Evening star., 1940-01-21
Cadets Learn
War Roles
Church Which Sees
No Defense Duty
Will Aid Army
By Robert A. Er,cin.

DJ HOOGTL II. EfSOtn.
A church whose members will not
bear arms In time Of war is now
laying the foundation for q medical
and first aid reserve that some day
may be a part of the United States
Army.
Medical training has been intro.
duced in all churches Of the Ohio
Conference Of the Seventh Day Ad-
ventist Church, embracing the Dis
trict, Maryland, Virginia, West Vr-
ginia and Pennsylvania, as well as
Ohio.
AS non-combatancy is one Of the
creeds Of the Adventists, so is a
church health program, including
caring for and ministering to sick
and injured. And it is this latter
tenet that is the basis for the med
ical training now being given to the
Cadet Corps Of Washington Mis-
sionary College, Adventist institu.
ton at Takoma Park, Md.
According to figures furnished
by the War Department, the United
States Army has only 1,549 medical
men IN its enlisted Reserve. This
does not refer to doctors, who in the
Reserve or the Regular Army are
commissioned officers. It refers to
enlisted personnel trained In first
aid, litter bearing, ambulance driv-
ing. hygiene and camp sanitation,
defense against chemical warfare
and related subjects.
Thus, it is a church Of "conscien-
tious objectors" classification
into which the Adventists fell dur
ing the World War-that will re.
plenish this reserve of enlisted med
ical men should the United States
have to 60 to war again.
Cadet Corps Drills.
Members of the Missionary Col
lege Cadet Corps are soldiers with,
out guns. They drill for an hou,
every Tuesday and Thursday after.
noon, and on Friday morning the
spend an hour in hygiene and frs;
aid class. Their teacher is Dr.
Willard P. McNeill, Silver Sprine
(Md) physician, lieutenant in the
Medical Corps Reserve and grad.
uate of the Adventist College al
Iona Linda, Calf.
what is being done in the way OF
qualifying the students at this in
stitution to give the best service
possible as patriotic duty, with
out taking the lives of their fellow
men, also is being done In other
UNCONVENTIONAL schools throughout
the Nation, in harmony with actions
recently taken by leaders Of the
faith DR.. McNeill said. 'They
have decided that such training
should be given not only to stu.
dents in the schools but to thou
sands Of youths connected with
churches who do not have school
privileges"
In regular infantry and litter
drills the Missionary College Ca
diets are trained by a special in
structor, Sergt. John N. Kailor OF
the l04th Quartermaster Regiment
District National Guard.
Churches of the Columbia Con-
ference of the Adventist Church
are organizing their medical units
on the regimental plan, according
to DR.. McNeill. The size of a
church determines whether it has a
platoon, company or battalion of
medical cadets, whose ranks are
filled from volunteers among the
young men of the church. In some
cases two or more churches are
combining to form a medical train
ing unit.
THE first committee meeting to
advance this program was held re-
Gently" DR.. McNeill said, "and It
was decided to teach first aid, the
Red Cross advanced course, hygiene
and camp sanitation and a few of
the basic military subjects"
Plan Summer Camp.
Arrangements are being made for
a summer camp for the medical
cadets. It will be of two weeks
duration and similar to a National
Guard summer camp, except that
combatant military training will be
conspicuous by its absence. 1T will
be the church's camp" stated DR..
McNeill. I'VE have selected a site
near Reading. Pa, formerly occu-
pied by a Civilian Conservation
Corps unit"
Not only are the Adventists nom
combatants but Saturday Is their
Sabbath, and they are opposed to
working on that day. 'They lind In
medical work the only duty they
conscientiously can perform seven
days a week." DR.. Mcneil pointed
out. "The sick always have to be
taken care of, and therefore Satur-
day medical work is permissible"
The q young men taking medical
/ kysa iSniyory nt ri,