Herman 1943 Photo taken at home on a six-day pass
Herman and Dora 1943 during six-day pass
At Camp Grant, we were drilled on taking care of our weapons. “Son, this is your weap- on. You will take care of it. You will clean it better than you clean yourself. It will take care of you,” said my Drill Sergeant. My backpack was filled with all the essen- tials you might imagine I would need in the field: a pup tent, wooden pegs, rope, shovel, mess kits, blanket, emergency food pack, and toilet supplies. Critical attention was paid not only for the supplies themselves, but also to how to pack them. From that point forward, whenever we marched, and wherever we moved, I would carry that heavy load. It was a good thing I was fit. Soldiers not only had to learn to take care of where they lived, but also how they lived. A soldier’s life depends on it. I can’t stress this enough. Throughout world history, during war, far more soldiers die from diseases than
from fighting. Keeping things clean wasn’t just about military discipline; it had a vital role to play in the health of the entire organi- zation. The jungle could easily take as many lives as the war. Diarrhea and fevers resulted from sloppy maintenance. Skin diseases are the result of poor hygiene. Our barracks had to be spotless; beds buttoned down with precision. Frequent inspections could lead to the whole unit losing a night off. Individual infractions resulted in K.P. duty (kitchen police), peeling potatoes or cleaning latrines. The Army taught us to depend on each other. It was the first time that most of us had to learn to live in close proxim- ity with many, many other men. I became a medical specialist, resulting in endless classes on first aid. I learned how to treat battle wounds in the field, keep wounded men from going into shock, stop the bleeding
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