Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1950-07-28
DR.. BELT AND STAFF HAVE BIG
JOB AT ERIE ORDNANCE DEPOT

Under the professional leader
ship of DR.. l.. l.. Belt, medical
officer at Erie Ordnance, the de-
pots dispensary prepared this
week to expand as necessary to
care for increasing civilian and
military personnels, and, at the
same time, to continue to main
tain a high standard of medical
attention for every post employee.
This complete cooperation in
fulfilling it's responsibilities in the
depot's accelerated work program
is in keeping with the standards
set through the years by the Army
Medical Department which cele-
brates it's 175th anniversary July
G7.
eve realize Erie must have
these new workers to economically
keep in readiness for instant ship
ment weapons needed by our
fighting soldiers, DR.. Belt said.
eve will dc our share in getting
them or their jobs as soon as pos
sible".
eve wish to assure every pros
pective employee that upon his
joining the depot personnel this
phase of his personal welfare will
not be neglected., DR.. Belt en-
phasized.
Pre-employment physical exam
nations are just one of the sew
eral major responsibilities of the
depot's medical facility which was
reduced, with the peacetime econ
omy program, to standards of in
dustrial practice.
Workers also are given periodic
physical checkups, and the mill
taries of Erie and Camp Perry
and their dependents are provided
medical care. Military patients
requiring more advanced atten-
tion than can be given here are
transferred to station hospital,
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base,
Dayton.
DR.. Belt, who was prominent
Ottawa County physician for 27
years prior to his civil service ap-
pointment at Erie in 1948, is a
member of the Kiwanis Club, Ma
sonic Lodge and Knights of Py-
thias of Port Clinton, the PENN
sular Chamber of Commerce and
the county, state and national
medics societies.
Assisting him in the operation
of the dispensary are: Sgt. ICI
John R. Chappelear, Sgt. Louis A.
Leutscher, and Sgt. Michael Vim
eek, w. f. Flick, Graytown, civil
liam medical technician, and Mrs.
Audrey McCue, Fremont, staff
nurse.
The present 1000 military and
civilian personnel serviced by the
Medical Section appears small in
comparison with the 10000 peak
strength of World War II years.
Expanding rapidly in 1941 the
station hospital was responsible
for approximately $500 military
strength, including soldiers sta
toned at Erie, Camp Perry, and
Rossford Ordnance Depot, Toledo,
German prisoners of war at Camp
Perry, Italian Service Units at
tached to Erie and Rossford, and
industrial medical service for m
average of $500 civilian depot
workers.
On hand to discharge this re-
sponsibility during those years
was an average staff of 20 officers,
100 enlisted men, and 80 Army
nurses and four civilian nurses.
The brick hospital building, ia
miliar to soldiers and their de-
pendents in this area, and con-
structed in 1881, was expanded in
1910, and sufficient wards added
to allow a 200-bed hospital.
This large hospital was inacti-
waited in 1916, and a dispensary
organized
Maj. Frank f. Artaud was the
first medical officer assigned Eric
and he was on the post from Aug
uSt to December of 1918.
Dr. Henry j. Pool, Port Clinton,
was contract surgeon fer the post
from June Of 1921 to February
of l943, almost the time of his
death. The historical records