The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1942-11-28
INSIDE THE ARMY
Ace specialists Man Big
FortHuachuca Hospital
By ENOC p. WATERS

as laboratory technicians and as
sistants.
Military Setup
The entire staff is organized on
a strictly military basis because after
all this is part of the gigantic army
being readied TO answer the chal-
lenge OF the Axis powers for world
domination.
The medical staff. for example. is
composed Of one lieutenant colonel,
majors. captains, first lieutenant.
Each member OF the nursing staff
is a second lieute' ant, except the
two chief nurses Nio hold the rank
Of first lieutenant
As complete as the hospital Is, II
does not provide all the medical
service for the post. The all-Negro
Ninety-third Division. consisting OF
thousands OF men which was acti.
waited here in the spring OF this
year, has its necessary complement
Of medical units.
These units, however, are limited
in their services and move with the
division. Cases requiring extensive
treatment. or calling for the use Of
certain equipment not to be found
in the field medical units are re.
ferred TO the hospital.
The hospital here differs from any
other 10 be found in army camps
throughout the nation.
Symbol Of Fight
Station hospital No. l at Fort
Huachuca is a symbol, a symbol Of
a bitter fight waged by members
of the Negro medical profession
throughout the nation for the right
10 exercise their talents and skills
as a part Of the army in Its present
conflict.
The history Of the Negro doctor
in the last war might be summar-
lied In f. words. There Is moth
ing 10 record about the Negro nurse
in the last var. There just weren't
any.
With the memory Of how Negro
medical professionals were barely
recognized in some instances and
completely ignored in others during
World War l, Negroes were on the
alert when war clouds began TO
gather several years ago.
The National Medical association
10 which most Negro doctors be.
long, set up a special defense com
mittee which attacked the problem
The National Association OF Col
ored Graduate Nurses also launched
bitter fight in behalf Of the nurses
and third group a Negro sub
committee Of the Defense Health
and Welfare services which operat-
ed under authority OF the Office oi
Emergency Management also en-
tered the fray.
Open Campaign
The attacks centered on the office
Of the surgeon general OF the United
States army which provides per.
sonnet for the army medical serv.
ices.
Then. DR.. INDIAN o. Bousfield, 10
charge Of the Negro health program
OF the Rosenwsld Fund and widely
known in medical circles for his
administrative ability. was asked BY
the surgeon generals office to select
a staff for tie establishment OF an
all-Negro station hospital.
He toured the country and from
the thousands of Negro medical
men. selected what he considered
to be the cream OF 1he crop and
submitted Their names for approval
He was then invited to head up
the hospital and today is the high
est ranking Negro medical man in
the army. holding the rank Of lieu.
tenant colonel
The hospital then. symbolizes the
successful efforts OF the Negro medi.
cal profession in its fight with
tradition bound War department
officials There are more Negro
doctors here alone than were origin.
ally planned for the whole army
Its demands for equal Dartieipa-