Evening star., 1946-10-23
$50 Veteran Patients
Reluctant 10 Leave
Fort Washington
By GEORGE Beveridoe

medical service is faced with the
unusual problem of having about
$50 veteran patients who say they
do not want to move from the
agency's home and hospital at Fort
Washington, Md.
They'll move any way, around
November IS, when the home is
slated to close, according to the
Veterans Administration.
A visit yesterday to question
patients, medical personnel and
civilian employees at the fort re-
vealed universal feeling-"We
like it here and we want to stay"
The home, with capacity for
437 patients, or members" as they
are called, houses largely World
War veterans, most of them with
chronic disabilities or ailments that
require long periods of hospitaliza-
ton. With room and board free,
members may pick up extra money
by working around the post. Most
of them draw pensions for disabil-
tiles. Function of the small, but
well equipped 68-bed hospital is to
furnish emergency facilities for the
veterans.
Want to Be Left Alone.
"The main reason we like 1t here
Is because we're left alone" one
member said. We're not very sick,
but most of us will never be able
to work again. We just want to be
left alone
While several members complained
about the temporary nature of their
dormitories, they praised admin
stration of the home and the pleas
ant surroundings of the historic
fort on the banks of the Potomac,
about II miles from Washington.
A nurse, who said she has had
more than 10 years experience in
Veterans Administration hospitals,
reported she has heard fewer COM
plants here than in any other hos
pital I've seem. An official of the
home said he has hardly heard a
single complaint about this place. !"
But a good many men have
come to me with complaints about
leaving" he added.
And our personnel like it here,
too," added a doctor at the hos
pital. 1T seems a shame to leave
now. We've just about begun to
really operate smoothly"
Couldn't Pill Home.
The situation is made strange
because the Veterans Administration
has never quite been able to fill
the home to capacity. Efforts of
oficials at Mount Alto Hospital here
to have chonic cases transferred
to the fort in order to make room
for patients requiring more medical
treatment have been unsuccessful.
I'VE can't force patients to go to
any of our hospitals" spokesman
of the agency pointed out. Every
veteran must declare his willing
ness to go to a hospital before we
can send him there"
The announced closing date will
coincide with the opening of the
l ,000-bed Newton D. Baker Veterans
Hospital at Martinsburg, w. Va.
Many local veterans at Fort Wash
ington are expected to be sent to
q branch of the new hospital
Other will be routed to the home
at Kecoughtan, Va, the Veterans
Administration said.
A list Of all members in one dormi-
tory posted on bulletin board yes
terday listed World War I members
as being sent to Kecoughtan, and
said World War II members would
go to Martinsburg.
Closing Is Protested.
M. C.. Hobson, manager of the
home, however. said a survey was
begun Monday ito find out where
the men want to 60.
To protest the closing, meanwhile.
George W. Ellis, member and
editor of the homes mimeographed
newspaper, visited Veterans Ad-
Bradley's ONCE yester-
day. In the last issue Of his paper.
Mr.. Ellis in an editorial that said
the only complaints found during
a recent canvass Of members was
about "the weather, bus service,
fishing and the movies"
The Veterans Administration an
swer is that 279 persons are needed
to man the station. In a release
announcing the closing, the agency
said medical personnel shortages
would hinder the opening OF the
new Baker Hospital If the fort were
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