Evening star., 1943-08-01
New PIasma Center
Ready TO Take 500
Blood Donors DaiEy
fE
By HAROLD b. ROGERS,

Dedicated yesterday in a program
presenting soldier and sailor whose
lives had been saved by use of
plasma, a new District Red Cross
Blood Donor Center will open at
9 am. tomorrow at the Acacia
Building, 81 Louisiana avenue NV,
overlooking Capitol Plaza.
The soldier, Pvt. James E. MCGEE,
Is, of Corona, N. Y, had stepped on
land mine during a battle in
Africa and appeared before the dis
tinguished audience, standing on
one leg, with the aid of crutches.
The sailor, Ellsworth S. link, tor
pedoman first class, had been blown
out of q torpedo boat, severely
wounded, and bleeding profusely,"
to drift for six hours at sea.
First Donations Tomorrow.
To help supply blood for plasma
to save more such battle casualties
on land and sea, the new blood
donor center will begin taking blood
early tomorrow morning; when the
first "patient" appears. He VIII be
Robert B. Montgomery, son of Will
liam Montgomery, president of the
Acacia Mutual Life Insurance Co.,
who formally presented space in the
company's building to the Red Gross.
The dedication ceremony was at
tended by high officials of the
Army, Navy and Red Cross. The
center was accepted by Norman
Davis, chairman of the American
Red Cross, and dedicated to men in
the armed forces.
Characterized as one of the finest
centers of its kind in the United
States, the establishment occupies
the entire third floor of the life in
surance building. There, prospec-
tive blood givers will be shown into
pleasant surroundings, where air.
conditioning and recorded music
will provide soothing environment
Comfortable seats await the donors
before they make their contribu-
ton. Latest scientific m dica
equipment is used in the painless
system of taking blood, and rest
room with refreshments awaits the
donors.
Operated under direction of the
District Red Cross, the center is
stated by Army and Navy medical
officers and Red Cross personnel,
both paid and volunteer.
Ready for 500 Daily.
To keep the District Chapter pro-
gram moving at pace which al
ready has kept it up to its quota, or
beyond, the facilities and personnel
are prepared, according to Mrs. Lo-
retta Bickford, to take care of 500
donors day, each giving pint OF
blood, to provide 5000 pints of blood
a week.
Hours of the new center will be
from 9 am. to tbs pm. daily, except
Sunday. The former center at the
old Naval Hospital, Twenty third
and E streets NV. closed last Fri.
day.
Promises of blood donors for Au.
gust began coming to the new center
Immediately after its dedication
The first telegram arrived from
WPB Branch Local 203 of the United
Federal Workers (AFL). 1t pledged
100 donors in August to help pro.
vide plasma "for our brothers or
the fighting front"
The vital role played by blood ir
saving lives in this war was stressed
by several speakers, but none gave
such eloquent testimony as the two
wounded men, back from injuries ir
fighting overseas.
Soldier Praises Aid.
Introduced by Mai. Gen. Norman
T. Kirk, Surgeon General of thu
Army, Pvt. MCGEE struggled K
stand on his one leg with the helr
of nurse and two crutches, Will,
his story was related. Taking part il
the fighting in North Africa, thu
soldier was helping carry back {
wounded comrade when he stepped
on land mine, Gen. Kirk said
Given first aid, and at least thre,
blood transfusions, his leg was re,
moved below the knee on May
he finally reached Walter Reed Hos
pital July 3, and is still recuperat
ing.
Paying tribute to the new bloot
donor center as a source of thi
life-saving material" Gen. Kirk de
clared:
I'VE need this blood plasma whei
men are fighting. Every holiday IN
terferes with blood donations. Ou
T victories, in Tunis and Sicily, in
stead of squirting us on to more ant
greater effort, have been followed
by let-downs in the number of do
nations"
Calling on Americans to contribut
to the Nationwide program for q
river Of human blood" the genera
pointed to the soldier, and declared
I he wouldn't have been here II