IT. S. ARMY BASE HOSPITAL No. 45 
IN THE GREAT WAR EDITION LIMITED TO 300 COPIES Lieutenant Colonel Stuart McGuire, M. C. 
Commanding Officer 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 HISTORY OF 
U. S. ARMY BASE HOSPITAL 
No. 45 
IN THE GREAT WAR 
(MEDICAL COLLEGE OF VIRGINIA UNIT) 
RICHMOND: 
The William Byrd Press, Inc. 
1924 To 
HIM, CALLED DOUGHBOY, 
AN HUMBLE BUT GREAT AMERICAN, 
THE MEMORY OF WHOSE COURAGEOUS 
HEART AND UNCONQUERABLE 
SPIRIT WILL, WITH US, OUTLAST 
ALL OTHER RECOLLECTIONS 
OF THIS WAR. Table of Contents 
PAGE 
I. The Unit and Its Career in General Review (Illustrations) 17 
II. On the High Seas- 
1. Camp Lee to Havre 83 
Illustration: Map of Base Hospital No. 45 . . Opposite 100 
2. Camp Lee to Brest 92 
3. New York to Liverpool Ill 
III. Getting Together- 
1. Brest to Autun 121 
Illustrations: Autun Opposite 132 
2. Autun to Toul 133 
3. Liverpool to Toul 137 
Illustrations: Toul Opposite 144 
IV. The Hospital in Action- 
1. Transformation of a Barracks Into a Hospital .... 147 
Illustrations: The Plant Opposite 164 
2. The Patient 165 
3. The Doctor 172 
Illustrations: The Staff Opposite 178 
4. The Nurse 179 
Illustrations: The Nurses Opposite 188 
5. The Wardmaster 189 
6. The Chaplain 194 
Illustrations: The Detachment Opposite 200 
7. The Administration 201 
V. The Work We Did- 
1. Told in Figures 221 
2. The Surgical Service 226 
Illustrations: The Day's Work Opposite 244 10 
T ABLE OF Con ten t s 
V. The Work We Did-Continued. page 
3. The Medical Service 245 
4. The Laboratory 256 
5. The X-ray Department 261 
6. The Eye, Ear, and Throat Clinic 263 
7. The Dental Clinic 266 
Illustrations: Glimpses of France Opposite 270 
VI. Here and There- 
L Other Sides of Our Life Over There 273 
2. Christmas at the Base Hospital 278 
Illustrations: Santa Claus at Toul Opposite 282 
3. Toul and the Armistice 283 
4. Our Equipment 291 
5. Active Service at Coulommiers 294 
Illustrations: Views from the Skies .... Opposite 298 
6. Verdun 299 
7. A Trip to Metz 303 
VIL Home Again- 
1. The Journey Back 309 
Illustrations: Facing Toward America . . Opposite 318 
2. Reception in Richmond 319 
3. The Veterans' Association 321 
4. Recognitions 324 
5. J'Accuse La Guerre-A Retrospect 327 
Illustrations: The Lighter Side Opposite 334 
The Roster 335 
Chronology 346 Foreword 
book is the product and property of the 
Veterans' Association of U. S. Army Base 
0^ Hospital No. 45, familiarly known as the 
McGuire Unit. 
It is presented, not as a literary effort, 
but as the record of a human experience. 
If it lacks in style it is certainly not deficient in earnestness 
of purpose and honesty of statement. It doubtless contains 
minor errata though every effort has been made to exclude 
them. The events set down constitute the history of the 
unit: the opinions expressed are the affair of the individuals 
who sign the articles. Some of these articles were written 
in France; others soon after our return to this country; 
still others quite recently. In each instance the original 
tense has been retained. 
The introductory article was deliberately planned to 
cover the earlier days of the organization in some detail 
and the later days in summary only. The detail of these 
more active days is then set forth in the series of articles 
which follow. The pictures are practically all originals and 
the great majority of them were made by our own photog- 
rapher. Ranks of officers are stated as of the date of the 
corresponding event and are therefore to some extent vari- 
able even in the same article. 
In compiling, arranging, and editing the data assembled 
in the book, I have had the indispensible assistance of an 
associate editorial board consisting of Mrs. H. J. Winans, 
Dr. Greer Baughman, Dr. James H. Smith, Mr. Irving 
May and Mr. Frank Levy. It is impossible to estimate 
too highly the value of the service they have rendered at Foreword 
12 
the expense of much time and personal convenience. With- 
out this cordial co-operation the project could never have 
been completed in its present comprehensive form. 
