In April 1915 the German army introduced deadly poison gas at the Second Battle of Ypres. Soon all of the warring armies had developed chemical gases, such as chlorine, phosgene, and mustard, and had adopted gas masks to protect their soldiers. The United States issued a gas mask similar to one used by the British called a "small box respirator." In 1917 and 1918 American forces suffered 74,269 casualties, including 1,462 deaths, from toxic gases. This mask belonged to R. Gregg Cherry, who later became governor of North Carolina. Note the horizontal Thirtieth Infantry Division emblem on the carrying case.
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The Iraqi army engaged in chemical warfare during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), when both sides used gases with deadly effect. This tactic, however, was not used during the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. Although gas masks have been improved over the years, this example brought back from Iraq closely resembles those used in World War I.
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