Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1950-03-31
SEhvCE IN PEACE And war
American Red Cross Plays Important Role
In Vital Job Of Maintaining Soldiers Morale
By Giving Aid in All Kinds Of Emergencies

to military hospital in the United
States. Although he could see, his
face and eyelids were in need o.
much plastic surgery. His hand
muscles were contracted. He was
In great pain. The doctors ano
nurses were there with their skill.
full and considerable attention. But
also at his side were those team
mates of the medical staff, the
Red Cross social worker and recre.
alton worker, and their trained
volunteer aides.
The boys mother, who spoke nc
English, was anxious to visit him.
He wanted to see her, but wished
to wait until more plastic surgery
could lessen the shock of his ap.
pearance. The Red Cross helped
him in planning for his mothers
visit and in writing letters to her.
Then it assisted him and his mother
through the trying experience Of
her visit, and helped him keep his
courage up when he realized that
his Disagreement and Gripping Of
his hands were permanent.
Later, the Red Cross planned
with him and his family for his vo.
cational and social adjustment on
his return to civilian life, and
assisted him in filing his claim for
pension. All this involved many
cooperative activities with doctors,
nurses, and rehabilitation person.
mel of the hospital, and constant
correspondence with the Red Cross
chapter of the boys home town.
I cite these stories to show that
the serviceman has in the Red
Cross an understanding counselor
and ever present friend, working
with the military, but not an organic
part of it. A great civilian agency,
one helpful arm extended into the
serviceman's setting, the other
reaching into the home.
One arm is made up of Red
Cross field directors and their
STATS at military stations and
hospitals in the United States
and overseas. The other con-
sists of the wide network of
Red Cross chapters throughout
this country and its possessions.
Field directors and chapters
work together as a team, en-
list the assistance of thousands
of competent volunteers, and
cooperate freely with all related
public and private agencies.
The military community has in
the Red Cross field director a chan
mel to all the facilities of the ma
tional organization and its chap
tiers, such as Home Service, Volun-
teer Service, Safety and Health
Services, Disaster Services, Junior
Red Cross and College Units.
The civilian community through
the Red Cross chapter has avail
able for the families of service per-
sonnet all of those services in which
the chapter is engaged, and in addi-
ton the services of the field direc-
tors at the military installations
where the men and women from the
community are on duty with the
armed forces.
Services rendered include COM
in illness or other
emergencies; information as to the
location and welfare of the families
at home or the men away from
home; financial assistance in emer-
gencies to service personnel and
their dependents; reports for COM
officers or medical Off
GERS regarding home conditions, So
cial, economic, or health facts re-
CURED for the sympathetic consid-
GRAFTON of questions of welfare,
leave, discharge, diagnosis or
treatment; supplemental recrea-
ton for the able-bodied and assist
ance with acknowledgement rec
reation for patients; and informa-
ton concerning government bene-
fits, and assistance in applying for
them
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