It may be desirable to note that though the book has 
been seriously planned as a historical document it has been 
issued primarily for those who shared in the experiences it 
represents. The general reader, into whose hands it may 
chance to come, will bear this in mind, we hope, when he 
crosses some details apparently trivial and irrelevant but to 
us full of meaning and of memories. 
Joseph F. Geisinger, 
Editor. 3n J^emoriam 
Alexander W. Williams 
Lieut. Col., M. C. 
1918 
Joseph J. English 
Private 1st Class 
1918 
Robert S. Pittman 
Private 1st Class 
1919 
Erasmus G. Hopkins 
Major, M. C. 
1922 I. The Unit and Its Career in 
General Review- 
The earliest days unfold a story common to that 
time of sudden immersion in the whirlpool of War- 
with everything apparently running counter to every- 
thing else, with the ceaseless, seemingly unproductive 
stir of eager but unorganized millions, with order and 
efficiency gradually shaping under the master hands that 
steadied the ship of state in those stormy seas. Out 
of this turmoil emerged-along with the rest-U. S. A. 
Base Hospital No. 45, created and sponsored in Rich- 
mond, and sent forth from that one-time capital of the 
Confederacy to do what might fall to its lot in the 
crisis that united all Americans. When and where and 
how it met this duty it is the purpose of these pages 
now to relate. The story-winding through the canton- 
ments, with disheartening months of training and wait- 
ing; across the seas, then almost as deadly as the battle- 
field; into the heart of France and onward to the 
front-discloses nothing extraordinary and is recorded 
not for any particular achievement it might be imagined 
to represent, but because, in times present and to come, 
We desire, for our own memories, some written account 
of the days we thus spent together. What we did was 
no different from what was done by the whole expedi- 
tion of which we were a minute fraction. It was 
merely our bit and we can rightly claim for it that it 
was distinguished by only one thing-the earnestness 
of the endeavor which produced it. And now as, look- 
ing backward, we think of that chapter in our lives, 
our perspective is still quite clear. In retrospect we 
witness again the events of those hurried, crowded times 
and see ourselves as we actually were-a handful of 
men and women among millions joined in a great 
cause, the real brunt of which was borne by others of 
whom perhaps less is being written. And if out of it 
all must stand for us one thought above the rest, it is 
this-a great and growing thankfulness that if we did 
little we at least did no less: and that, in his critical 
hour, time and fortunate circumstance placed us where 
we were needed most by him whom we recognize as a 
real hero of the Great War-the American on the fir- 
ing line in Europe. The Unit and Its Career In 
General Review 
N the early summer of 1917, soon after the 
formal entry of the United States into the 
European war arena, a small group of Rich- 
mond physicians, with associated nurses and 
enlisted men, hastily collected their personal 
equipment, closed their offices or gave up 
their jobs, and rather furiously prepared for what appeared 
an imminent departure for the front. Thirteen months later 
they left America for France-tempered by time, wiser 
by a year of discipline and training, and, more especially, 
dignified by incorporation in machines of much wider 
dimensions than the original construction. Out of Hospital 
Unit E, Richmond's first organized medical effort, had now 
come an ambulance company and a base hospital, and it is 
with the affairs of the latter that the records in this volume 
are essentially concerned. 
The response of the Richmond profession to the call 
of the President was prompt and creditable. A number of 
physicians immediately entered the service: others found it 
necessary to deliberate for a few days or a few weeks or a 
few months. Eventually the large majority of those who 
were not compelled by force of circumstances to stay behind 
got into uniform. 
The hospital unit came into existence almost im- 
mediately. Appropriately its organization was entrusted to 
Dr. Robert C. Bryan who had already been in the French 
service at the front, and who, therefore, added invaluable 
experience to the influence he would ordinarily have exerted 
in such a movement. 18 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
The unit idea was a development of the Red Cross 
system sanctioned by the war department. The function 
of such a unit was to furnish the human materiel for an 
active mobile hospital which operated in the field and under 
gunfire if necessary. The working staff consisted of twelve 
doctors, thirty nurses and fifty enlisted men. Dr. Bryan 
selected his own professional associates, and at once 
gathered around him a harmonious group-A. L. Herring, 
C. H. Lewis, F. M. Hodges, Greer Baughman, J. F. 
Geisinger, W. B. Porter, J. E. Warinner, W. B. Hopkins, 
Charles Phillips, J. T. McKinney and F. C. Pratt. 
