Reaction Essay to World War I packets

While many people and governments in the U.S. and other countries debated and negotiated, the soldiers of World War I were living in a nightmare. From living in horrible trenches, to being exposed to gas that made your death excruciatingly slow and painful, to the psychological damage of "shell shock", the World War I soldier exhibited great bravery and risked their lives and well being for their countries.
During World War I, most soldiers had to live and fight in trenches which were dug into the ground and lined with sandbags. While in the trenches, they had to endure loud bangs, bright flashes, extreme cold, a terrible stench, and pain. When it rained, the men would have to stand up to their wastes or armpits in mud, sometimes for several days! Some even drowned in the muddy water. Having to stand for days in the wet trenches also caused "trench foot." Trench foot caused the foot to go numb, turn red or blue, and sometimes gangrene would set in. Many soldiers had to have toes or whole feet amputated because of trench foot. Rats, lice, nits, and other disease-carrying pests were in abundance. Soldiers also had to worry about chlorine, mustard, and other gases used by the enemy. Chlorine gas slowly strangled them, and mustard gas rotted the body. Soldiers often were driven insane by the "shell shock" caused by these abominable conditions and constant danger and stress.
The soldiers of World War I had to not only worry about being shot or bombed by the enemy, but also the danger of disease and insanity. The terrible living conditions took their toll and caused many of the deaths of the war. Those that made it out alive were usually never the same afterwards. Life in the trenches was for the soldiers of World War I a living hell.