makes when it is packed right. I have about 15 lbs. of straw in my bag." ...

Monday morning...

"we lined up in our birthday suits and were examined by about 10 different doctors and there we were vaccinated and inoculated. While we were standing outside they would carry someone who had fainted out and lay him on the ground and we started to wonder if they would carry us out. But a lieutenant came along and told us that there was nothing to it - pure imagination - and that he had taken nine inoculations so far. That satisfied me, if he could take nine, I could take three. There is a great pass word out here. Whenever they see a new bunch coming in civilian clothes the men in uniform yell “Wait till you get the needle.” When we came across the camp to our barracks Sunday they told us that every ten steps. Therefore the thought of it had some of the boys ready to faint. The lieutenant also told us not to look at the man in front getting it for that made them faint too. So when I was second in line I was looking out of the window. Then they called me and one doctor vaccinated me on one arm and another inoculated me on the other arm. I did not know they had finished and I stood there waiting to be hurt. I thought it would hurt a little but not a bit and finally one of the doctors asked me where I would like some more. I said, “no thanks” and then went to another place where they took my whole ten fingerprints. I was then sent up for special examination on my eyes but they seemed satisfied so I was then in the army."