76
77

1940–1949
78

u Building 1 at night in 1946. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection

World War II was by far the most 

extraordinary event of this 

decade, as well as the century 

for the United States and the world. The 

cataclysm that was the Second World 

War is hard to grasp. How do you come 

to grips with an estimated 50–60 million deaths worldwide during those 

war-riddled years? As in World War I, 

the United States was not involved in 

all the years of the war, entering after 

Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and 

continuing through the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945. United 

States involvement in World War I (4.7 

million mobilized, with 116,000 deaths 

and 204,000 wounded) paled in comparison to World War II (16 million mobilized, with 400,000 deaths and 670,000 

wounded). The worldwide loss of human life and property simply has no 

comparison in human history. 

At Walter Reed, even the significant 

building expansion that took place 

along with and after World War I could 

not accommodate the patients generated by the Second World War. The 

busiest year for admissions in World 

War I was 1918, with 13,752 admissions of which about 1,800 were related 

to the influenza epidemic. The 18,046 

admissions in 1943 easily topped that 

total. Walter Reed needed additional 

facilities; thus, in September 1942, the 

Army purchased the old National Park 

Seminary at Forest Glen. The 185-acre 

property was initially called the New 

Section, then the Convalescent Section, 

and finally simply Forest Glen. As the 

second name implies, it was primarily 

used for convalescence. In addition, the 

Army temporarily took possession of 

a former Civilian Conservation Corps 

Camp at Beltsville, MD, about 7 miles 

from the main campus and 4 miles from 

Forest Glen. Camp Ord, as it became 

known, was an independent and selfsufficient station where soldiers wore 

fatigues rather than Class A or convalescent clothing. Rehabilitative work 

was mostly agricultural. Camp Ord was 

operated until March 7, 1945.

In May 1941, at age 81, General of the 

Armies, John J. Pershing, former Commanding General of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War 

I and former Army Chief of Staff, left 

the Carlton Hotel in Washington, DC, 

where he lived and moved into Walter 

Reed General Hospital. A special suite 

was built for him on the third floor of 

what had been called Ward B of Building 1. While the suite was being finished, 

he stayed on Ward 4, the male officer’s 

medical ward. Shocked by the Japanese 

attack on Pearl Harbor, he wrote President Roosevelt and offered to do whatever he could. However, he knew that 

this war was not his war, but belonged 

to the men who had earlier worked for 

him and to the sons of the Doughboys 

of World War I. Before sailing for the 

Title page - This photo looks northwest roughly the same direction as the photo 

that opened the previous chapter. The Army Medical School building (Building 

40) has been completed and the flagpole moved from in front of Building 1 to the 

east front of Building 40. The garden area bordered by the flagpole to the west, 

Red Cross Hall to the north, and Building 1 to the east is now fully landscaped 

and developed. The Hoff Memorial Fountain now occupies the traffic circle in 

front of Building 1. 

Source: WRAMC History Office, PAO Historical Collection, AP-4

78

invasion of North Africa, George Patton 

came to pay his respects and get a stirring farewell. Before leaving, Patton got 

down on his knees and asked Pershing 

for his blessing. Pershing squeezed his 

hand and said: “Good-bye, George. God 

bless and keep you and give you victory.” Patton rose and saluted his old commander, who likewise rose and smartly 

returned the salute. 

On Sunday April 22, 1945, the newly 

sworn-in President of the United States, 

Harry S. Truman, came to Walter Reed 

to pay his respects to General Pershing, 

his World War I commander. President 

Truman had taken the oath of office just 

ten days before following the unexpect-
79

ed death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. 

Prior to visiting General Pershing, President Truman wanted to attend church 

and did so at Walter Reed’s Memorial 

Chapel.

General Pershing lived in the “penthouse” until his death on July 15, 1948 

at age 88. The penthouse became known 

as the Pershing Suite; subsequently, other famous officers were hospitalized in 

the Pershing Suite, including General 

Peyton C. March, Chief of Staff of the 

Army during World War I. He was hospitalized at Walter Reed General Hospital circa 1954 and died there on April 

3, 1955. At times, the suite was used as 

overflow for the labor and delivery ser79

vice. President Eisenhower was a patient 

in the Pershing Suite for approximately 

one month during his eleven-month stay 

at Walter Reed between May 1968 and 

March 1969. He used the Pershing Suite 

while the Presidential Suite on Ward 8 

was being redecorated. The area was 

closed after clinical care moved to the 

new hospital facility in 1978; but, when 

space got tight, it was used off and on for 

administrative space. In the late 1980s, 

it was used by The Surgeon General’s 

Consultant for Academic Medicine as 

office and conference space. From the 

late 1990s until today, it has been used 

by the Walter Reed Society. 

