Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-07
Army Doctor
Is Wars Quiet
Unsune Hero
His Sacrifice Greater
Than Any Soldiers
BY DAMON RUNYON

valuable OF all soldiers In time
of war is. the army doctor. His
role lacks the dramatic flourish
of the combatants yet, without
the doctor, the fighting men
would be out of luck. My re-
marks also apply, of course, to
the navy doctor.
Few realize, perhaps that this
war calls for thousands of doc
tors. They must be. men thor
oughly qualified in their profess
sion which, as you know, takes
years TO learn.
Almost any man can be made
into a soldier or sailor with
little instruction but a doctor is
developed only after long study
and practice.
A ND the irony of military or
"A naval service TO a doctor is
the fact that he becomes useful
for that purpose just about as
he has established himself in
private practice and is COM
mencing to make a living. Our
armed forces require many med
ical men of experience and OF
considerable physical activity
and that group consists usually
of men who are verging upon
the recognition and success IN
their chosen field 10 which their
long preparation entities them.
Naturally there are numerous
young doctors in the service or
ready TO Join whose careers in
private life are merely deferred
by the war and who. from an
economic standpoint, may be
better off on the service salary
than they would be struggling
for a civilian start.
DUT il has been my observa-
ID ton that the average service
doctor makes a greater sacrifice
of opportunity on joining up
than the member of any other
class of professional men.
If the doctor has built up a
good practice in a community
he knows that the minute he is
off 10 war il will be absorbed
by a fellow practitioner who
may be no less patriotic but
who, for one reason or another,
remains behind.
In most cases that practice is
generally lost forever 10 the war
doctor and when he returns he
has 10 start all over again.
I MUST say have never heard
Il a service doctor complain on
this particular point, which is
also true Of the service dental
officers whose work is closely
allied with that of the doctors.
but l have known many of both
professions whose devotion TO
country has been at high cost
10 them in more ways than one.
In war the doctors service is
nearly always extremely haz-
ardous. In sea battle his risk
is exactly that of every other
man aboard his ship with the
difference that he must remain
calmeSt of all.
On land, he often has TO per-
form his delicate work close be-
hind the fighting lines with the
wounded coming into the dress
inc station by the hundreds and
there too the doctor must pre-
serve the poise of the hospital
operating room, must function
with unfaltering hand.
THAVE seen the medicos in the
Il field with the shells falling
around them and confusion cv-
erywhere except in their imme-
date presence and i have mar
yelled at their calm. / call il
bravery Of the highest type. It's
not as difficult to be brave
under the impulse of excite
ment as il is when excitement
is exactly the emotion that must
be restrained. / doff my lid
to the service sawbones.
Nowadays, the demands on the
service doctors are greater than
in any other war in history. We
have jumping doctors. :" who are
on regular duty with the para
chute troops and we have army
and navy attachments that re-
uuire doctors all over the globe
in the polar regions, in the
sweltering wastes of North
Africa. in India, Australia. Ire
land and throughout the Carib-
bean. Wherever the flag goes,
the service doctor must follow.
He is the guardian Of the
physical well being of the sol
der and the sailor. He is often
a boys counselor and guide in
matters not always pertaining TO
the medical profession He is
the solace and comfort of the
sick. He has no working hours.
no union scale of wages. The
service doctor is a great man.
Copyright, 1912, by King Features
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