Evening star., 1961-09-29
Three From SS Hope Recount Year
Of Medical Help to Southeast Asio

A belCSVllle minister,
Washington pharmacist and a
Baltimore medical secretary
got together once more today
to reminisce on their year of
voluntary duty with Project
Hope in Southeast Asia.
They returned home just last
week end, after being part of
the permanent staff of the SIS
Hope during her maiden voy-
age. The staff included Is
physicians, 25 nurses, 80 aux
iliary personnel and rotating
teams of other physicians and
dentists.
The Rev. William P. Anna,
jr.. of st. Johns Episcopal
Church, left a year ago by
accident" he said. Frederick
Mckinney. of 311 Rock Greek
Church road NV, who served
as chief pharmacist, was work.
ing for an oil company in Ara
bia when he read about Prof.
ect Hope and decided to sign
up. Miss Maria DiggeS of
Bradshaw, Md, was working
as a medical secretary at the
University of Maryland Med
ical School in Baltimore when
she read about it.
All three agreed at a press
conference today they would
not have missed the chance to
help the people in Southeast
Asia.
Out of MOthballs
The SIS Hope recently docked
In San Francisco after her
years tour. She is the former
Navy hospital ship Consolation,
a 15,000-ton vessel converted
to use as a medical teaching
center by the People to People
Health Foundation. The Gov
ernment took the ship from
mothballs for loan to the
foundation.
Asked to single out one
traumatic experience, Miss
Digges recalled an 11-year-old
IndoneSian boy with a tumor
on his back. 1t covered 2
square feet and he was tEir
laughing stock of the children
in his village. But The only
doctor on the island was
neral practitioner VINO
couldn't do the surgery.
The boy was taken aboard
the Hope and operated on. For
3l2 months he was the ships
pet.
When we returned him. his
parents Rugged and kissed
everybody aboard Miss Dlgges
said. And kissing is unusual
for those people. They like a
lot of handshaking."
Attitude Changed
Mr.. Anna, who was The
Protestant chaplain for the
ship, remembered the suspicion
it was greeted with when they
first arrived. The religious
press was tough on us" he said.
How could man of Christian
faith like myself be associated
with a capitalistic venture?"
he said he was asked.
But a month later the at
titude had completely changed
to one of fervent thanks, he
said.
DR.. William B. Walsh, presi-
dent of Project Hope and
the Washington interniSt who
founded it, has announced vast
expansion plans for 1862, when
the SIS Hope will go to Latin
America.
The project will attempt to
raise $40 million through pub
lie contributions.
In addition to the Hopes ex-
penses, the goal is designed to
cover the cost of maintaining
Project Hopes program in two
Asian hospitals. The group has
stated the Ibu Sukarno Hos
pital at Djakarta, where Amer
lean volunteers are training
local personnel to eventually
take over their work. In Saigon,
South Wet Nam, Hope has be-
gun a similar program at an
orthopedic rehabilitation GEN.
ter.
And, said DR.. Walsh, if the
$40 million goal is reached,
there are plans to borrow an
other mothballed ship from the
Navy to be Hope II.
Meanwhile Mr.. Anna has re-
turned to his parish here. Miss
Digges expects to return to her
job at the medical school. Mr..
Mckinney hasn't made his
plans yet.
Miss Digges, however. says
she hopes to go back to the
Hope in another year.