Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-11-28
An American Doughboy
In France
Nv ELLIOTT F. HOFFMAN
(H;storia nof Alexandria Post, No.
"a, American Legion.)
(For the Alexandria Gazette.)
In Germany

giving Day. OoF Ina IN
ner consisted of canned beef, canned
tomatoes, potatoes, bread, butter, ano
coffee and delicious apple dumping
for dessert. Several members OF oul
company received pay while here, ano
shared with the rest of us the waffes
and shot dogs" which they were aDie
ia buv from the shopkeepers. we
sne1t nearly week in Eischen, dur
mo which time the commanding gen
eral inspected the regiment, Whlch
now included requirements to MAKE
GOOD the number Of men we had lost
in battle: and it was there recorded
that Of the mem who composed oui
regiment on the Rhine not III pei
cent had seen service in the lne OF
battle. This doubtless applies also to
the other regiments of the Ralnbo"
Division. so badly was this DIVISION
shot to pieces in the Argonne.
Leaving Eischenne, we hiked to
Wolferdingen. everal of our num-
her were unfortunate enough to get
caught knocking" nine from one OF
the shops. From here we marched on
toward the German border, and late
in the afternoon on December IND
our regiment crossed the bridge that
spans the Moselle river at Buser, thus
entering the territory of defeated
Germany, Although we were now on
what they called sacred soil. we ana
not consider it necessary to remove
our shoes, but tramped on as before.
We were instructed before enter
ing Germany to have our rifles IN our
possession at all times; at no time,
day or night, must we fail to. have
them at hand. This order, however,
was not enforced after leaving Buser,
The Germans of the many villages
in which we stopped seemed wholly
unconcerned at our coming. Ihey con-
tinued to perform the work of their
daily routine as if we were not there.
But, while apparently friendly to US,
they seemed unable to suppress their
hatred of the French, or Frogs" as
we called them. Many tines id we
hear them say, "The French soldier
no good, but the American soldier,
All! All! he is good" which was, OF
course nothing but German deception.
From Buser we passed on to Neider-
zissen, on the Rhine, spending one or
more nights in each of the following
named villages: Meriden, Welshbiller,
Dudeldorf, Manderschad Potsbarn,
Waldkenigan, Zermullon, and Wasser-
mack And with only ten miles more to
go before reaching our final destina-
ton, a number of US were examined
by the physician and ordered to re-
main here until the ambulance arrived
to take us to he field hospital The
tags which the physician pinned on
our overcoats read "F. U. o." mean
ing fever, unknown origin.
The ambulance arrived shortly at
ter our company had vacated the vii
lage, and we were carried to small
village in which was located field hos
pital 165. Upon our arrival we were
examined and then quartered in very
small rooms to await developments.
These rooms had not heat or light
and not even hay to sleep on. Need
less to say we were extremely uncom-
Portable, lying there on the floor on a
cold December night with only one
blanket for covering; but with burn
ing fever of 100 degrees or more, we
were half unconscious of our plight
On the next morning all save four
of us were returned to our respective
commands, while we four who were
still running rather high temperature
were again examined Our tags were
changed( to read Flu" and with a
mask over our mouth we were placed
in an ambulance and carried to
Evacuation Hospital No. u, which
was located in the city of Prum. Here
we were re-eXamined, and this time
the tag of the writer was once more
changed. 1t now read "Tonsilitis." AS
all the boys in the ward to which he
was assigned seemed to have foot
trouble. it is impossible to say just
what allment he had--whether fever,
flu, tonsilitis, or ''footsoritis."
In addition to having nc bed to
sleep in, we had very little medical at
tention. The attending physician rare
~ visited our ward; in fact, the writer
fails to recall a single visit during the
first few days of our stay in this hos
pital. However, better treatment was
in store for us. A detachment Of the
army nurse corps arrived and soon
began to set the hospital in order.
White enamel beds were installed,
clean bed linen was provided every
day, and pajamas were furnished to
the patients. The nurses sat in the
ward all day watching our thin little
flock. Every hour or so the nurse
would take our temperature, and the
physician was called whenever there
was the slightest change for the
worse. Of course no one was over
anxious to get we'll. because we were
in the vernacular of the doughboy
sitting on the world"
After spending several weeks ir
this hospital, we We're discharged and
sent to a casual camp in the beauti-
full city of Trier, or Trures, as it is
called by Germans. At the end of a
two days sojourn here number OF
us were again sent to the hospital
this time the evacuation hospital. No
10 at Tries. The FLU" was now begin,
ming to claim its victims. All day long
the ambulance brought sick soldiers
there and al day long they buriec
them in the hospital yard. men that
had been carried off by this treacher
Gus disease A. handsome young fellow
was brought in late one night and as