Evening star., 1954-06-27
Army InvitotionoI Orders
Speed Kin to Stricken GIs

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FRANKFURT. Germany. June
26 (NANA) The big military
transport plane rolled to q stop
at Rhine-Main air terminal here
and q tense American woman in
her mid-20s descended with the
other passengers.
She stood uncertainty for q
moment in the hustle of the field.
Then for reinsurance she took
from her purse and read for the
hundredith time the telegram
from the adjutant generals Of
fice in the Pentagon that has
brought her-in just 48 hours
1000 miles from Kentucky to
Germany:
"This is authority for Mrs.
Frances Reed to proceed to West
over AFB Chicopee Falls. Mass,
at her own expense reporting
there on n May 1854 for furth-
er transportation at government
expense. via military aircraft to
Frankfurt, Germany. hence to
32Oth General Hospital Land
stuhl, Germany. for purpose vis-
iting her husband Sergt. Clarence
E. Reed critically Ill at that sta
ton.
Red Cross SmOOths Way.
In the four years that the
army in Europe has been issuing
such "invitational orders" to- the
next Of kin of critically Ill SER
vicemen, well over 100 wives,
mothers, fathers. sisters, and
brothers have made the hurried,
suspenseful trip across the ocean.
Most were totally unprepared for
the fiight-arriving bewildered
and worried, without passport.
military identification or mill
tary currency.
Recently the American Red
Cross and the military have
worked out for such travellers q
plan that smoothes their way all
along the line.
Take Mrs. Reed. When the
Red Cross field worker at the
hospital in Landstuhl was noti-
fed that "invitational" orders
would be issued, she Immediately
alerted the Red Cross chapter
in Mrs. Reeds home town SO
that it would be ready to assist
her If she needed help. When
the wire from Washington ar
rived, the chapter advanced Mrs.
Reed funds for her plane trip
to Westover and for mairten-
ance in Germany. Then it made
the plane reservation for her,
and helped her get the proof
of her United States citizenship
she had been instructed to bring
along.
When she arrived at West
over, the Red Cross field direc-
tor at that post met her and
helped her complete the neces-
sary processing. AS soon as she
was booked for a fight to Ger
many, he cabled fight and plane
number, estimated time of de-
parture and arrival, and other
pertinent information to Red
Cross headquarters in Europe.
From there it was sent on to
the Red Gross field Office at
Frankfurt.
Like q Sign Of Welcome.
At Rhine-Main before a Red
Cross worker took her IN tow
for customs clearance, conver-
sion Of money, issuance Of q
PIX card and transportation Ia
the railway station. This worker
also gave her the latest lews
on her husbands condition. Al
Landstuhl she was met by an
other worker attached to the
hospital In which her husband
was q patient. This Red Cross
employe arranged for her billet
ing and took her to the hospital
for a visit with the sick service
man.
In recent months Red Cross
volunteers, service wives them
selves, have been taking an in
creasingly large part in the
operation. Recently q Red Cross
Gray Lady in Stuttgart drove to
Frankfurt with q hospital cha
plain to meet the wife Of a pilot
who had been seriously injured
when his plane crashed during
a training flight. It was just
getting dusk when the plane
they were meeting landed and
an attractive young woman
descended. Without a moments
hesitation the traveller ap-
preached the Red Cross volun-
teer and held out her hand.
I'm Mrs. Hobbs" she said.
"You must be here to meet me"
Later, she explained that the
first thing she noticed when she
left the plane was the Red Cross
on the Gray Lady's cap. ut was
like a welcome sign." she said
"The field director at WeStover
told me that I'd be met here
but I can't begin to tell you how
good it made me feel to see that
uniform"