7. Since it was the army, waiting was a way of life
Once an American veteran of the European theater possessed the magical 85 points, he was reassigned to a unit deployed for the most part at one of the cigarette camps. Other than the assault forces which landed on the beaches during seaborne invasions, or dropped from the skies, it was likely his second visit to a cigarette camp, and he was somewhat familiar with their operation, though no doubt in a far different mood than on his first visit. Troops at the cigarette camps had little to do other than daily formations and the chores which all armies of the world figured out to keep idle troops occupied. The length of their stay was determined by the arrival of the ship assigned to take them home to the United States.
At the camps, the troops were issued new uniforms to replace those they had worn while deployed. Materials they wished to take home as souvenirs were examined and either approved or confiscated. At least one, Camp Lucky Strike, warned the troops that only one souvenir pistol was permitted per soldier, and that those caught violating the rule would be sentenced to six months at hard labor at a military facility in Europe. Gambling was officially prohibited in the camps but widely practiced with cards, dice, and other games. The troops could be issued 24 passes allowing them to visit towns such as Le Havre or Rouen, where French wines and brandy could be consumed and the company of French women enjoyed while the men waited for the ships to take them home.
