Medical School
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT has announced the termination at the end of the current semester of its sponsorship of the V-12 training program for physicians and has provided no counterpart in the NROTC. Elective premedical training remains as one of the options on the list of majors for the College but is not labelled as such.
This makes orphans of almost fifty per cent of our present enrollment whose continuance as civilians is certainly in some cases going to be problematical. Somewhat paradoxically a class is being ordered here in November to remain in uniform for one semester only, to continue thereafter as civilians on its own
financing. It is difficult to unravel the thread of logic in some of this, but it may be politically impossible to promote national wellbeing when it involves dispensing medical education because the obvious advantage to the individual favored obscures the implications of the possible improvement in the general level of health which might be brought about by the augmentation of medical personnel.
The physician is recognized as at least a military necessity in time of war but is apparently not even that when hostilities cease. His production is not yet a legitimate concern of any department of a government where not the least fledgling may fall from the nest of parity prices without landing in an alphabetical life-net.
The War Department does not have a class up its sleeve for us in November and has not disclosed its intentions regarding the EM's in School, of which six only remain.
This probable shrinkage in enrollment for 1945-46 is bringing demands for timetable modification and course rearrangement to be made now to take advantage of this reduced class size where double section will be required. A Schedule Committee is at work on suggestions and specifications submitted by the Faculty and by the last three alumni classes in response to an appeal for constructive comment, and during the Admissions Committee has been instructed to suspend consideration of additional applications.
Henry H. Heyl, Instructor in Surgery, on August first resumed his professional activities at the Hospital and School on a half schedule. It is hoped that this test will disclose that he has completely recovered from the infection which forced him home from active duty on the African front more than two years ago.
The Caledonia County Medical Society met in St. Johnsbury on September 12 with the School and Hospital represented by Henry H. Heyl who spoke on "Recent Developments in Military Neurosurgery and Their Applications to Civilian Practice" and by John Milne who spoke on "Infectious Mononucleosis."
William L. McLaughlin, Instructor in Surgery, has resigned to accept a Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic and has moved to Rochester.
1922 Lt. Comdr. James L. Smead has returned from almost thirty-two months of foreign service to duty at the U. S. Naval Convalescent Hospital at Springfield. He was chief surgeon at a hospital on the Clyde, landed on Utah Beach in Normandy, and set up a hospital in Cherbourg as soon as conditions permitted. His patients were U. S., British, Belgian, and Norwegian sailors and also civilian emergencies. He was located in the High School and had adequate room and ample facilities but was glad to come home for twenty days leave with his family at his camp in Buckland before beginning the present assignment.
1927 Captain John T. Smith, USN, flight surgeon, now senior medical officer at the Naval Air Station, Norman, Oklahoma, has just received his fourth stripe. For Captain Smith the war began on the USS Palos, a Yangtze River gunboat, when the Japs bombed the USS Panay, and ended after fifteen months of duty on the USS Yorktown during seven major engagements and unnumerable strikes from Kwajalein to Okinawa. He says that it's a long step from Chungking to Tishomingo but, even so, some days the fish won't bite.
1928 Lt. Comdr. Herbert B. Messinger has a new address, 1485 Byron Street, Palo Alto, which may mean shore duty or just where he has parked his family.
1931 Lt. Col. James S. Cullyford has the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service—citation not reported to me—and battle stars for Normandy, Northern France, the Ardennes, Rhine, and Germany present location unknown.
1932 Maj. Arthur D. Ecker is doing his stuff at Nichols General Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky, after considerable touring in various theatres. 1933 Lt. Col. Benjamin S. Read was CO of the 170 th Evacuation Hospital - when it was stationed north of Venice.
1933 Capt. Walter B. Crandell is now a patient in Ward 227, Lovell, East, at Fort Devens recovering from a slight touch of eczema aggravated by contacts with allergens in Italy, France, and Germany while doing chest surgery with the 2nd Auxiliary Surgical Group. He has been in town with Elli recently and seems to be in good shape. Father Hodder and I called on him Wednesday but the orderly said he had just been smuggled out of camp by his wife.
1936 Maj. Ellsworth Cavanaugh and Marg came up from Dale Mabry Field, Tallahassee, and gave the old Hanover routine a wOrk out during August. The squire of Plattsburgh made no prophecy about his chances of seeing the Pacific.
1936 Capt. John F. Jewett was married to Jean Isabella Thom in Washington, D. C. on August 18. They came to town for their honeymoon and were a striking pair in their uniforms, each having just returned from duty in the ETO with the Army and Red Cross respectively.
1937 Lt. Comdr. Harry B. Eisberg USN is back in the Pacific, this time on the USS Bogue. He flew from Norfolk to Panama to go aboard and went through the Canal. He says this is his best duty to date on a wonderful ship.
1939 Capt. Dwight Parkinson MC AUS went all the way from Omaha Beach to the Mulde where he met the Russians. He was planning to stick with his outfit if it went to the Pacific.
1940 Capt. Amos R. Little, paradoctor, has been finally established in a key center at the 7th Ferrying Group as the Search and Rescue Section of the 2d Air Force covering from Great Falls-Minneapolis on the north to Tucson-Galveston on the south. Any plane one hour over its ETA and Captain Little takes off.
1941 Capt. Edwin G. Bovill Jr. was married to Josephine Elizabeth Shoetz on August first at Saint Riquier, France.
Lt. William Sinclair MC USNR went through the survey board at Corona, California and got "limited duty" with temporary assignment there. His hospital Is a swanky club in the citrus district and he expects to go to Georgia or Florida for the winter. He says if one must have rheumatic fever that is the ideal spot for it. 1942 Capt. Theodore L. Bartelmez was transferred to the 198th General Hospital, in Paris, and slated for the C.B.I, but that was weeks ago. Robert C. Rainie is going into his third nine at Central Maine General, Lewiston. He had another k0ut with the bugs in June and got five and a half weeks of Penicillin but says he is in good shape now and wants to see ahead to the next move. 1043 Lt Ward S. Jenkins was married to Elizabeth Howell on July 2 at Willsboro, N. Y., and went to Carlisle.
Lt. Walter Eisenman came up from Newport with Lt. Comdr. John A. Coyle and said he was ordered to duty on a small floating drydock about to be commissioned.
Lt Norman C. Morgan has been transferred down to Portland, Oregon and is still on lend-lease from the USPHS.
Lt. Alvin L. Robins was at St. Albans tor eight weeks and then drew transport duty. Lt. William C. Scott came on from Colorado with his bride and gave her the traditional Dartmouth indoctrination
Charles Walter Clarke Jr. was married to Suzanne Hagler on September 8 at Springfield Mass. She is interrupting her professional studies for the period of his interneship and they came up here for a short honeymoon.
