Gene Senerchia Page 2

Gene Senerchia Medical Detachment 22nd Infantry 1941-1945

The photos on this page are believed to have been taken while the 22nd Infantry was deployed to the Louisiana Maneuvers
during the time period of June - August 1941.

This photo had an inscription of August 8, 1941 Demopolis, Alabama
Demopolis is about halfway between Fort Benning and Louisiana
Perhaps this location was some kind of stopover on the way to or from the Maneuvers

August 8, 1941 Demopolis, Alabama

This photo had inscription of "Vicksburg military park overnight"
The line of tents are in front of the statue of Confederate Brigadier General Lloyd Tilghman
at Vicksburg National Military Park - Note the tents are in an area of thick grass

22nd Infantry Regimental Surgeon James M. Kirtley, who accompanied the Medical Detachment on this deployment wrote:

"I was in command of C Company and our first night's bivouac was in the Vicksburg Military Park,
established after the Civil War. We camped in Indiana Circle, where there were monuments to commemorate
the presence of Hoosier units in that siege. My boys were dead tired from the long trip and luxuriated in the
soft grass that grew in abundance within the area. We were not aware of the presence of an enemy, chiggers to us
and red bugs to southerners. They did their work on those poor kids and we had some very sick soldiers as a result.
They could not keep from scratching and many developed infected arms and legs from the trauma caused by the scratching.
Later, I discovered that powdered sulfur, when applied to the legs, arms and armpits and groins would keep most of the
pests away, but the applications must be made before being exposed." ¹

Gene Senerchia

Gene on the left
This photo had inscription of June 14, 1941

Gene

Gene is in the middle row on the far left squatting and facing the camera with Medic armband on his left sleeve
This photo had inscription of
"8/1/41
Bivouac Area
Dry Prongs, Louisiana"

(Dry Prong is a town in north central Louisiana near Alexandria and was the location
of the 4th Infantry Division Headquarters during the Louisiana Maneuvers.)

Gene on the right

Gene is in the right foreground wearing the Medic armband

Gene is standing third from the right

Gene is sitting in the foreground on the far right with his shirt open exposing his white t-shirt
and Medic armband on his left sleeve

Inspection

Soldier standing to the immediate left of the inspecting officer has been identified as
David Andrews who was a squad leader at the time. Identification by his son Bill Andrews.

¹ Kirtley Kronicles The Life and Times of James Marion Kirtley, M.D.
Published by Montgomery County Historical Society, Inc. 1997
Printer: R.R. Donnelley & Sons Crawfordsville, Indiana

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