ASSIGNMENT
The assignment of nurses to a new oufit is a source of curiosity for the nurses, as well as, to the unit where they are assigned. The first nurses to be assigned to the 107th Evacuation Hospital were no exception you may be assured. Our emotions were mixed - we all wanted to go, and yet none of our particular friends were in the group receiving orders; therefore, it was with some timidity that we first started out from our various stations.
The Chief Nurse met us in Washington, D.C. and many difficulties arose after this meeting, as she was given an early start at trying to solve various problems fro us as well as for the unit. Thirteen of us were from Ft, Meade, Maryland and were to join some others at Camp Forrest, Tennessee. Sleepers on the train were to have been provided for enroute, bu as usual, when the train arrived we found that only a limited number were available and it was necessary for us to not only double but triple up; thus began our living in crowded quarters and becoming accustomed to making the most of what was available for us.
At Camp Forrest, six more nurses joined us and it was there that we made our first trip to the Quartermaster to be issued our field clothes. What beauties! Those long johns, GI shoes, fatigues, and all the other things that dressed us up and made us look like field soldiers. It wa shard to believe that we, as girls, were to really wear those things, but we soon found out that they were very essential.
As we neared our area, all that we saw was tents ans tents. Could it be possible that we were to live and make our future homes in things like these? Oh, yes we were! Our first Mess wa slong to be remembered. Perhaps the Mess personnel were trying to impress us with the nice "lunch" prepared for us on tables out in the field witht the china plates and even napkins. (as we look back we wonder just what napkins are as it has been so long since we have seen any). Anyhow we thought taht all this was not going to be too bad but we were due for a let down as ate out of our mess kits for supper.
More equipment was issued to us - bed rolls, shelter halves, poles and pins and all the other things necessary. at the time it all seemed very foolish, but it was not long before we a opportunity to appreciate the real value of the many items that the government had loaned us for our sojourn in the Army.
The first few nights were memorable ones. It was cold and we were not used to our new life. We wondered if it could be any colder at the North Pole. Every nurse felt like giving this whole thing up and going back home, but we soon found out that in the Army you just do not give up that easily.
Dressing for duty that first morning was really something and our civilian friends would have been amused at seeing us trying to get dressed in those awful clothes. However, it was not long before we became adept at getting ourselves to look like a real G.I. soldier - except for our hair and ruby lips.
The assignment of nurses to a new oufit is a source of curiosity for the nurses, as well as, to the unit where they are assigned. The first nurses to be assigned to the 107th Evacuation Hospital were no exception you may be assured. Our emotions were mixed - we all wanted to go, and yet none of our particular friends were in the group receiving orders; therefore, it was with some timidity that we first started out from our various stations.
The Chief Nurse met us in Washington, D.C. and many difficulties arose after this meeting, as she was given an early start at trying to solve various problems fro us as well as for the unit. Thirteen of us were from Ft, Meade, Maryland and were to join some others at Camp Forrest, Tennessee. Sleepers on the train were to have been provided for enroute, bu as usual, when the train arrived we found that only a limited number were available and it was necessary for us to not only double but triple up; thus began our living in crowded quarters and becoming accustomed to making the most of what was available for us.
At Camp Forrest, six more nurses joined us and it was there that we made our first trip to the Quartermaster to be issued our field clothes. What beauties! Those long johns, GI shoes, fatigues, and all the other things that dressed us up and made us look like field soldiers. It wa shard to believe that we, as girls, were to really wear those things, but we soon found out that they were very essential.
As we neared our area, all that we saw was tents ans tents. Could it be possible that we were to live and make our future homes in things like these? Oh, yes we were! Our first Mess wa slong to be remembered. Perhaps the Mess personnel were trying to impress us with the nice "lunch" prepared for us on tables out in the field witht the china plates and even napkins. (as we look back we wonder just what napkins are as it has been so long since we have seen any). Anyhow we thought taht all this was not going to be too bad but we were due for a let down as ate out of our mess kits for supper.
More equipment was issued to us - bed rolls, shelter halves, poles and pins and all the other things necessary. at the time it all seemed very foolish, but it was not long before we a opportunity to appreciate the real value of the many items that the government had loaned us for our sojourn in the Army.
The first few nights were memorable ones. It was cold and we were not used to our new life. We wondered if it could be any colder at the North Pole. Every nurse felt like giving this whole thing up and going back home, but we soon found out that in the Army you just do not give up that easily.
Dressing for duty that first morning was really something and our civilian friends would have been amused at seeing us trying to get dressed in those awful clothes. However, it was not long before we became adept at getting ourselves to look like a real G.I. soldier - except for our hair and ruby lips.