Following the end of World War II, 

many physicians were interested in 

specialty medical and surgical training. 

Across the Army Medical Department, 

physician residency training began in 

earnest and Walter Reed was no exception. In the past 60 years, Graduate 

Medical Education (internships, residencies, and fellowships) has become 

an integral part, if not the engine, that 

has driven expansion and excellence of 

clinical services at Walter Reed. While 

these individual specialty and subspecialty programs have numbered in the 

50s to 60s, trained thousands of physicians, and contributed immeasurably to 

the stature of Walter Reed, it is simply 

not possible to even begin to address 

them in this volume. 
80

u The Memorial Chapel saw heavy 

use not only for memorial services, but 

also for many weddings. This photograph is from May 1948. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection

q The entrance used by the Army 

Medical Department Research and 

Graduate School is also the headquarters of the Army Medical Center. On 

the right is the solarium wing of the 

Red Cross Building. May 1948. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, SC 320757
81

p Gas station on Walter Reed General Hospital grounds in 1942.

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection

t 16th Street Entrance to Walter 

Reed on May 19, 1949. Delano Hall is 

seen in the background. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection
82

p The Officer’s Club at the Army Medical Center, Walter Reed General Hospital, Washington, D.C., May 29, 1949.

Source: Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Directorate of Public Works Archives

p East elevation of Building 40, formerly the Army Medical School.

Source: Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Directorate of Public Works Archives
83

p The formal garden of Walter Reed 

Hospital, September 8, 1941. 

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection

t Woman on garden path, April 21, 

1948.

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection
84

u The Aural Rehabilitation Center. 

Forest Glen, MD. 1946. 

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, SC 321815

u The Army Prosthetics Research 

Laboratory at Army Medical Center, 

Forest Glen, MD. May 19, 1949.

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, SC 321908

t Post Theater at Forest Glen, MD. 

1946. 

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, SC 321816
85

p Castle at Forest Glen, January 18, 1945. 

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, SC 591022

p Administration Building of the Forest Glen Annex. May 

19, 1949. 

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, SC 321906

The Army purchased a 188-acre site 

from National Park College, a private 

school for young women that had occupied the site since 1894. For its 1943 

opening, it transformed the 70 college 

buildings of varied architecture into 

the nucleus of a convalescent branch 

for Walter Reed Army Hospital’s ambulatory patients, thus freeing much 

needed bed space at the main Washington campus for patients needing 

constant medical attention. 

p Ward Room in the Forest Glen Section, Walter Reed General Hospital. Most 

of the original furnishings of the National Park College were retained after it was 

taken over as an annex to Walter Reed Hospital. 1944. 

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, SC 321812
86

p A solarium was added to Red Cross Hall in 1948.

Source: Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Directorate of Public Works Archives

Christmas dinner brochure and mug from 1947.

Source: Pierce Collection
87

p Jerry Colonna and Bob Hope 

greeting patients after a show at the 

Red Cross Hall on February 10, 1948.

Source: National Museum of Health and Medi-

cine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection u Jimmy Durante, star of radio and 

television, performed for patients at 

Walter Reed. After, he toured some of 

the wards. Here, he pens an auto-

graph for a fan.

Source: WRAMC History Office, PAO Historical 

Collection, Celebrity 2
88

u A Gray Lady writes a letter for a GI 

patient, 1944. 

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, SC 333302

p Sgt. Ernest H. Robson, Orange, NJ, 

and Pvt. Rocco R. Parrotti, Orange, 

NJ, show each other the Purple Hearts 

they were awarded after being wounded in the engagement in North Africa. 

They were wounded in the same 

action at Safi, Morocco, and brought 

back to the transport and occupied adjoining beds at Walter Reed Hospital, 

Washington, D.C., where they are in 

high spirits and recovering from their 

wounds. (Original caption)

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, SC 165259
89

p United States Army officers and enlisted men, home after service in the North African campaign, were brought to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., after arriving at an East Coast port. They were cheerful despite wounds suffered 

during the successful military operations. The accompanying picture was taken as the wounded were being removed from 

the special hospital train for transport to the hospital. An Army nurse prepares a wounded soldier for transfer from the train 

to the hospital. (Adapted from original caption)

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, SC 139698
90

u Rehabilitation continues to be 

a critical part of patient care at the 

Hospital. Here, patients are taught the 

visual methods of piano on August 20, 

1945.

