Question 103: Free Response

Its always the gold brick who gets the stripes and not the hardworker.

Also the doctors at the dispensarys think your goldbricking about your ailments and just give you pills & castor oil. That makes a man almost lose confidence in the whole army. Some of those doctors dont seem to know their job.

There could be changes of course but all in all, it is still the army, and no body likes the army and why should I say any more conserning it. We all feel the same. We would like it much more if certain defense jobs were run in the same manner. Why should the coal fields strike for higher wages when we draw $100 a month and if we strike we get shot. Why not shoot some of them and then they will go back to work or is the President afraid to do anything about it for fear of loosing a fourth term. Why not treat all alike or does politics still run the army?

This final thought, to me, is rather foolish - All I can say is that I tried to be a good soldier, but my morale was broken by one, rotten person & his apple polishers - I revolted against an unfair practice & attempted to leave these disturbing surroundings by applying for combat duty - for which I lost my stripes & my pride - On top of this, I expect that I will leave the army without honor - which I think is the foulest thing that can be done to a man who has tried his best to be a good soldier - My heart is broken & never again will anything or anybody mean something to me - I am in complete possession of my mind & know exactly what I say -

So to be frank, I never expected that in the U.S. we could find so many people holding key positions, who are so incompetent & who are solely concerned with their own greed. I don't know who will read this - but whoever you are, try to help others like me so that they don't fall innocent victims of "rats" who should be exterminated along with the nazis & japs - 21 & a complete failure

I know in the condition that I am in that I can do more for winning this war by being a civilian than a soldier. Most all of the things I am able to do in the army can be done by a wac. I know of many vital farm jobs & such that I can do that a woman can't. Also I can take over some job that a good physical fit man can take my place & carry on as I have did. I have been through combat and know that one has to be in good shape to carry on. I wouldn't have the confidence in myself as I did the 1st time therefor not fit for it.

This place could sure stand a system to work under instead of every body going their own way especially the cadre they seem to think they are so much better than the others I guess that is why they gold brick so much.

That is all I have no more, I have an apple & you can have the core.

The only thing is that when a man has been over seas for two or three years and comes home he tryes to get leave they won't give it to him. Why don't all of the men in the states that have never been over get all of the leaves and us fellows don't get any at all. When I cam into the army I was told I would get 30 days a year leave. Why don't we get it the rest of the men get them so can't we. Why do we have to be confined to camp when the army puts out a movie if the men don't want to see it on there an why should they be confined and made to see them.

I have spent six (6) months in army hospitals since last April. Is that helping win the war?

I have been in the army over 14 mo. & have not done one thing except spend the taxpayers money. I have learned exactly nothing that would benefit me or anyone else. I know, as a civilian in that length of time I would have done a hell of a lot more toward winning the war. I also have lost interest in anything "Army". I don't feel that I will ever make anything in the army - now or ever. Thank You

Set the Army on a business basis. Don't put as many men on time killing insignificant jobs. Quit wasting man power. Try to act like we are all in this as a team and work as men not as owner and slave. After all we are Americans not Europeans or Germans. The men pardon me Enlisted men are just as much apt to be gentlemen as the officers, can't they be treated as such. If you don't think they are see who respects the nurses & other ladies the most, especially on buses and trains.

I am a soldier wounded over seas by enemy action. I am going to be a cripple the rest of my life. I won't be able to do the work that I have done before I came into the army. I have wasted a few months in this hospital wheras I could have spent my time educating my self if the army could provid this. Why cant they?

I don't mind the army, but I'd just as soon be out and doing something for the country by working because as long as I keep getting Malaria all the time. In the Army I'll spend most of the time in the hospital.

They should send malaria cases North instead of keeping them in South states. Most officers should realize these men have been through a lot and treat them accordingly.

I have the fullest confidence that we will blunder through the war and eventually win it, but we will surely lose the peace as usual. It is absolutey indispensable that the soldiers be given some basic thing they can be proud to fight for. The four freedoms are altogether too vague. It looks now as if we shall procure nothing out of this war but a lot of debts and deaths. Because we have been lucky enough up until now to win these wars unprepared as we are usually caught, this should be no reason to remain passive. Let us build the mightyest war machine ever assembled, second to none which our one year draft law will furnish manpower to run. "Speak gently but weild a big stick" History shows this.

If an outfit remains in the states for a long length of time, I believe the fellows in the outfit should be granted furloughs at least twice a year. I had to wait sixteen (16) months to get my last furlough. I've been in the army 2 1/2 years & I've only had one (1) three day pass. I believe a man should be granted a three day pass once a month, providing of course that he soldiered all month & if he doesn't soldier his three day pass should be taken away.

This is my biggest gripe: I came in the hospital as a S/Sgt & because I had contracted gonoheera I have lost my stripes & my pay since & for the time I've been in the hospital. If & when I do get out of here & if (I hope not) I ever do get gonoherra again, I won't under any circumstances turn myself into a hospital. If I couldn't cure myself on the outside, I would work with the disease, that's providing I was a non-com. I wish I had more space to write about this.

The army's classification officials are very poor. They don't always put a man where he can be of the most value to army and country. The army's toughing up course, or its basic training is fine, but when we're through we just sit around and get soft again. Very poor programming on the part of officers in charge.

Personal feeling and anamosties should not enter in the promotion of men or the demotion of men. More time, and stress should be put on how to make a man a competent fighting machine rather than bear down on silly and immaterial regulations. Men should have a little more time for themselves.

I think there should be some way a soldier leaving the service could get enough money to see him through until he can get his pension started.

I personally believe that if the army would stop taking pay away and stop busting non coms for contracting venereal deseases, the spread of the desease would be stopped to a greater extent. There are a lot of soldiers that won't turn in a V.D. because they can't afford to loose the pay and don't want to loose their rating that they worked so hard for. Therefore they patronize "quack" doctors and are never completely cured and thus spread the desease being ignorant of the fact that they still have it.

I think the army keep a man to long. I think it is a waist of money and time. Other men over seas could be here in the states that need treatment and some of these laying around that are not fit for army duties could be working and buying war bonds he would be helping the army but when he is laying around in the hospital he is no good to his self the army eather. I have been in the hospital all most 2 months had 4 treatments why not send me home if they can't do nothing for me I would be happyer when a soldier is able to go he is allwright when he get hert just put him in the hospital forget him. Some one need to inspect them often.

give all colord peoples there right which they have earned & stop this enfernal race sergations. No one is better than the other. Wake up America. The people overseas were supprise at the way americans are. They seem to think if USA put him in uniform he is as good at any thing as any one else.

I would rather be out of army as I can't do much walking now and could do better on the outside as a civilian. I worked in a defense factory before and helped out a lot. I can do that work but as far as doing most army work am unfit.

I think the army has a lot of men that should be civilians working in war industry as with my case there isn't much they can do for me but they are holding me anyway. Right now I could be working and helping the war effort. Another thing is they could put guys in army hospitals closer to home.

My only remarks are that the US Army has been stump on the treament of Gonerrea and wait and experiment on men to long till they are indangering the health of the soldier for the rest of his life. Most hospitals look on a Gonerrea patient as an under dog and practically detest them and it happens in the best of family and rank but I believe this hospital is far better than any I've ever been in.

Station hospitals are real bad

I am station in Arkansas and it is hell down there. I came in the Army to make something out of myself. But what I have been thro I dont care any more. You are jim crow and everything else down there. I think the war should be down there. If possibly I would like to get transfer to some northing State where I can be treated as a Soldier and not as a dog. From a Negro private.