In 1918 the U.S. Army Service of Supply instituted a salvaging unit near the French city of Tours which employed hundreds of French women and a number of idle "Sammies" in order to eradicate Army waste. It was there that the millions of discarded uniform elements were re-fashioned into other useful items:
"At Tours they evolved a hospital slipper with a sole made from a torn and discarded campaign hat and an upper of O.D cloth cut from anywhere. It was such a good slipper, and easy to make that St. Pierre-des-Corps soon reached quantity production on it."
Oddly, the other U.S. magazine that concerned itself with matters mechanical, "Scientific American", also explored the question of World War One uniform and equipment costs during the same same month -however they took the question a bit more seriously and hired an artist to address the concern. The cost illustration dealing with uniforms and equipment was printed on their December, 1917 cover which we offer herein.
FYI: Doughboy service jacket cost the U.S. taxpayer $15.20-while the Doughboy overcoat cost $14.92...