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, SC 335161

t An arm amputee veteran winding 

rug yarn on a reel in the Occupational 

Therapy Shop at Walter Reed Hospital, 1946. 

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, SC 335144
91

p An instructor teaching typing to a patient in the supine 

position, 1946. 

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, SC 335158

p After nearly three years of research and experimentation the Army’s prosthetics research laboratory, Forest Glen, Maryland has developed a cosmetic hand 

that is Life-Like in appearance and may be adapted to many tasks normally 

allotted its human counterpart. The primary improvements of the hand over 

the hook are its appearance and facility of articulation. In addition to veterans, 

civilian amputees have volunteered for the experiments which have led to the 

development of the cosmetic prosthesis in its present stage. Mr. Jerry Leavy, 

Los Angeles, California a civilian amputee who has volunteered for the Army’s 

prosthetic research program demonstrates the use of the cosmetic hand. The 

hook offers a marked contrast to the neat life-like hand. May 7, 1948. (Original 

caption) 

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, SC 299862

p Ms. Lois Senft, a speech correctionist, plays a recording 

of a patient’s voice on voice recording and playback equipment. May 5, 1949. 

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, SC 335757
92

p Hot biscuits from the oven. 

Source: Walter Reed Army Medical Center History Office, PAO Historical Collection

p 2nd Lt. Lorraine Shandolmier, a dietician, checks the contents of a tray cart.

Source: Walter Reed Army Medical Center History Office, PAO Historical Collection
93

p Bedside Service. SP4 J. F. Bailey on Ward 39, helps PFC Ronald L. McGuire of Fairborn, Ohio with his food brought to 

the ward via the Centralized Tray Service Cart, one of the 30 such carriers recently purchased by the Food Service Division. (Adapted from original caption)

Source: Walter Reed Army Medical Center History Office, PAO Historical Collection
94

p Major Milton Friedman of the Roentgenology Department gives a high-voltage X-ray treatment to a soldier-patient at Walter Reed General Hospital. 1944. 

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, SC 321749

p (Left and Right) Demonstrations of a portable X-ray apparatus as used in the field, Army Medical School, 1941. 

Source: Walter Reed Army Medical Center History Office, PAO Historical Collection
95

p Men at work in the clinical Laboratory Pathology Preparatory Room, 

October 4, 1940. 

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, SC 590849

p Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin, visits Capt. Monroe Romansky (right) in the Penicillin Laboratory. Capt. 

Romansky developed a beeswax and peanut oil carrier, called Romansky’s Formula, that extended Sir Fleming’s penicillin 

shot from every 3 hours to single daily injections. 1945.

Source: Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Directorate of Public Works Archives
96

p Where Heroes Meet. General Dwight D. Eisenhower visits PFC Ray E. Stevenson of Fayetteville, TN, on Ward 36 of 

the Hospital. 1945.

Source: National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection
97

p President Harry S. Truman officially 

opened the country fair for benefit of 

the Nurses’ National Memorial at Wal-

ter Reed General Hospital on Septem-

ber 11, 1946. Truman attended his first 

church service after becoming Presi-

dent at Memorial Chapel at Walter 

Reed. He had come to Walter Reed to 

visit General Pershing, his commander 

during World War I who resided in the 

Pershing Suite. 

Source: National Archives and Records Adminis-

tration, SC 321773 u President Truman greeting soldierpatients at a White House reception.

Source: National Museum of Health and Medi-

cine, AFIP, WRAMC History Collection
98

The back of this postcard reads: The Headquarters Army Medical Center and Army Medical Department Professional Service Schools Building is located at Alaska Avenue and 16th Street, Washington D.C.

Source: Pierce Collection

The back of this postcard reads: The American Red Cross maintains a Social Service and Recreational Center 

for patients in Walter Reed General Hospital.

Source: Pierce Collection
99

Source: Pierce Collection

Source: Pierce Collection
100

A new father surveys his twins. Stork Club visiting hours as posted. 

Source: Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Directorate of Public Works Archives
101