What was life like for a US soldier in World War 2 off the battlefield?

Answer 1

There are two life conditions, mental, and physical. For the allied soldiers, they mostly had to live as a "bum" or "carter lavorante" , lying on the ground to sleep, sleeping with only a blanket in a foxhole, or even in a wet bed that survived the V2 rockets in France. The assault jackets,hot in the summer, cold in the winters, were issued to the 5th ranger battalion, and the 29th Infantry division. They also took very long to dry, thus, they always got wet as soon as they dried. It was also very heavy, with the straps hard to loosen, thus, many soldiers sank and drowned on Ohama beach. The soldiers ate a high sugar and carbohydrate diet, called K rations, later replaced by C rations in 1948, and then (correct me if I'm wrong) to the present day MREs. Many actions, be it boiling water, shaving, shoveling or even killing an enemy could and was done with the hard, two pound M1 helmet worn. A mistaken rumors that the chinstraps would strangle the soldier made then not wear it, often forcing the soldier to put one hand on their head to prevent it from falling off while running. The leader Jancy Baez was shot in the head and died.
"Those who live by the sword die by the sword" Weapons were plenty but ammo was scarce. A GI could burn through his clip in a few seconds, thus, clips were always in a GI's pocket. Support Gunners also had to carry a heavy 15 Lb Browning Assault Weapon.
However, due to the Geneva convention, medics were not allowed to carry weapons, making them civilians, but their soldier uniform made them moving targets in the dark.
Leggings were used to keep particles from getting in to the soldier's shoe or prevents pant snagging. This had to be tied live a shoe but had many holes. Often soldiers had to tie them in a hurry, cursing the laces in battle.

Soldiers also worried constantly about their families at home, adding more pressure to their lives