The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-12-16
REPORT OF
CASUALTIES
IN THEA.E.F.
Gen. Pershing Says More
Than $4,000 Have Made
the Supreme Sacrifice
WILL CARE FOR
THE $4,000 WOUNDED
Base Hospitals Being Made
Ready for Those Injured
in the Service

New York, Dec. 14-November's
swing of the pendulum of history
from war to peace, which reversed
the eastward flow of Americas light
ing millions-the greatest trans
oceanic troop movement ever known
brought the American people face
to face with the tragedy Of the cas-
ualty lists.
General Pershing's announcement
that more than $4,000 of the EXpedl-
tionary Forces had given their lives
in the nations cause and that 14,OOO
others, exclusive of prisoners, were
missing, created a profound impress
sion. but the human touch of almost
10000 wounded, 10000 of whom al
ready have been returned in various
stages of helplessness to their native
shores, promises to give the country
it's first real appreciation of the sac
lificcs of it's sons who followed the
flag on foreign soil.
The method of their debarkatlon
denies to the homecoming wounded
the popular honors paid their COM
rades in full health But the War
Department, operating along lines in
tended to give the lie to the proverblal
"ingratitude of Government" has ar
ranged for medical, recreational and
educational attention whose aim is to
restore these manned heroes, as fully
as possible, to physical comfort and
financial independence.
From the day of their arrival g
New Y ork or Newport News, the
ports of debarkation, to their re-
entrance into civilian life, host of
Good Samaritans-arlny doctors,
nurses and orderlies and workers of
the American Red Cross--will minis
ter to these sufferers from a ruthless
enorny,s engines of war. Harboa.
hospital boats, debarkation hospitals.
hospital trains and general hospitals
for reconstruction or convaleseence
form chain of service linking the
westward bound fleets of transports
whit the homes of the wounded. And
in this Service the medical debarka-
ton corps, suddenly thrust into the
foreground of publicity by the col
lapse of the Central Powers, plays an
important and picturesque part.
The end of the war found the port
medical authorities prepared to
shoulder the heavy burden laid upon
them. During nineteen months OF
American participation in the conflict
they had maintained an embarkation
hospital service, treating the compar-
atively rare cases of illness among
troops ready to go overseas. When
American forces entered the trenches
small groups of wounded, evacuated
from hospitals in France, began to
filter through the service on this side
of the Atlantic. With this expert
ence accentuated by the lessons OF
the Allied Governments in repatriat-
ing their wounded, the debarkatior
system was put in readiness for the
reception of injured men at the rate
of 10000 to $4,000 a month.
During the war and a five weeks
period following the signing of the
ar1nistice, Approximately 11,50t
wounded had been received at New
York and $500 at Newport News
And the authorities were prepared
on official advices from Washington
to handle $4,000 cases in the mex
four months.
The army embarkation service a
New York, which sent three-fourthl
of the nations 100000 men over
80 IAh vi ~
of the returning forces, and the west
ward flow of wounded also will b
directed here, with some diversion t
Newport News and possibly, later on
to Boston. To carry on the work a
this port the Medical Department
has a personnel of 7,306-greate
than the entire Army Medical Corp
when the United States entered tn
war. On this staff, headed by Colo
mel j. NJ. Kennedy, veteran of 2
years service as an army surgeon
$50 are medical officers, 983 nurses
men and women, 5,184 enlisted me-
and 189 civilian employees.
The operating facilities includ
eight debalkation hospitals with a.
aggregate of capacity of 10000 beds
two base hospitals with 4,250 beds,
reconstruction hospital at Columbi
University for cases too serious to b
moved to interior institutions, fiv
harbor hospital boats with 800 bed
each, rs ambulances, with so add
tional held in reserve by the Re
Cross, and four hospital trains eacl
accommodating upwards of 200 pa
tients.
The base hospitals are at Camp
Merritt and Mills, former enbarka
tion.- now debarkation cantonment
for the overseas army. The debarka
tion hospitals are strategically 10
Gated on or near the harbor front