The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-01-18
With
The AEF
BY KENNETH L. DIXON

13.-Delayed)- tR Between ma.
tents, the patter of a front line
army hospital collecting company
is something to which to listen De-
spite all the grimness their wort
sizes before them each night de-
spite the times they get kicked
around by enemy shells, despits
the depressing sights they hays
seen, somehow they seem to retain
their sense of balance.
This is an outfit which has been
overseas two years, whose recorJ
shows it to be one of the most ef
ficient on the Fifth Army frort
But between patients thew no,
off almost Popcorn Town|
In case you haven't heard, Pom.
corn Town is Schaller. low.
where they have pop corr far
tory and lots of guys in the serv
ice
Five OF the guys are with ts;s
outfit. headed by Capt. Donald r
Deters, 35-year old former scbaI'
Ter doctor The others are all frs+
class privates. Harry Kitterman.
Raymond Currie, Karl Schwab An,
Elmer Bennett.
The ochaller popcorn factory
once sent a box of popcorn to The
boys and it went over big. On
popping night there was hardly
enough 10 go round. so the captain
wrote the factory to keep it up
The factory did Now tne boys
are sweating out their third batch
of popcorn. no small project in
itself for the shipping rules limit
the packages to five pounds apiece
so the factory sends one to each Of
the boys.
1T comes throug in dri6hlcs
said Capt. Deters. but We don't
pop it until all Is pounds get here.
Then we have a big night"
The other men in the outfit glad.
ly help eat the popcorn. but in be.
tween shipments they razz the five
guys about being from Popcorn
Town
Sounds like an awful place even
to be from said Pfc. George Do,
Ian from Brooklyn. "A lovely
place." he says dreamily.
Who ever heard of Schallero'
asked Corp. Bill Madden of s..
Louis, champion of the kidders. He
sees me taking note. Just refer
to me as the perennial corporal
he says. I been a corporal two
years now. Also I am the eX-of-
ficer candidate
Pfc. Marville Anderson Of Min
neapolis explains that Bills lust
sore because he's indispensable. Fe
was approved for officer candidate
school while we were in Ireland
and was just ready to be shipped
back to the States when they de-.
cided to invade North Africa, so
naturally he was indispensable"
dependable" moaned Bill.
{ They also talk about going hone
haven't you heard?" said the II.
repressible Madden. We are new.
er going home. They are going 10
, keep us over here until after the
wars over and then set up new
anti-immigrant laws to keep Us
out"
No." said Dolan. you have got
it all wrong. They're keeping Us
: around for the peace conference,
: when they'll really need hospitals
They talk about their patients,
! some of whom are prisiones
wonder if the folks back home
5 would squawk if they knew about
us giving that quart of blood plas
: ma to the German today said
$ Bill. After all. that equals tive
quarts of blood"
/ They shouldn't" says Can't
Merritt Aud of Yankton. S. D.
, the outfits other doctor. After al
we hope the Germans will treat
: our wounded prisoners that wav.
An ambulance pulls up outside
t "Okay. guys said Staff SET
Charles S. Wheeler of Fort Dodge
: Iowa. who was in charge Of the
+ collecting station.
The men go to work quickly
silently, the banter and grousing Of
moment ago forgotten. They strip
= the clothing off wounds. prepare
bandages, splints and plasma bot
ties with the dizziness Of long eX'
perience. Without snoken order
they care for the wounded as nucn
!. as their limited facilities permit
and then send them on back down
the line for more attention Ihey
l are grimly efficiently, serious
II guess we are pretty lucky
at that" said Madden. as the y
> of the wounded is carried out