This is Arley Huber's Story
Many indelible memories of World War II are ever present even though it's been 60 years. I was the oldest of 5 brothers on a farm in Ellsworth, Wisconsin. I knew that the draft was inevitable and didn't care to sleep in a fox hole so I joined the US Navy. I knew I would get a warm bed and a hot meal in the Navy.
I trained in Seattle, and took maneuvers in the Marshall Islands on the USS Sandoval - a new ship out of Seattle. I likened the training to a football team. “The more you train the better you get.”
We were at Iwo Jima in February 1945. I was a Boatswain and we helped the Marines land and got the necessary equipment ready to embark including trucks, cranes, tanks, all the men, their luggage, tents, and chow. We also rescued troops at night.
The USS Saratoga was hit with six suicide planes.and we tended to her in case she went down. This made us a sitting duck and the next target for the Kamakazie pilots.
Off Okinawa we did suffer a direct hit by a suicide plane to the bridge, or heart of the ship. I lost a good friend, the radio man along with seven other sailors. We limped back to the states for repairs and got a chance to go home on a 21 day liberty before going back to the Pacific theatre.
My next assignment was Japan. We found out that we were carrying $40 million dollars in Japanese currency. To safely enter the Yokahama harbor, a Japanese pilot directed the 10 mile zig zag trip to avoid the mine fields. I got permission to ride a train to Tokyo and we were allowed to take pictures.
Hiroshima was a terrible site, trees were just stalks, buildings were just remnants of twisted steel.
I served on the USS Iowa and the USS St. Paul. I met the naval artist who painted the Saint Paul and I was in St. Paul when the paintings were presented there. The ships bell is on display at the St. Paul City Hall.
The absolute best part of the war was the “end” and going in to Shanghai, because we were not getting shot at.
Boatswain Arley Huber US Navy: Arley Huber grew up on a farm in Ellsworth, Wisconsin being the oldest of 5 sons, joined the Navy in 1943 because he wanted a warm bed and hot meal every day, and did not care to sleep in a fox hole. Arley served in the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific in World War II and saw action on several Navy vessels including the USS Sandoval, USS Iowa, and USS St. Paul. He saw action at Iwo Jima, tended to the wounded ship USS Saratoga, which was hit with 6 suicide planes. Went to Yokahama carrying $40 million in Japanese currency. Arley got pictures and a first hand account of the devastation in Hiroshima and road on a train with cattle cars carrying thousands of Japanese to Tokyo.
Many indelible memories of World War II are ever present even though it's been 60 years. I was the oldest of 5 brothers on a farm in Ellsworth, Wisconsin. I knew that the draft was inevitable and didn't care to sleep in a fox hole so I joined the US Navy. I knew I would get a warm bed and a hot meal in the Navy.
I trained in Seattle, and took maneuvers in the Marshall Islands on the USS Sandoval - a new ship out of Seattle. I likened the training to a football team. “The more you train the better you get.”
We were at Iwo Jima in February 1945. I was a Boatswain and we helped the Marines land and got the necessary equipment ready to embark including trucks, cranes, tanks, all the men, their luggage, tents, and chow. We also rescued troops at night.
The USS Saratoga was hit with six suicide planes.and we tended to her in case she went down. This made us a sitting duck and the next target for the Kamakazie pilots.
Off Okinawa we did suffer a direct hit by a suicide plane to the bridge, or heart of the ship. I lost a good friend, the radio man along with seven other sailors. We limped back to the states for repairs and got a chance to go home on a 21 day liberty before going back to the Pacific theatre.
My next assignment was Japan. We found out that we were carrying $40 million dollars in Japanese currency. To safely enter the Yokahama harbor, a Japanese pilot directed the 10 mile zig zag trip to avoid the mine fields. I got permission to ride a train to Tokyo and we were allowed to take pictures.
Hiroshima was a terrible site, trees were just stalks, buildings were just remnants of twisted steel.
I served on the USS Iowa and the USS St. Paul. I met the naval artist who painted the Saint Paul and I was in St. Paul when the paintings were presented there. The ships bell is on display at the St. Paul City Hall.
The absolute best part of the war was the “end” and going in to Shanghai, because we were not getting shot at.
