Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-18

everything WcIlI oIlUOIIlAy
and routinely with the birth.
When the baby died, they
Joined in sadness at the out
come Of the drama and in
sympathy to the Kennedy
family.
Excellent Patient
They described Mrs. Ken
nedy as IAN excellent patient"
She was very cooperative
and wanted nothing
special" one of her four
round the clock Air Force
nurses said.
In mid-June, just before
Mrs. Kennedy came to Cape
Cod for the summer, the
551st United States Air Force
Hospital got orders Ito make
the necessary arrangements
for the possible delivery, con-
finement and poSt-natal care
of the First Lady" should an
emergency bring her here.
1t was just luck that her
emergency came on Caesar
can Wednesday" at Otis
Hospital.
That day is regularly set
aside by the obstetrical-
surgical team to schedule
whatever patients are ready
for Caesarean operations each
week. I'VE do sections quite
a bit around here" explained
Operating Room Technician
Gilbert Olvera, a staff SER
geant from Chicago.
They had already done one
such delivery on Wednesday,
August IAN 8:45 am. Cae-
sarean birth of a son of Staff
Sergt. and Mrs. Karl H.
Bongers of KapuSkasing. On
tario. Thus it happened that
the surgical team, destined to
assist Mrs. Kennedy's obste-
trician, DR.. John w. Walsh
of Washington, D. c., was
already assembled.
1t was close to 1880 am,
the normal lunch hour at the
hospital, but the operating
room team was still around
because infant Bongers was
an RH-positive baby with a
mother, who had RH-nega-
tive blood and needed an
Exchange blood TRANSMISSION"
a complete change of all It's
blood for a new supply.
Col. Paul Stavig of Sioux
Falls. S. OAK, the hospital
commander, was busy in his
office nearby when his phone
rang.
I'm bringing Mrs. Ken
nedy to the hospital" was the
short and sweet" message
, Stavig recalls he received
from DR.. Walsh.
All Lined Up
Weeks ago DR.. Stavig had
carefully lined up everything.
Building 3703, a former
nurses barracks, had been
selected as the site for Mrs.
Kennedy's possible hospitali-
cation.
In 1861 it had been con-
verted to a hospital ward for
use by President Kennedy
should he require hospitali-
cation during one of his fire.
quent Cape Cod trips. Later
it was used for temporary
quarters for officers visiting
the base.
Slightly under SIS, 900" was
taken from base operating
and maintenance funds to
revamp the long, one-story
barracks covered with pale
green shingles into a seven
bedroom hospital suite, with
lounges, kitchen and glass;
partitioned nursery area
equipped with incubator.
BY early June the building
was ready, and DR.. Stavig
started dry-runs to test his
medical and administrative
teams.
Ambulance trips were made
to and from the helicopter
landing pad. Drivers mapped
the safest and fastest routes
should weather prevent the
use Of helicopters.
Looking back on 1t after
all this careful preparation,
DR.. Stavig admitted:
mo member Of the 55lst
Hospital really believed that
the First Lady Of the coun-
try would have her baby at
Otis Air Force Base"
Suddenly, at 1884 am. on
August 7, DR.. Walsh's terse
alert told DR.. Stavig, a vet
eran OF 16 years in service
and head Of the obstetrical
and gynocology service, that
an immediate Caesarean
operation would be necessary.
He notified an airman to
start down the telephone list
of key personnel.
The operating room team,
already on duty, prepared for
the emergency.
Mai. Mary Waters Of Mid
dleboro, Mass, the chief
nurse at Otis for almost three
years, was dispatched TO UNI
lock the doors of 3703. She
and Capt. Catherine Adams
Of Clementon, N. j., rushed
to get the VIP suite ready for
its lone VIP patient.
Capt. Adams is In charge
of the maternity ward at this
sprawling base hospital that