WW 1 Cootie Mill

COOTIE MILL

WW 1 EMBARKATION CAMP GENICART

MARCH 4 1919

After marching several miles to this large building in the middle of nowhere, troops enter,

single file, through a door into “room 1 “. It is the room that past records are given to us,

in order to be buried again, then., we are told what is going to happen in the future, so we can

worry some more.

Now to “room 2” where we are looked over to see our clothing is too good for us, and

taken away. We are given a Red Cross bag, for personal items, and, a 'order ticket' for

clothing, not as good. On to 'room 3”.

Room 3, with our ditty bag of personal items in hand, one each is assigned a 'stall”. In this

stall , we remove all of our clothes, yes, we are naked, place them on racks which are sent

into a large 'oven' to cremate 'cooties' thereupon. Our cooties are now off to cootie heaven.

With our Red Cross diddy bag, we are now let into “room 4”.

“Room 4” is a shower for us to drown the left over cooties.

“Room 5” is the room full of medical officers and personnel who preform the 'third degree'

medical exam to see that everyone is 'fit' to return home.

“Room 6” is the room we get the clothing order filled. This room is aka “Casey Misfit Shop”.

No, I do not know who Casey was.

“Room 7 is the room, again with stalls, in which we wait for the clothing from “room 3” and

the oven, to be returned. About the time one has given up all hopes of ever seeing his clothes

again, they arrive. Now, properly dressed and everything gathered in the Red Cross ditty

bag, off to “room 8” .

“Room 8” is the 'clipping squad room” , men from all walks of life, acting as barbers, cutting

every last strand of hair you have, then, and only then, are you a member of Camp Genicart,

to await the trip home, usually three to four weeks..

Abstract by Harrison H April 26, 2018 from letter from France to sister from brother

Taylor, Pfc., Wm Taylor Howeth, Co. F., 11^th Engineers, AEF. For face book page World

War 1.