The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-01-22
by FLETCHER r. MARTIN
(nepresentins Negro Newspaper Pool)

ny fLElNnEn r. MAN AhN
tnepressnting Negro Newspaper PooD
ADVANCED SOUTH PACIFIC
BASE (Via AirmaiD-While sta
toned at this base. enroute to the
perimeter of actual combat, !
CHANGED upon scene. one OF the
most impressive I have seen in the
South or Southwest Pacific 1t was
not q battle. no planes ripped the
air. no artillery Numbered. in fact,
the chief noise came from the
waves swishing against the beach.
But here an essential phase of war
was unfolding before my eyes. and
ii answered what perhaps Is one
Of the very important questions
asked by people back home;
How does the Army care for my
son IL he's wounded out there on
the field? is sick? -. Is hurt
in an accident"
Angels OF Mercy
That is the only justification for
this story-a partial answer to that
question. II is not a preposterous
tale Of super-duper heroes making
history in this serious hour. But
the story OF detachment OF men
who can be termed angels OF
Mercy"-not in glowing white uni
forms. but sweaty fs;igues.
How Is he doing?" the Major
asked. The soldier lay still in the
hospital bunk. staring without see
ing. There were eight other sol
diers in the improvised ward. II
was o clean ward. bright and cheer
full, as local cheer goes The breeze
off the sea was cool.
-Oh. he'll be all right. sir" the
non-com medic answered His
head is still aching. the awful sun
guess. sir. Everything else seems
all right"
After the major left / asked the
medic. Technical Sergeant Joseph
j. Wilson. OF Washington. DC
Just what was wrong with the sol
der who lay in the hospital bunk,
staring without seeing.
Work In Rain
ats the hot sun and the climate,
he said. These men have been
working on. the docks for twenty
one months without relief. Whether
is rains or shines. they work. We
| haven't had many days off since
coming overseas. We're all tired.
So explained the ranking non
com and chief clerk Of the medical
detachment. oath Infantry. The unit
which guards the health OF those
who soldier in the reported "wors,
jungles in the world" Jungles in
tested with flying and crawling
things, fungus growth, and mys-
teries peculiar 10 hot. smuggy
swampy, thick foliaged terrain
| Their task unglamorous, little
publicized-but a potent factor IT
whatever victories the Allie.
achieve in this globsl war. =.
| AS we left the ward the month";,
| inspection OF unit was in pro
gress outside. Sweating. naket
soldiers formed two parallel lines
The medics walked between them
closely inspecting each man. Fee
and legs and hands were examined
for possible sores caused by tn
prevalent fungus growths. Eye
and teeth were closely scrutinizec
Chief Ailment
We went into the office where
asked Sgt. Wilson what the me
| complained of most. At the morn
ing sick call what was the chief all
ment. Malaria? Accidents? ia
tigue? A psychopathic conditio
caused by the sultry climate lower
ing resistance which leads TO exces
worrying? Dysentery?
Our average on SICK cali
present lis low. Maybe II is be
cause the rainy season hasn't come
When the rains come the insect
arc bad. Now most OF the ailmen'
are local"
Sergeant Wilson, who was an en-
balmer in civilian life. was explain
ing. He said a soldier comes /
with a head injury. stomach pair
which might be caused by some
thing he ate. a torn foot, or a touc
of malaria. Or he might come
with nothing physically wronI
everything mentally wrong.
And then the fellow comes
who's lust tired" the sergeant cor
tinued. Hes confined to his quar-
tiers. or evacuated. What he reall
needs Is to get away for Will
Leave the area, hear some musi
take a drink. forget war for n
present. There Is little the medicir
we got can do him."
General Health
Concerning the general healt
one item the medic modestly lie
out. Were il not for these me
who safeguard health by constal
examining and caring for u
troops, cleaning the area, sprayir
the swamps and latrines, inspector
kitchens and garbage disposals. WI
knows that greater casualties ths
those experienced in combat mig
result
Stories Of Japanese standards
/ sanitation on the field. and ey
| witnessed accounts, are alarmin
readily accept these accounts b
cause I have seen how they liv
their food, their waste disposal
their shacks, their clothing. Thu
represent the antithesis Of our b
liefs on the matter.
I remember how Lac (Ne
Guinea) looked when the ALI
II NztfN...s.. 49, IafnaN