Boatswain Arley Huber US Navy: Arley Huber grew up on a farm in Ellsworth, Wisconsin being the oldest of 5 sons, joined the Navy in 1943 because he wanted a warm bed and hot meal every day, and did not care to sleep in a fox hole. Arley served in the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific in World War II and saw action on several Navy vessels including the USS Sandoval, USS Iowa, and USS St. Paul. He saw action at Iwo Jima, tended to the wounded ship USS Saratoga, which was hit with 6 suicide planes. Went to Yokahama carrying $40 million in Japanese currency. Arley got pictures and a first hand account of the devastation in Hiroshima and road on a train with cattle cars carrying thousands of Japanese to Tokyo.
THE GREATEST GENERATION
This is the Bill Swanson Story as told by TODAY Magazine, January 2008
Being shot at might not be an everyday occurrence for most of us, but for Bill “Swanee” Swanson - after surviving the heat of battle in World War II - the possibility continued with his civilian employment. Bill worked for thirty years in law enforcement, first for the Red Wing police from 1951 to 1957 and for the Goodhue County sheriff until 1981.
Bill grew up on a farm with his parents Clarence and Doris Swanson near Munson Hill. Bill attended Red Wing Central High School and worked at Montgomery Ward until his senior year, when he joined the army at the height of the war. Bill knew he would eventually be drafted anyway. In 1944, just before being sent overseas, Bill and Shirley Johnson were married in Durham, North Carolina. “Shirley and I met at Peter's Palace of Sweets while we were in high school,” Bill recalled. While raising the couple's two children, Dale and Dianna, Shirley worked at the Holst, Vogel and Richardson law firms, Musty-Barnhart and the Red Wing Credit Union. Shirley passed away in 2000.
After his basic training at Camp Roberts, California, Bill served in the 89th Infantry Division under the command of General George S. Patton. During the division's crossing of the Rhine River at St. Goarshausen, Germany, an entire platoon was lost. “I couldn't swim very well” said Bill, “and I was worried about the fast-moving river. Fortunately, we landed close to shore in just a couple feet of water”. Bill served under Patton in Luxembourg, Germany and Czechoslovakia, where U.S. Troops met up with their Russian counterparts coming from the east.
For the next year, he was stationed at Styr, Austria “At the time, if we extended our service another year, we were promised we could go home for Christmas. I signed up, but because of transportation problems, we never did get home for the holidays.” After returning to the U.S. , Bill served at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, where his unit escorted troops to their post before they were deployed overseas. Bill was discharged and returned to Minnesota in 1946.
A Life of Service to his Country, to his County, and to his City
Being shot at might not be an everyday occurrence for most of us, but for Bill “Swanee” Swanson - after surviving the heat of battle in World War II - the possibility continued with his civilian employment. Bill worked for thirty years in law enforcement, first for the Red Wing police from 1951 to 1957 and for the Goodhue County sheriff until 1981.
Bill grew up on a farm with his parents Clarence and Doris Swanson near Munson Hill. Bill attended Red Wing Central High School and worked at Montgomery Ward until his senior year, when he joined the army at the height of the war. Bill knew he would eventually be drafted anyway. In 1944, just before being sent overseas, Bill and Shirley Johnson were married in Durham, North Carolina. “Shirley and I met at Peter's Palace of Sweets while we were in high school,” Bill recalled. While raising the couple's two children, Dale and Dianna, Shirley worked at the Holst, Vogel and Richardson law firms, Musty-Barnhart and the Red Wing Credit Union. Shirley passed away in 2000.
After his basic training at Camp Roberts, California, Bill served in the 89th Infantry Division under the command of General George S. Patton. During the division's crossing of the Rhine River at St. Goarshausen, Germany, an entire platoon was lost. “I couldn't swim very well” said Bill, “and I was worried about the fast-moving river. Fortunately, we landed close to shore in just a couple feet of water”. Bill served under Patton in Luxembourg, Germany and Czechoslovakia, where U.S. Troops met up with their Russian counterparts coming from the east.
For the next year, he was stationed at Styr, Austria “At the time, if we extended our service another year, we were promised we could go home for Christmas. I signed up, but because of transportation problems, we never did get home for the holidays.” After returning to the U.S. , Bill served at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, where his unit escorted troops to their post before they were deployed overseas. Bill was discharged and returned to Minnesota in 1946.
A Life of Service to his Country, to his County, and to his City
This is the Bob Kempf Story
Bob was the son of Clarence and Ethel Kempf, grew up in Red Wing, graduated from Red Wing High School in 1940. He played short stop for the Red Wing Aces and was one of the best. After the war, Bob joined the electric team of Bob Friese and Dick Graw of Kask Electric. Bob and his wife Marcy (Bjornstad) Kempf had 3 children, Charles, John, and Sue (Jim) Van Duesen.
