The Apache sentinel., 1943-08-20
Post RedCross
Has Problems
By FRANCES FISHER DuBUC

The Post Branch of the American
Red Cross has many problems
brought to it's personnel daily AS
most of these need immediate So
luton, the Staff collectively, and
individually, is guide, counsellor and
friend to large number of persons,
military and civilian, seeking a way
out of their troubles. These range
from advice on housing problems,
which are not always as simple as
they may appear at first, to serious
domestic complications.
"We discover both comedy and
pathos in many of the cases that
come to u.s." said an official of the
Red Cross staff. Usually more of
the latter than the former. But
none is considered lightly or 4disre-
garded. All are full of human in
terest," she added. Sometimes we
are able to avert what might have
become a real tragedy. wish I
could tell the story back of the
story of many of these people we
have helped. Some are stranger than
fiction. A book could be written
fictitious names used, of course -
about this phase of our work, after
the war, which would be illuminat-
ing and helpful from sociological
standpoint, as well as entertaining.
A Job a Day
The following case has an element
of comedy in it, The wife of SOL
dier, a young girl in her teens, ar
rived at the Post unexpectedly from
a distanct city. For several hours
she tried to find a place to stay, but
was unsuccessful. Her pass expired
the same evening. A WAAC Auxili- /
ary, Red Gross worker, happened to
be on the same bus the girl had TAX
en- preparatory to leaving the Camp.
Weeping, she told her story to the
Auxiliary who Immediately took her
to Red Cross Headquarters. There
she was told that she would have to
find employment, if she remained st
the Post. She was an experienced
domestic worker they found, il0on
questioning. At the time, only Two
jobs of that kind were listed in the
office. The girl signed for these \
gladly and then was sent over to
the employees needed domestic help
the Finance Office where four of
Thus she secured six jobs, one for
each day in the, week. afsis
A Transportation Problem
A soldiers wife arrived at the Post
unannounced only to find that her
husband was being transferred i'm
mediately. His pay was being held
up on account of the transfer, and
she had no funds for transportation
to her home in Chicago The girl
had been at the Fort five days. She
appealed to the Red Cross, told them
of her plight and received a loan
sufficient to cover her return trip.
A Family Tragedy Averted
One of the younger soldiers at the
Post sent for ihS girl who lived in
New York. They had been sweet
hearts for year or more, and in
tended to be married upon her ar
rival at the Fort. Only 10, the boy
found that he could not get mar
riage license in this County, the au-
thorities maintaining that he must
have the consent of his parents, who
also lived in New York. Meanwhile
ne was referred to the Judge of the
local Court, who decided in lieu of
parents consent, he would give his.
But the prospective bridegroom
found himself facing new problems.
The day the papers were to be sign
ed, the Judge was ill. Finally sub
Stitute attorney signed the agree
ment, making it valid A few hours
later he was transferred to a camp
in Louisiana, and the ceremony was
not performed
Upon his arrival at the Southern
Post, the young soldier sent a re-
quest to the Red Cross asking fur
lough, to enable him to return to
Arizona and marry the girl. His re-
quest was granted soon after,
through the intervention of the Post
Red Cross, and they were married
whe nhe arrived in Arizona. After