The Snapshots in Time Collection
U.S. Army Soldier in Gas Mask During Chemical Defense Training, World War II
A soldier dons a standard-issue gas mask during chemical warfare defense training, a routine but essential part of U.S. Army basic training throughout World War II. Though chemical weapons saw little use in the Pacific and European theaters, the Army maintained rigorous gas-mask drills to ensure preparedness, and photographs like this one were common keepsakes among trainees. Project: 218630