An uncommonly efficient corps of nurses enrolled under 
Miss Evelyn Page Edmunds. The enlisted personnel came 
to a considerable extent from prominent Richmond families 
and were largely college graduates. Enthusiasm was un- 
bounded and Washington encouraged the belief that by the 
end of June the unit would be sailing the seas. 
Then came the crash that brought ultimate good but 
immediate gloom. The hospital "unit" as a type had been 
found to have no real place in the surgeon general's scheme 
of organization, and had been summarily abolished. The 
war department wanted only the much more pretentious base 
hospitals, and but a limited number of these were to be 
authorized. Richmond appeared to have little chance and 
Unit E seemed on the edge of dissipation. Protest and 
prayer were of no avail. The department instructed Dr. 
Bryan that it desired his own services upon a mission of 
great importance, but that it could not at that time utilize 
the remainder of the organization as such. Throughout the 
country similar units were in the same plight. 
But other events were pending. By this time the Rich- 
mond Red Cross had effected a powerful organization and 
immediately marshaled its entire force behind a movement 
to preserve a definite medical organization of some type 
identified with the capital of the Confederacy. Quick and 
remarkable success met this effort. The department re- 1' h e Uni t 1 n G e n e r a l R e v 1 e w 
19 
fused to release Dr. Bryan from the assignment it had 
projected for him and announced his appointment as chief 
medical adviser to the commission to Roumania, then about 
ready to start upon its labors. But, while it could not use 
Unit E, it agreed to its expansion into a base hospital under 
Red Cross auspices, and furthermore permitted the simul- 
taneous organization of an ambulance company in Rich- 
mond. Dr. Stuart McGuire wyas made director of the base 
hospital and in his hands was left also the task of bring- 
ing the ambulance company into existence. 
So came into being the Medical College of Virginia 
Base Hospital subsequently to be known as United States 
Army Base Hospital No. 45. The public meeting at which 
Dr. Bryan bade his organization farewell and Dr. Mc- 
Guire assumed command of it was one of the most stirring 
ever held in Richmond. It had been preceded by a little 
gathering in the office of Dr. Bryan, where the staff of the 
unit, all devotedly attached to their chief, offered to resign 
in a body and enter the service as individuals. This Dr. 
Bryan flatly refused to permit. He was deeply affected by 
the separation, but was firm in his determination to have 
his organization preserved. On the other hand, Dr. Mc- 
Guire was equally firm in his desire to use it as the nucleus 
for his base hospital. These determinations met and crystal- 
lized at the public meeting. The two leaders had always 
been the most cordial of friends and they parted as such. 
Dr. McGuire generously offered to act as director of the 
base hospital until Dr. Bryan completed his mission in 
Roumania, and then either retire in his favor or else sur- 
render the command to him and act as his second. But the 
affairs of war are devious and uncontrollable. Dr. Bryan 
knew this and realized the unlikelihood of a reunion, once 
the separation occurred. With his staff still hoping that 
he might yet some day rejoin them he left Richmond. But 
the reunion, as he foresaw, never occurred. U. S. Arm y B a s e Hospit a l No. 4 5 
20 
Before he had time to do more than hold a hurried 
consultation with some of the leading spirits in the affairs 
of the projected base hospital, Dr. McGuire was summoned 
to Washington to act as aide to the surgeon-general. I his 
unusual distinction was a source of gratification to his 
friends, but also a source of some agitation to those who 
were immediately facing the apparent complexity of the 
local medical situation. War rumors of every description 
were rife. It was even intimated that the new base hospital 
would have to be ready to sail in two weeks. To accom- 
plish this, gigantic efforts were necessary and the enforced 
absence of the director was a matter for some concern. 
But there could be no parleying with the situation. Dr. 
McGuire donned a uniform and went to the capital as 
Major McGuire, leaving Dr. Joseph F. Geisinger in charge 
of affairs in Richmond. The next two weeks were full of 
strenuous moments. Physicians from a dozen different 
states immediatelv sought an association with the new or- 
ganization which, in spite of the efforts of the director, soon 
became known throughout the country as the McGuire unit. 