During World War II, Bob was on the submarine, the Sailfish, for most of the duration of the war. The Sailfish was formerly the Squalus which is a story in itself. The Squalus sank during a test dive in 1939. Twenty six crewmen in the after torpedo room and engine rooms drowned instantly. Thirty three men trapped in the forward part of the submarine were saved, thanks to the revolutionary use of the McCann diving bell. Later the Squalus was raised 240 feet from the floor of the Atlantic, a new depth record, and towed to the Portsmouth N.H. Navy Yard where the bodies were removed. Squalus was salvaged, rechristened the “Sailfish”, rejoined the fleet on January 16, 1940. All quotes in the media about the Sailfish was always prefixed by the words “ill-fated”. She was sometimes called the “Squalfish, Ghost Ship” and sometimes even referred to as the “Steel Coffin”.
The Sailfish, with Electrician Mate 1st Class Robert C. Kempf as a crewman for 4 of the 12 plus war patrols in WW II was credited with sinking or damaging 20 Japanese ships (80,000 tons) and rescuing 12 Navy flyer's during the bombing of Formosa. Sailfish earned nine battle stars and was awarded the 'Presidential Unit Citation" for sinking a Japanese Aircraft Carrier, the Chuyo, on Dec 3, 1943. Kempf was on the Sailfish at the time and received the citation which is quoted below. Sailfish was decommissioned October 27, 1945.
Her Conning Tower remains at the Portsmouth Navy Yard as a memorial to the 26 men who lost their lives on May 23, 1939. Electrician Mate 1st Class Robert Kempf was decorated with the "Presidential Unit Citation" The citation is quoted below ...
Name ___ Robert Charles Kempf_____ Service Number __ 639-17-03 __ Rate:__ EM2c(T)(SS) V6 USNR__ Date Reported Aboard ___ 12 October 1943 ______ U.S.S. Sailfish (SS192) SUBDIV-22 (RELIEF CREW)
Member of crew of U.S.S. SAILFISH during tenth patrol for which that ship received the Presidential Unit Citation for services as set forth in the following CITATION:
For outstanding performance in combat against strongly escorted enemy task forces and convoys in Japanese-controlled waters during the highly successful Tenth War Patrol. Despite extremely hazardous weather condition and persistent, severe anti-submarine measures, the SAILFISH, unassisted, attacked and sank a hostile aircraft carrier and, striking at enemy convoys accurately and with aggressive determination on two subsequent occasions, completely destroyed three important hostile freighters and inflicted heavy damage on another. The superb combat efficiency and readiness for battle of the SAILFISH throughout the vital period reflect great credit upon her gallant officers and men and the United States Naval Service.
For the President: James Forrestal Secretary of the Navy ATTESTED: R.E.M. Ward, Lt. Commander, USN.
Bob was the son of Clarence and Ethel Kempf, grew up in Red Wing, graduated from Red Wing High School in 1940. He played short stop for the Red Wing Aces and was one of the best. After the war, Bob joined the electric team of Bob Friese and Dick Graw of Kask Electric. Bob and his wife Marcy (Bjornstad) Kempf had 3 children, Charles, John, and Sue (Jim) Van Duesen.
During World War II, Bob was on the submarine, the Sailfish, for most of the duration of the war. The Sailfish was formerly the Squalus which is a story in itself. The Squalus sank during a test dive in 1939. Twenty six crewmen in the after torpedo room and engine rooms drowned instantly. Thirty three men trapped in the forward part of the submarine were saved, thanks to the revolutionary use of the McCann diving bell. Later the Squalus was raised 240 feet from the floor of the Atlantic, a new depth record, and towed to the Portsmouth N.H. Navy Yard where the bodies were removed. Squalus was salvaged, rechristened the “Sailfish”, rejoined the fleet on January 16, 1940. All quotes in the media about the Sailfish was always prefixed by the words “ill-fated”. She was sometimes called the “Squalfish, Ghost Ship” and sometimes even referred to as the “Steel Coffin”.
The Sailfish, with Electrician Mate 1st Class Robert C. Kempf as a crewman for 4 of the 12 plus war patrols in WW II was credited with sinking or damaging 20 Japanese ships (80,000 tons) and rescuing 12 Navy flyer's during the bombing of Formosa. Sailfish earned nine battle stars and was awarded the 'Presidential Unit Citation" for sinking a Japanese Aircraft Carrier, the Chuyo, on Dec 3, 1943. Kempf was on the Sailfish at the time and received the citation which is quoted below. Sailfish was decommissioned October 27, 1945.
