The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1945-01-11
War DEPARTMENT Adopts
New Policy Notifying
Next Of Kin

Atlanta, Ga,-(Special)- The War
Department has adopted a new policy in
notifying the next Of kin Tor emergency
addresses) of Army casualties overseas
whereby detailed information may be
received in the shortest possible time,
Major General Frederick E. Uhl, Com
manding General, Fourth Service Com
mand announced here today.
General Uhl stated, ain addition to
the original casualty notification tele-
gram I'M letter Of coincidence sent the
emer ,ency addresses from the War De-
partment In Washington, a letter will
be air-mailed directly from the Com
handing Officer Of the Chaplain Of the
organization to which the soldier was
attached. This letter will be sent within
a short while after the casualty occurs
and will be specific in detail relative to
the circumstance of death, funeral ar
rangements and overseas burial.
when men are seriously wounded,
the information will be forwarded d.
rect frsn the hospital to the emergency
addresses.
Relatives and friends Of Army per-
sonnet ~casualties should keep in mind
that from the time Of receiving the
original notification from the Adjutant
General until the supplemental informa-
ton arrives from tho overseas theatel,
no further word will be available at the
War Department.
prior to this new procedure, the only
information in the Wa Department was
obtained through the initial casualty
report sent by code indicating that the
soldier had beer listed as a casualty on
q specific date. This made It impossible
for the office Of the Adjutant General
to answer the many queries for addi-
tional details on deaths. Under the new
program these details will be supplied
families at the earliest possible date
from the soldiers commanding officer"
Major James F. Morrison, Personal
Affairs officer, Headquarters Fourth
Service Command, pointed out, "In ad-
dition to supplying direct information
on deaths, a new procedure is being put
into effect towards supplying progress
reports on wounded and seriously i'll,
Some Of the hospital personnel will
write a letter to the emergency address
see Immediately following the admission
Of q seriously wounded man to the hos
pital, telling briefly the nature Of the
wound. Fifteen days later a card will
be SEN. telling of the prosrsss made by
the patient which in turn will be follow
ed by a second letter in another fifteen
days, provided the wounded mar is still
on the seriously wounded list. As long
Al he 10 in this condition this procedure
will continue at Is day intervals.
"In the case of soldiers wounded in
combat but not seriously i'll a postal
card will be sent every fifteen days
stating the condition of the soldier.
General Uhl explained "this new pro-
cedure in both instances will naturally
be of great comfort to emergency ad-
dresses as well of value to the War
Department, 1t eliminates the middle
man'-so to speak-by having the re-
ports made out at the hospital and mail
ed Immediately to the person concerned,
instead Of being first transmitted to the
Adjutant General and thence to the
emergency addressee."
General Uhl emphasized that this
new plan will in no way eliminate the
message Of cheer" which each emer-
gency ADDRESSED is encouraged to send
at Government expense to a wounded
soldier once a month. nor will it affect
the present policy whereby a special re-
port is submitted to the Adjutant Gen
ara1 in fhp raSa of INV potiapt xyhn has
beer hospitalized either for wounds, in
juries or illness and who takes a dang
erous turn for the worse.