The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1919-05-16
Hilarious Happiness Of Douoboys at Embarkaton Ports France
Is Infectious Enough to Make Stone Dog Wag
His TaiI-Dificuties Of the Task Inter-
estinqy Described.
BY WILLIAM D. HINES.

4 BY WILLIAM D. HINES.
Bordeaux.--The army is going home,
and 1t is going home happy. l saw o.
900 OF them sail for home today, and
I've been praising myself on my moral
courage ever since. How l ever re-
sisted the temptation to sneak on board
with them Is more than l can figure
out. Their hilarious happiness was
infectious enough to make stone dog
veg his tail.
They shouted, they sang, they
daoced. The oldest and most moss
covered joke got hearty laugh. Past
hardships, dangers and troubles were
forgotten only thoughts OF the Home
land and all that 1t can mean to a
homesick boy occupied their minds.
At the docks where the big trans
ports are tied up, huge sheds hun
dred feet wide and thousand or more
In length have been constructed with
roofs and sides Of corrugated iron.
Special rooms, with warm fires, have
been set aside for the wounded, the
stretcher cases occupying one and the
walking wounded another. Here Red
Cross nurses are bustling, accom-
steaming coffee and sandwiches. Some
nurses lift the mems heads tenderly,
tuck a pillow beneath so they can as
srme a sitting posture without effort
while eating. The others give them
new pajamas, handkerchief full of ciga-
rettes and sweets and other comforts.
Joy Of Going Home.
At the Red Cross canteen, in the
center of the room, the counters are
snow-white and piled high with sand
wiches. Behind the counters Ameri-
can women in blue gowns and white,
dcnghboys with a smile as they dig
In"
Say. con I take any word back to
thu OF Statue Of Liberty for your"
asks one lad with grin of Joy that
stretches from ear to ear, as the wom-
en- pour hot coffee and hand out the
sandwiches.
In a winding line they weave past
the canteen and then are directed
across the way TO another counter.
Here they pass by two more Red Cross
workers, who hand them khaki hand
kerchief, package of chewing gum and
two packages of cigarettes.
"Goodby, good luck" says the
American girl, as she hands out a
handkerchief
One doughboy is seen to use the
handkerchief Immediately. A lump
has suddenly contracted in his throat
and there is a blur before his eyes.
He is only boy, and his JOY has
reached climax when the American
woman smiled at him and wished him
good luck.
AS a big. strapping chap lumbers NJ
to the counter and holds out his hand
rather sheepishly: pheasant voyage
and fine reunion with the old folks,
says the girl with smile. The sheep
ish look disappears In flash, the biz
chap looks grave. and with courte
GUS nod, he answers: '"Thank you
I'll tell the folks how fine you've beer
to u.s." It's the girls turn to chok,
q bit.
Caring for the Wounded.
Outside, meanwhile, the stretche
cases and the walking wounded hav
been slowed comfortably aboard tn
big liner. Fall in p There Is
scramble for company formation AM
all thoughts turn to the boat. AS TIL
officers march down the line, giving
last inspection, eyes become bit wor
ried and fearsome. Suppose they ar
looking for some one to keep back
Maybe the boat can't take all Of tn
men assigned to 1t
The strain Is awful. Then the orde
is given to move forward to the ext
of the shed and onto the gang-planl
As each man passes out his name
checked, and at the top of the gant