The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-08

at intervals until our legs lose their
feeling and then Eve run on our
heads" as the saying goes. The white
DUST arises and fills our nostrils, but
we dare not breathe through our
mouth. Finally the order comes for
malt, and q few minutes rest is
welcomed.
A few months ago we would not
have believed It possible for us to
stand up under our present course
OF training, but we feel ourselves able
to do AZ miles in a couple of hours
and able to grow fat on the training.
Our company is known as the 136th
field hospital company OF the 100
sanitary train which consists OF four
neld hospital company of the 109th
ambulance companies. Two OF the
hospital companies are from Iowa
and one is from Minnesota. We are
the only men in the camp represent
ing the state OF North Dakota. The
ambulance companies represent
Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota. Such
a train OF companies is called a
sanitary train and Is responsible for
the first care OF all the men in a
division. OF course, chronic sickness
Is handled by the base hospitals
which is large institution.
You have heard over and over
about the daily life, amusements and
the work of the soldier. It Is getting
to be daily material for the news
papers. Perhaps you have not heard
much OF the work OF the field hos
pital, so / VIII give you briefly an
idea OF what our work will be when
in actual service.
Another morning has come. It is
dark, cool and seems almost too early
to be rolling out. But the uuietness
OF camp means that q move Is to be
made. After getting into our clothes
We eat hurried breakfast and find
that our mules and wagons are wait
ing for us at the storage tents, We
are separated into squads and begin
Immediately to load our equipment.
The work goes smoothly for each
medicine chest, blanket, kit and the
innumerable other pieces are all
marked with the number OF the
wagon into which they are to go.
In a surprisingly short time every
thing Is loaded. All OF the medicine
equipment il loaded. The men have
formed rank and are marching off
with the wagons following. The
division has advanced and we are
advanced until we are at our proper
distance behind the lines. Very quick
" we stake out the ground for our
hospital. Wagon No. advances and
each tent squad Of eight men takes
its tents from the wagons and sixty
minutes later the six large ward
tents are up with three supply tents
in front, and besides, the tents for
the officers and men are also in
readiness for occupation. Not many
minutes later the wards are ready to
receive the wounded from the ambu-
lance and TO give them the services
OF the surgeons and the trained
nurse.
All of this is not warfare, you say,
In the strictest sense of the word.
But 1t Is warfare OF q peculiar and
necessary sort. 1t is warfare against
sickness and death. II means knowI-
edge Of almost all of the common
ailments OF the body and an eff
cheney in the lighting of those all
n1ents. Those cases which the field
hospital is not equipped to handle
must be passed on back to the base
hospital. The field hospital there
fore might be classified as a midway
station for the wounded, designed to
give them aid while they are being
taken from the trenches to the rear.
Many would never reach the rear
alive If Il were not for the aid OF the
field hospital.
Perhaps you viii now understand
the work Of the field hospital and
thereby get some idea Of the training
we are going through here. We are
working steadily and feel that we
viii soon be able TO start east on our
trip for "over there"