The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-07-18
SURPRISED AT
 GOOD HEALTH
 OF 'CAN'S' MEN
By MURRAY M. MOLER

(Unted Press Stan Correspondent
 Aboard A U. s. Destroyer in The North Pacific (UP) - The sail orS of this war are healthy lot - and the crew and officers of this destroyer are proof of it.
 This "can" is just an average ship as far as the number of men aboard 90. These men say the ship is above average and after you have been aboard while, you're inclined to agree with them.
 But you can assume that their health is just about the same as that of the rest of the men in the mammoth fleet of ours that is proving the Pacific.
 Ships Surgeon is Lieutenant G.g) Craig Jones of Baldwin, Kan, where his wife, Mary Louise, and their two children still live. He studied at the University of Kansas and in- termed at Ancker hospital, St. Paul, Minn.
 For this size ship, the surgeon has two assistants. The aides are Chief Pharmacists Mate Harry Simmons, 306 High street. Jefferson City, Mo, and Pharmacists Mate 3-c Robert Lttrell, Madeira, Cal
 You're be surpassed how healthy the men on this ship are," the surgeon said. T was surprised my self when I first came aboard. I expected to see long line at sick call every morning, but instead the Hines sometimes vacant"
 Of those in the line, some are repeaters but again not as many as Jones expected.
 The class of men you find aboard ship is pretty high" the surgeon added By the time they get this far out, they've learned to forget about imaginary ailments and to take care of themselves ex- 'cept for something really import ant"
 The sick bay of this little des- troyer - little compared with the mighty giants of the bigger class craft is a complete, miniature hospital and doctors office. al- though it occupies only small cor uer of the ship.
 Jones has all the modern instru- ments that science has turned out 70 combat shipboard ailments and care for injuries suffered at sea and n combat.
 Naturally, I'd like to have a bigger working space and a greater volume of equipment he said, but what I have is enough to take are of things as they come"
 While in port and while cruising at sea, the doctor and his aides keep busy taking care of routine ,-ses that roll in-and keep plan a1lg for improvements of combat sl..se first aid.
 When the ship goes into action against the enemy, Jones moves from his little sick bay into the ofncers' wardrcom which is quickly converted into an emergency hand ling room for casualties. Simmons and Littrell go to their stations - one in the sick bay, the other at a dispersal position.
 h this way, Jones explained, we are pretty close to the scene cI damage, regardless of where it coines. About all we try to do is render first aid and make the wounded men as comfortable as possible"
 Major operations - unless highly necessary at the moment - are postponed until the patient can be transferred to shore hospital or to 2 hospital ship. But those that do become necessary are handled as quickly as possible right on the destroyer.
 IT any of the mothers are wor- ried about the health of their boys Tn this navy" Jones asserted, they can quit. The food is plentiful and usually good. The men keep busy most of the time and exercise is the most healthful thing in the world