The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-09-10
FIGHTING EQUIPMENT
Military Authorities coneede That Of
American Soldier Finest in World.

ness. to hear that the American sol /
dier's equipment is conceded by mill /
sary authorities to be the finest of
any army in the world, says Gerald |
Mygatt in Lesiie's.
Thus it is that Sammy will so tol
France. tor to Russia or Mesopotamia
or wherever the Fates decree) carry
ing on his person the most complete,
most adaptable, highest, handiest and
most thoroughly efficient living, work
Ing and fighting outfit OF any soldier
on earth, not excepting either our
enemies or our Allies. The personal
equipment Of the American infantry
man tand we take the infantryman
| because he is both the backbone Of
the army and the bulk of iu repre-
SCENTS American business efficiency
and applied common sense in its
highest practical manifestation Each
detail of every tiniest article, even
the most insignificant strap or lace,
/ is the result of scientific study and
/ experiment Some things about our
army may not be above friendly criti-
I Cism but when it comes to the de-
sign of the individual soldiers outfit
the United States army has no peer
Most OF us are in general way IA
mihar with the uniform, which con-
! sists OF underclothes. socks. shoes
canvas leggins, breaches belt, flannel
shirt. hat and blouse (the military
name for the jacket or coat, with q
sweater or oyercoat added in cold
weather-but very few Of us have
any real idea of what else a soldier
lcarries of what the best brains in the
larmy have determined upon as the
minimum complete outfit needed by
| q man in every possible phase Of his
! military misunderstanding, camp
ing eating. sleeping and going into
| battle When first you see the com
| plote list OF what an American in.
iantryman actually carries upon his
person in field service you are tempt
ed % wonder how he can march or
Gght az all Perhaps you will wonder
how it all can be placed upon single
human being-how there is room
enough. Here is the list, exclusive
OF undertaking and uniform.
Rifle (this alone weights 8 /!
pounds; ammunition (220 cartridg
rs. 100 worn in the belt. 120 in ban
doleers slung over the shoulders)
bayonet: Bayonet Scabbard; In
trenchlng shovel (or piokaXe or wire
cutter). this would seem to be some
thing of a hardware store to star
with. but the list has just begun
cartridge belt: hayersack; pack car
rier (these latter two items, viii
their suspenders. form the cylindrica
roll. carried on the back, commonl,
called the packl; shelter tent hal
and rope leach man carried one-hal
OF a tent, the halves buttOning to
D. gether); metal canteen; padded can
r. teen cover; drinking cupl meat can
bacon can; continent can; fork
d knife. spoon one extra suit OF ur
i derClothes two extra pairs Of socks
q extra shoelaces; comb; toothbrush
/ soap. towel; housewife Ga small sew
. Ing kit: Identification tag Ca meta
n disk and tape ito fasten around tn
T neck, whatever rations may be il
sued
All the articles mentioned aboy
u the American infantryman carries al
~ on his person-and he is given fir,
p quent inspections to see that he doe
e carry them and that not singl
thing is missing. One tent.pin gone
&c comb or toothbrush or pair C.
W socks not there-and trouble result
@ Hut these articles are not all Fac
lie squad of eight men has a squad XII
tc bag which is carried in the wagons
and in this bag each man must q
ways have the following things
An extra pair of breeches; an extr
ie flannel shirt: two additional pairs {
s. socks; an additional suit Of unde
- clothes; a spare pair of marchin
shoes, in good condition. extra sho
laces
This is the equipment with whic
70 Sammy goes forth to war, and if
Of occurs to you that it must make quit
stable and weighty package
might be well for you to consider tw
pa further things In the first place,
it is winter, Sammy win be wearin
not only what is noted above but ais
sweater or oyercoat, or possibl
both. with arctics or some sore {
lumberman's boots over his shoe
And in the second place winter {
summer, there are always the glor
GUS extras which nobody thinl
about in making up tables of weight
-jacknives. pipes, matches, Tobacco,
mouth-organs, sneakers to rest III
feet at night razors and Shawn
equipment, metal pocket mirror
electric flashlights, compasses, knic
knacks of one sort or another-a
the pet conveniences and little pc
sonal necessities that men want
have with them. All in all a man
equipment may thus run up as hig
in weight as seventy.nve or eight
pounds nevertheless. ounce fC
ounce, convenience for convenience
the American equipment is q mary,
of compactness,