Her Conning Tower remains at the Portsmouth Navy Yard as a memorial to the 26 men who lost their lives on May 23, 1939. Electrician Mate 1st Class Robert Kempf was decorated with the "Presidential Unit Citation" The citation is quoted below ...
Name ___ Robert Charles Kempf_____ Service Number __ 639-17-03 __ Rate:__ EM2c(T)(SS) V6 USNR__ Date Reported Aboard ___ 12 October 1943 ______ U.S.S. Sailfish (SS192) SUBDIV-22 (RELIEF CREW)
Member of crew of U.S.S. SAILFISH during tenth patrol for which that ship received the Presidential Unit Citation for services as set forth in the following CITATION:
For outstanding performance in combat against strongly escorted enemy task forces and convoys in Japanese-controlled waters during the highly successful Tenth War Patrol. Despite extremely hazardous weather condition and persistent, severe anti-submarine measures, the SAILFISH, unassisted, attacked and sank a hostile aircraft carrier and, striking at enemy convoys accurately and with aggressive determination on two subsequent occasions, completely destroyed three important hostile freighters and inflicted heavy damage on another. The superb combat efficiency and readiness for battle of the SAILFISH throughout the vital period reflect great credit upon her gallant officers and men and the United States Naval Service.
For the President: James Forrestal Secretary of the Navy ATTESTED: R.E.M. Ward, Lt. Commander, USN.
This is Eric Nordeen's story - first casualty from Red Wing in WWII
Eric Nordeen, son of Phil and Florence Nordeen and brother of Pat Nordeen Olson was the first casualty of World War II from Red Wing. Eric had 1 quarter of college left to graduate as an aeronautical Engineer from St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota when he joined the U.S. Air Corps.
He was trained at Stockton Field, California. He was an instructor in “Blind Flying or Instrument flying at the U.S. Army Air Corps Training base at Greenville, Mississippi. Nordeen and his student, and another instructor and his student, were told to circle the field at the same altitude (an error at the control tower.) Both planes crashed and Eric and his student tried to bail out, but were too close to the ground. Their motor was shut off. The other plane burned. He was scheduled to go to Europe the next week as a bomber pilot.
His claim to fame ... their unit made a movie with Abott and Costello.
The telegram received by the family dated June 5, 1942 said ...
Western Union Regret to advise that second Lt. Eric P. Nordeen died this day in the service of his country at Army Air Forces Basic Flying School, Greenville, Miss. Reply by return wire collect address of local mortician where remains may be forwarded. Internment may be had in a National Military Cemetery if desired. In either selection, all cost is at the expense of the government. Colonel A. R. McConnell.
This is the Dick Dodge Story
Richard “Dick” Dodge was born and raised in El Paso, near Ellsworth, Wisconsin. He graduated from high school in June of 1943. By September of that year he was in the navy and headed for San Diego, California, for six months of amphibious force training. From there he went to Hawaii, Guadalcanal and then to a place he called home: the USS Columbia, a cruiser ship in the Pacific Fleet. He worked on board ship as Fire Control, until he left the navy in April, 1946.
Fire Control Third, Dick Dodge, on the USS Columbia was with the 12th Division, 7th Fleet, working in the Philippine operation. He says “they did a lot of convoy work and bombarding before any landings”. They also spent much time patrolling the China Seas looking for the Japanese fleet. One of the highlights for the ship's entire crew occurred when the Japanese came aboard to sign the surrender of the island of Truk.
“While serving your country is a tremendous honor, doing so during a time of conflict brings a whole new meaning, Dick said. When you work side-by-side with the same people day in and day out, you know you can't just try to get along, you have to get along. These are the people who share with your every emotion. Through this experience a bond is formed, one that lasts a lifetime. Husbands, wives, sons and daughters may have heard all the stories, but only those who served side-by-side during a time of crisis fully understand.”
The USS Columbia is officially credited with the destruction of 27 Japanese planes, assisting in the sinking of 1 cruiser and 1 destroyer at the battle of Empress Augusta Bay and 2 battleships, 1 cruiser and 1 destroyer at the battle of Surigao Straits. The ship was officially presented with 10 Battle stars and 2 Navy Unit Citations. This inscription was dedicated in 1991 at Columbia, South Carolina, which honored the brave shipmates of the Columbia. A memorial to the Columbia, the gem of the ocean was also dedicated at Fredricksburg, Texas, home of the Admiral Nimitz Museum.
