h rations, issued for the trip, and of
course the jam disappeared first, as it usually does under like
circumstances.

Next morning a strangely peaceful country and welcome sunshine greeted
their vision. Hot coffee was served by a Red Cross canteen for
breakfast. Lyon was reached by noon and a short stop was made there.

The train arrived at Grenoble at 3:30 P. M. on a beautiful Sunday
afternoon. One captain, four or five M. P.'s and the entire population
of Grenoble was at the station to welcome the train. The reception royal
was explained by the captain, who said "Grenoble has just been opened as
a leave area, and this is the first lot of Americans to arrive." When
the men were lined up outside of the station to be marched to the A. P.
M. office, they started out in a column of fours, but it wasn't long
until they were lucky to get through the crowd at all. All the people
wanted to see the Americans and shake hands with them, and not a few
wanted to kiss them. It was surprising to hear so many of the people
speak good English. They explained this, saying that Grenoble was a
popular European and American pleasure resort before the war. Arriving
at the office of the A. P. M., passes were stamped and tickets issued
for rooms and meals. The men were divided among several nearby towns and
pleasure resorts. The last four hundred, including those of the Sanitary
Train, were left in Grenoble proper.

Grenoble is built especially for tourists' trade, and the hotels are all
large and well furnished. They seemed like palaces to the men just from
the barren wastes of northern France. Real beds with white sheets and
soft mattresses, lace curtains at the windows, polished floors, neat
little wash stands, clothing cabinets and fire places greeted the men in
the rooms they were shown to. Single or double rooms were furnished as
desired. Meals were served in the dining room of the hotel, and the men
were informed that all they had to do for seven days and nights was to
enjoy themselves--no reveille, retreat or drill calls to mar their
pleasure. Breakfast from 7:30 to 9:00 A. M., dinner at 1:00 P. M. and
supper at 6:30 P. M. were served at long tables, family style, and they
were real meals. Best of all there were no mess kits to bother with
after eating.

Needless to say, it did not take the men long to get used to living like
white men again, and before long they were all stepping out to see the
town. The barber shops, restaurant