Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-08
STATE SENATOR GUY P: GANNE1T
TELLS PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
ASRED CROSS WORKER OVERSEAS


supply Of shrapnel- 'iress-
!nss. The medica! supply department
could not provide them. so We did VI
another time they were in grave
need OF diphtheria antitoXin. to meet
an outbreak Of diphtheria. went off
in an automobile for that and produc-
ed an adequate supply through the
Eed Cross III two days. II would have
taken two weeks or two months for
the army 10 do 1t. The Red Cross fur
nished the men with blankets. an,.
the wounded with pajamas. sheets,
pillow cases, wash cloths. magazines.
tobacco and games. And it was all
free
1T was quite Job to supply this
stuff. too. for the field hospitals often
Lad 500 patients At time.
I'VE did not have to depend al
together on supplies sent by the RsA
Cross. Each division representative
was provided with revolving fund,
with which he could purchase any
thing needed that could be bought in
the country he was in Or anywhere
within reach. This made the supply
system much more flexible.
Besides this work Of supplying
lie wnrnded we ran six canteens. The
men were crazy about sweet cho;o-
late and tobacco-they would regu-
lariy walk three TO i've miles II ne
ceSsary-sometimes even nine miles
TO get cup OF chocolate and a eli
garctte. Three quarters of the stuff
we served vas served right IN the
front line trenches. At our canteens
we had also supply If small neces-
sites ana regular Red Cross supplies
already mentioned-SOcks. Slovc:.
magazines tobacco, games, etc.
IN this work I was great!y aided
by Harris Woodman, who was IN
charge of the canteens ana who han
died it wonderfully. In this particu-
lar sector the canteen work was o.
pecialiy important. Mr.. Woodman
took personal charge OF the canteens,
visited all of them every day or wv.
had charge Of getting supplies INTO
The trenches and repeatedly was IA
der fire in the trenches and was ~
ten the mark OF German Shippers. Tia
proved absolutely fearless: and If L@
thought it his duty. would go any
where.
Mr.. Woodman took on this re-
sponsibile and dangerous work OF
his own accord. He was n the Ret
Cross rs Il home service man Al"
iearci:er ana he not only carried IN
this work but also took On the more
difficult and dangerous canieen Work
himself.
~ wish people could apprec'ata Ii"
marvellous home service work }hil
was done by the Red Cross through
the war You can talk ABOUT your
other agencies for maintaining NOR
,le-well. that Red Cross Home ser
vice section did moro than all ne
others rolled together: Men would
come to US all broken down. the 3e"-
ME ut nome were sick or needed mon
ev or something like that You nave
- get over in France or somewhere
far away from home 70 realize what
this means TO 4 man. Well. when we
told him that the Red Cross had N
organ zation To look after home Ser-
vice work and that their people NJ
nome would be cared for and sun
oiled with money and that there
would be no f0rna.ity about ii ana
no red tape and no time wasted fAey
were so grateful ana relieved ana IN
S,aatlv were transformed from Wnr-
r-.,,7e wrecks ~ good e0!diors OFT m
times. TOO. We would get letters from
ma rents and wives back home. asking
for the location of some soldier. We
would send out searcher ana diS
around and after 4 bit we would Us
t,allv locate the man. AS like As No.
he was all right and had Just been 20
husv to write Then we would write
hack back and relieve his mother or
whoever WAS worrying about him.
Toward the last OF October, we
we're moved over 20 the .Argcnne for
est where The 9Th Division was N
supDor. We started on Nov. 70 i'd
vance in forced marches and we
moved up rapidly - within - miles
Of sedan II was 4 hard game Al ms
point. The Germans were retTnatlng
so rapidly that our division could not
get N contact with them. The conges-
;ion was bad. We could not get gaso-
line for our automobiles and many
trucks were abandoned there tor a
week. for lack Of gasoline. II was cold
ana rainy the water supply vas poor.
sood was scarce. had 4 borrowed
truck, filed with supplies. Finally the
ambulance company 1 was With open
ed an infirnary in an old building.
The Red Cross supplied milk. sugar,
sausage. grape nuts. ham and the
like. Once we fed the chief Of staff
ana his assistants.
1T might be interesting TO know
that here, as elsew here behind the
lighting line we were constantly run
ming against men who were lost
thousands of them every day. Their
company would go forward or back or
somewhere AMI they would get sep
lrated. and. being unable 10. fnd it.
would Just wander around. fastening
themselves 20 my organization that
would have them. 1t vas charac.eris-
tic of the American soldiers that I'M
der stress or great fatigue they would
Z hrow away anything they did not i'm
rNediately need. II is hard for some
.oiIis 10 realize that all a soldier has
20 eat and all his supplies and access
SORES, everything he needs to fight
ana live he carries around with him
NJ ,pB,r