When Dick returned to the states after the war, he worked in different places. He said he almost reenlisted, because he wasn't too happy with what he was doing. His wife Muriel piped up in the background saying ... “But then he met me” and they both laughed. They were married and had 4 wonderful children, Kevin, Margo, Paula and Anita.
Ships reunions were just what Dick and Muriel needed. Dick heard about a ships reunion in 1983 and decided to go. A reunion with all his buddies plus others that served on the Columbia was a great idea. The Dodges made plans and took off. Muriel made new friends and Dick renewed old acquaintances. “It was an incredible time and so enjoyable to sit and talk with my buddies again.”
They have been to Boston, Florida, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The reunions are held in different cities around the country, so they each have something different to offer. One of the most important thing on the agenda each year is where will the reunion be next year. A committee is formed and they do a tremendous job in arranging everything. A memorial service with a wreath-laying ceremony is held to honor our deceased comrades, especially those who were lost during the war. It's good to get together. You get a wonderful feeling reminiscing with the guys and sharing memories of the things we did.
Our thanks to the Today magazine (July 1995) for providing this story about Dick and Muriel Dodge.
Richard “Dick” Dodge was born and raised in El Paso, near Ellsworth, Wisconsin. He graduated from high school in June of 1943. By September of that year he was in the navy and headed for San Diego, California, for six months of amphibious force training. From there he went to Hawaii, Guadalcanal and then to a place he called home: the USS Columbia, a cruiser ship in the Pacific Fleet. He worked on board ship as Fire Control, until he left the navy in April, 1946.
Fire Control Third, Dick Dodge, on the USS Columbia was with the 12th Division, 7th Fleet, working in the Philippine operation. He says “they did a lot of convoy work and bombarding before any landings”. They also spent much time patrolling the China Seas looking for the Japanese fleet. One of the highlights for the ship's entire crew occurred when the Japanese came aboard to sign the surrender of the island of Truk.
“While serving your country is a tremendous honor, doing so during a time of conflict brings a whole new meaning, Dick said. When you work side-by-side with the same people day in and day out, you know you can't just try to get along, you have to get along. These are the people who share with your every emotion. Through this experience a bond is formed, one that lasts a lifetime. Husbands, wives, sons and daughters may have heard all the stories, but only those who served side-by-side during a time of crisis fully understand.”
The USS Columbia is officially credited with the destruction of 27 Japanese planes, assisting in the sinking of 1 cruiser and 1 destroyer at the battle of Empress Augusta Bay and 2 battleships, 1 cruiser and 1 destroyer at the battle of Surigao Straits. The ship was officially presented with 10 Battle stars and 2 Navy Unit Citations. This inscription was dedicated in 1991 at Columbia, South Carolina, which honored the brave shipmates of the Columbia. A memorial to the Columbia, the gem of the ocean was also dedicated at Fredricksburg, Texas, home of the Admiral Nimitz Museum.
When Dick returned to the states after the war, he worked in different places. He said he almost reenlisted, because he wasn't too happy with what he was doing. His wife Muriel piped up in the background saying ... “But then he met me” and they both laughed. They were married and had 4 wonderful children, Kevin, Margo, Paula and Anita.
Ships reunions were just what Dick and Muriel needed. Dick heard about a ships reunion in 1983 and decided to go. A reunion with all his buddies plus others that served on the Columbia was a great idea. The Dodges made plans and took off. Muriel made new friends and Dick renewed old acquaintances. “It was an incredible time and so enjoyable to sit and talk with my buddies again.”
They have been to Boston, Florida, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The reunions are held in different cities around the country, so they each have something different to offer. One of the most important thing on the agenda each year is where will the reunion be next year. A committee is formed and they do a tremendous job in arranging everything. A memorial service with a wreath-laying ceremony is held to honor our deceased comrades, especially those who were lost during the war. It's good to get together. You get a wonderful feeling reminiscing with the guys and sharing memories of the things we did.
Our thanks to the Today magazine (July 1995) for providing this story about Dick and Muriel Dodge.
This is Eleanor (Swanson) Dahl's Story
In December of 1944, I was working at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in Los Angeles with two of my classmates from St. John's Hospital School of Nursing in Red Wing, MN. With very little planning, we went to the library intending to sign up for the Red Cross. There we found out we could join the Army Nurse Corps.
I had two brothers in the Navy at the time and, of course, we all had friends in the service. We just wanted to do our part. We stayed in Los Angeles over Christmas and then came to Red Wing by train, before reporting to Fort Lewis, WA in February of 1945. The trip to Washington was made by train which was packed with G.I.'s The officers on the train gave up their compartment to accommodate the three of us.
