The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-06-21
hilarious Happiness Of 9oughboys at Ebarkaon Ports France
II Infectious Enough to Make Stone Doq vaa
His Tal-HfHcuItes of the Task Inter-
sstngy Described

plank his squad is tolled off and e.
corted to quarters.
Whistles toot. the stevedOres unloos
inc hawsers. The band plays on tn
TOP deck. Men climb into the mast
ana rigging. The rails are lined wit
them. They shout, they scream, the
laugh, they cry.
Ahother regiment has gone home.
10 the layman it sounds easy
doesn't 1t? Two hundred thousan,
men month. or approximately G5,OO
from each of the three main embarka
t!on ports In France-Bordeaux Saint
NSzaire and Brest! There shouldn'
be any difficulty about that.
Well, just listen a moment to tn,
dinculties of the actual work:
FIRST, there is the priority Of wound
ed men on the embarkation lists. Ev
cry man able to stand the Journey Is
being sent as soon as possible to Amer
lea.
But wounded or sick man cannot
be taken Immediately from the hos.
pltal train at the port to the boat. And
unfortunately. the trains and boats
don't arrive together So he must be
taken to hospital at or near the port.
His transportation from train to hos
pltal, his care there and his transpor-
tat1on from the hospital to the boat re-
qufre labor and time.
Tho hon61ino Owl ,o.
ed also have been worked out to a
fine point. The orderlies that receive
them at the dock are trained in the
handling of stretchers. An ambulance
carrying four men is unloaded and
ready for inspection at the dock with
In four minutes from the time it ar
rlyes. Each stretcher is met at the
by a ship orderly and con-
Quoted to a place aboard, previously
selected, according to the nature of
his case. So much for the wounded
and sick.
How They Are Handled.
Then there is the well soldier to be
Soldiers on active service,
selected for rehabilitation, are arriv-
nS at the embarkation ports in groups
which number from 1000 to 5000, and
It all hours Of the day or night. It
aims almost every day along the At.
antic seaboard in France. 1t is a cold,
lisagreeable rain, which chills the
zones and makes mud ankle deep,
his means that warm accommoda.
ions and not food must be always |
eady.
Then they must await their turn to !
all. Some may remain In the concen.
ration camp six weeks. 1t all de-
ends upon the ocean transportation.
they arrive in units-such as regi-
tents, battalions. etc.-they must be
ept together and sail together.
Not all soldiers come in regiments
battalions. either. There is the
rOblem Of the casual for instance.
his man is a problem even to him
If. He started out In the army as
member of certain unit. But In
e necessary shifting, reducing, In
easing and separation Of his and
her units or outfits, he became de-
ched. /,
Whether coming in a regiment or
one, too, each man must be carefully I
ecked upon entering and leaving and
so at the dock before boarding the Il
lnspOrt. This is no small job when
900 or more men are handled each I
onth. +
Going Through the "MiII." Z
Probably the only inkling that a we'll t
ldier at the embarkation concentra- q
N camps in France has that his in
'nment is nearly up and that he will S
on be on his way home is the order
report at the mill" The "mill'' b
series of buildings, which trans
ms the feelings of doughboy from c
1t Of cootie, mud-pestered individ- h
to that Of a care-free, wealthy Il
llevard promenader. a
The individual doughboy receives IL