Scores of prominent young men applied for enlistment as 
privates. Nurses trooped to the standard. The city arose 
solidly behind the base hospital and, especially, its Red 
Cross chapter began that herculean effort which finally rep- 
resented one of the finest achievements in America. 
It soon became obvious that haste was not so necessary 
as at first assumed, but in spite of this there was no relaxa- 
tion. When, after ten days, Major McGuire, who had kept 
in constant touch with the local situation, returned to Rich- 
mond, the framework of his organization had been erecte 
and, if circumstances had demanded it, a quick get-away 
could have been made-on the Red Cross basis as it then 
existed. Later on, as will be seen, this basis was to undergo 
some very radical changes. 
Upon the return of the director, Dr. Geisinger gave up 
his practice and went into the office of Major McGuire to The Unit in General Review 
21 
act as his adjutant until the base hospital organization was 
perfected; a short time later he was called into active ser- 
vice but permitted to remain in Richmond as aide to Major 
McGuire. By incessant work the latter not only devoted a 
large share of his time to supervision of the base hospital 
organization, but also continued his private practice and 
executed his duties as dean of the Medical College of Vir- 
ginia and chairman of the Virginia section of the medical 
division of the Council of National Defense. The announce- 
ment that he actually intended to accompany the base hos- 
pital to Europe-which meant the dissipation of his private 
practice and the closure of his hospital-caused something 
of a sensation and, if the fact must be stated, aroused a 
good deal of incredulity which events have sufficiently an- 
swered without further comment. 
From now on the organization of the base hospital 
steadily progressed in the teeth of numerous perplexities. 
The exigencies of the war and the gradual evolution in 
Washington of an entirely new scheme of medical service, 
made many readjustments necessary. The numerous drafts 
decimated the enlisted force, which had to be undergoing 
a continual process of reconstruction. Many problems con- 
nected with the nurses arose. The remainder of the profes- 
sional staff-a dozen men-had to be picked from nearly 
200 applicants and without regard to any other considera- 
tion than the best interests of the unit and the college. 
Simultaneously the ambulance company, a big undertaking in 
itself, had to be hammered into shape; at the beginning its 
problems closely resembled those of the base hospital, with 
the exception that it had to assemble no nurses; later the 
character of work for which it was designed led it into a 
different path which it is not the purpose of this history to 
follow in detail. 
From time to time some unexpected thunderclap, rep- 
resenting a radical change in governmental policies and re- 
quiring a radical readjustment in base hospital affairs, shook 22 
U. S. Army Base Hospital N o. 4 5 
the new-built foundations, but they stood firm in the main 
and gradually the structure grew. Dr. C. Howard Lewis, 
of the original unit staff, was chosen to organize the ambu- 
lance company, and the selection proved a happy one; he 
went at the task with great vigor and finally produced an 
outfit the worthy career of which it is hoped will some day 
be described by himself and his coadjutors in other pages. 
About the time the general situation began to assume 
something like satisfactory shape, came from Washington 
announcement that each base hospital organized under Red 
Cross auspices would be expected to raise $40,000 for its 
own equipment, and furthermore, under general war depart- 
ment supervision, must purchase this equipment itself. New 
and bewildering difficulties at once arose. The actual 
securing of the money was a small matter and was im- 
mediately accomplished. But to translate dollars into 
surgical instruments, beds, stoves, automobiles, stretchers, 
ice plants, etc., ad infinitum, was another matter. The gov- 
ernment demanded an equipment, but was not prepared to 
state what it should be; the market was not prepared to 
furnish it even if it had been stated. For a time willing 
hands were growing weary and anxious groping in the dark. 
The hospital was projected first on a 1,000-bed basis, and 
then on a 500-bed basis. Its expendable supplies, such as 
drugs, had to be accumulated in such bulk that it could exist 
within itself an entire year, then three months, then one 
month; finally not at all. It must have a laundry and an 
electric plant of its own, and then must not have them. It 
must do this, that and the other and then undo it all and 
start afresh on some new basis. A Richmond delegation 
went to New York in search of ideas and minutely inspected 
model base hospitals. The purchasing agent, the acting 
adjutant and the director made frequent visits to Wash- 
ington begging for information. Everything seemed to be 
in a state of the utmost confusion. 