Fort Lewis is located between Seattle and Tacoma. When we arrived we were issued standard issue fatigues, army boots, helmets and canteens. During our six weeks of basic training our marching sergeant had a lot of trouble with us, but after we studied the army procedures we did well. We also had to go on bivouac and use gas masks, though we never quite saw the reasoning behind it.
We were assigned to Madigan General Orthopedic Center and Base Hospital. The patients in our section were sick recruits and those with fractures were in another section. I remember following doctors as they diagnosed one recruit after another with strep throat, measles, mumps and scarlet fever. It was obvious they could diagnose almost at a glance. A secret challenge of mine was to try to figure out what each diagnoses was before the doctor said it out loud. Shifts ran for 12 hours and we were responsible for three to five wards on each shift. Penicillin and sulfa were new drugs. It helped cure a multitude of ills.
Our living quarters were connected to the hospital. We had private rooms and one day off, every week. We could eat our meals in the ward or the hospital workers mess hall. Sometimes we had a free day and we went to Seattle to stay in a hotel and see a movie. Sometimes a truckload of us would go to Mt. Rainier to ski.
One day I woke up with a stomach ache that wouldn't go away. That afternoon I had my appendix removed under a spinal anesthetic, so I could watch the surgery in a mirror, which now seems like a silly idea.
2nd Lt. Eleanor Dahl Nurses the Wounded
Although the war in Europe ended in May of 1945, the war in the Pacific continued until August of that year. Long term patients continued to arrive at the hospital in 1946. There were many soldiers in the hospital in May of 1946. Our section alone had 500 beds. Soldiers from the March of Bataan came through the hospital toward the end of my stay. They had been forced to march and had lived with a constant threat of being beaten and not fed. They were amazed and happy just to be alive and back on American soil. In late April of 1946, I returned to Red Wing to care for my father. - From Eleanor Dahl's story in the Goodhue County Historical News, Nov. 1991.
In December of 1944, I was working at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in Los Angeles with two of my classmates from St. John's Hospital School of Nursing in Red Wing, MN. With very little planning, we went to the library intending to sign up for the Red Cross. There we found out we could join the Army Nurse Corps.
I had two brothers in the Navy at the time and, of course, we all had friends in the service. We just wanted to do our part. We stayed in Los Angeles over Christmas and then came to Red Wing by train, before reporting to Fort Lewis, WA in February of 1945. The trip to Washington was made by train which was packed with G.I.'s The officers on the train gave up their compartment to accommodate the three of us.
Fort Lewis is located between Seattle and Tacoma. When we arrived we were issued standard issue fatigues, army boots, helmets and canteens. During our six weeks of basic training our marching sergeant had a lot of trouble with us, but after we studied the army procedures we did well. We also had to go on bivouac and use gas masks, though we never quite saw the reasoning behind it.
We were assigned to Madigan General Orthopedic Center and Base Hospital. The patients in our section were sick recruits and those with fractures were in another section. I remember following doctors as they diagnosed one recruit after another with strep throat, measles, mumps and scarlet fever. It was obvious they could diagnose almost at a glance. A secret challenge of mine was to try to figure out what each diagnoses was before the doctor said it out loud. Shifts ran for 12 hours and we were responsible for three to five wards on each shift. Penicillin and sulfa were new drugs. It helped cure a multitude of ills.
Our living quarters were connected to the hospital. We had private rooms and one day off, every week. We could eat our meals in the ward or the hospital workers mess hall. Sometimes we had a free day and we went to Seattle to stay in a hotel and see a movie. Sometimes a truckload of us would go to Mt. Rainier to ski.
One day I woke up with a stomach ache that wouldn't go away. That afternoon I had my appendix removed under a spinal anesthetic, so I could watch the surgery in a mirror, which now seems like a silly idea.
2nd Lt. Eleanor Dahl Nurses the Wounded
Although the war in Europe ended in May of 1945, the war in the Pacific continued until August of that year. Long term patients continued to arrive at the hospital in 1946. There were many soldiers in the hospital in May of 1946. Our section alone had 500 beds. Soldiers from the March of Bataan came through the hospital toward the end of my stay. They had been forced to march and had lived with a constant threat of being beaten and not fed. They were amazed and happy just to be alive and back on American soil. In late April of 1946, I returned to Red Wing to care for my father. - From Eleanor Dahl's story in the Goodhue County Historical News, Nov. 1991.