It speaks very highly for the medical and sanitary science of the army as well as for the physical stamina of a race, when less than 200 died out of a total of 4,000 wounded and gassed. The bulk of the battle casualties were in the 93rd Division.
The figures as given do not seem very large, yet it is a fact that the battle casualties of the American Negro forces engaged in the late war were not very far short of the entire battle casualties of the Spanish-American war. In that conflict the United States lost less than 1,000 men in battle.
While battle havoc and ravages from disease were terrible enough, and brought sadness to many firesides, and while thousands of survivors are doomed to go through life maimed, suffering or weakened, there is a brighter side to the picture. Evidences are plentiful that "housekeeping in khaki" was not unsuccessful.
According to a statement issued by the War Department early in 1919, the entire overseas army was coming back 18,000 tons heavier and huskier than when it went abroad. Many of the returning soldiers found that they literally burst through the clothing which they had left at home. Compared with the records taken at time of enlistment or induction into the draft forces, it is shown that the average increase in weight was twelve pounds to a man.
Improvement of course was due to the healthful physical development aided by the seemingly ceaseless flow of wholesome food directed into the training camps and to France. Secretary Baker was very proud of the result and stated that the late war had been the healthiest in history. The test he applied was in the number of deaths from disease. The best previous record, 25 per 1,000 per year was attained by the Germans in the Franco-Prussian war. Our record in the late war was only eight per 1,000 per year. The Medical Corps did heroic service in keeping germs away, but cooks, clothing designers and other agencies contributed largely in the making of bodies too healthy to permit germ lodgments.
The hell of war brought countless soldiers to the realization that no matter how much they believed they had loved their mothers, they had never fully appreciated how much she meant to them.
"I know, mother," cried one youth broken on the field, whose mother found him in a hospital, "that I began to see over there how thoughtless, indeed, almost brutal, I had always been. Somehow, in spite of my loving you, I just couldn't talk to you. Why, when I think how I used to close up like a clam every time you asked me anything about myself——" He broke off and with fervent humility kissed the hand in his own. "Please forget it all, mother," he whispered. "It's never going to be that way again. I found out over there—I knew what it was not to have anyone to tell things to—and now, why you've got to listen to me all the rest of your life, mother."
Angelo Patri, the new York schoolmaster who has been so successful in instilling ideals into the child mind has addressed himself to the children of today, they who will be the parents of tomorrow. His words are:
"Man has labored through the ages that you might be born free. Man has fought that you might live in peace. He has studied that you might have learning. He has left you the heritage of the ages that you might carry on.
"Ahead are the children of the next generation. It's on, on, you must be going. You, too, are torch-bearers of liberty. You, too, must take your place in the search for freedom, the quest for the Holy Grail. 'Twas for this you, the children of America were born, were educated. Fulfill your destiny."
Morale and propaganda received more attention in the late war than they ever did in any previous conflict. Before the end of the struggle the subject of morale was taken up and set apart as one of the highly specialized branches of the service. The specialists were designated as morale officers. They had many problems to meet and much smoothing over to do. In the army, an Americanism very soon attached to them and they became known as "fixers."