24/11/2001 - 1:20 p.m.

Together we can save a life???

In World War I, my great grandfather was in a military hospital for some reason or another (I don't remember what). The Red Cross showed up to "give cheer to the troops". They handed out two cartons (not two packs, two cartons)of cigarettes (because the health hazards weren't known then) to each soldier. Then, they had the cameraman come around and take pictures of the Red Cross people standing with these smiling, wounded, sick soldiers holding the cigarettes. The cameraman left, and the Red Cross people came back around to every bed, took back the two cartons and gave each guy two cigarettes.

In World War II, my grandfather was in the Navy, and his ship sank outside of Ponza (LST 346, I believe). Anyway, they were rescued but none of their supplies was maintained. My grandfather had absolutely nothing more than the things he was wearing, which wasn't much because he had the sense to realise that it's much easier to drown when you're wearing a full suit of wool. It is the job of the Red Cross to take care of these soldiers. Two weeks later, my grandfather wrote home in desperation for them to please send him some extra clothes and blankets, because Italy is not really a tropical climate. It is illegal for military troops not to wear their uniforms in wars in other countries. If he (or any of the other men) had been caught, he could've been tried as a spy, and convicted for not having his uniform. My great grandmother sent an extremely sharp letter to the Red Cross informing them of this, and maybe it was not because of the letter, but the Red Cross got their act together in a matter of days after my grandfather received the package from home.