In the meantime nurses were being chosen and rechosen. T h e Unit in General R e v i e w 
23 
The enlisted personnel were being selected with a view to 
providing the hospital with every type of service it would 
need-cooks, barbers, plumbers, carpenters, tailors, stenog- 
raphers, clerks, ward attendants and what not. Periodically 
the draft boards descended upon this band and then, after 
vain negotiations and pleas with secretaries of state, major 
generals, justices of the 
peace and others, numbers 
had to be released and 
their places promptly filled. 
A colonel stood nowhere in 
importance beside a cook. 
Generals fought for them; 
base hospital adjutants lost 
them and got others only to 
lose them, too. The direc- 
tor was especially con- 
cerned with the selection 
of the remainder of the 
staff-a difficult and deli- 
cate task. Once chosen the 
men had to be carefully 
placed here and there for 
the training that would be 
most useful to the organiza- 
tion. All this took time 
and volumes of corre- 
spondence. Complications 
arose with Washington in the selection of the chief nurse 
and prolonged negotiations with the Red Cross corps 
authorities ensued. 
Mr. Coleman Wortham, 
President of Richmond Chapter 
of Red Cross. 
But war cannot be made by diagram. The government 
was just feeling its way and getting its bearings. To the 
layman, it was singular that Washington apparently was so 24 
U. S. A r m y Bas e Hospi t a l N o. 4 5 
meagerly informed as to what was needed in France; de- 
manded so much and was so inadequate in its description of 
what it wanted. But that is neither here nor there. Much 
money and energy and time were wasted, but everybody was 
working hard and doing his best, perhaps. 
In the medical department order gradually evolved out 
of chaos and Base Hospital No. 45 participated in the 
change. Authority was obtained to recruit the enlisted per- 
sonnel, thus protecting it from further draft invasions; the 
list of nurses began to be maintained at a steadier level; 
the complications in connection with the head nurse were 
smoothed out; the professional staff was completed and dis- 
patched to work in various schools, camps and cantonments; 
more specific instructions began to issue from the equipment 
chiefs and the purchasing agent was at last in position ac- 
tually to begin his work. The situation as a whole was di- 
rected by Dr. McGuire, assisted by his acting adjutant; 
the recruiting of the enlisted personnel was done by Dr. 
John Garnett Nelson, now in major's uniform; the nursing 
problems were handled by Miss Ruth I. Robertson; and 
the assemblage of the equipment was left in the hands of 
Mr. Richard Gwathmey, a Richmond business man of 
wide experience. 
It has been said that the actual production of the 
$40,000 required by the government was the easiest of the 
many problems confronting the base hospital organizers. 
1'he simplicity of this task, which otherwise would have 
been of staggering proportions, was due entirely to the at- 
titude and achievements of the Richmond Chapter of the 
American Red Cross. The success of this chapter in rais- 
ing an almost unparalleled sum in the first Red Cross 
"drive" had already become a matter of national comment. 
1'he chapter now adopted Base Hospital No. 45 and turned 
all its energies toward the production of tons of surgical 
dressings and other supplies. Prominent Richmond women 
led the groups that devoted days and nights of incessant T H E U N I I I N G E N E R A L R E V I E W 
25 
work to this big job. Equally prominent Richmond men 
left their offices in the care of secretaries and clerks and 
made every business appointment secondary to the Red Cross 
activity. When the 840,000 demand came through, the 
acting adjutant, by direction of Dr. McGuire, appeared be- 
fore the executive committee of the chapter and made a 
brief statement; two or three days later he went to Wash- 
ington and astonished the equipment treasurer by laying a 
Red Cross check for $40,000 on his desk. This procedure 
was necessary in order that the sum be taken up on the 
Washington books and administered from that end. It was 
promptly certified back to Richmond to be actually expended 
by the purchasing agent to be chosen by the chapter. 
Almost as promptly it became evident that the $40,000 
was but a beginning. Upon the basis ultimately adopted it 
would not by any means be sufficient for an adequate equip- 
ment. Dr. McGuire again consulted the executive commit- 
tee. The matter was very speedily disposed of. Dr. Mc- 
Guire was soon in position to notify Washington that so 
far as money was concerned he was prepared with equip- 
ment whether it was to cost $40,000 or a quarter of a mil- 
lion. As a matter of fact, the final outlay was nearly $140,- 
000 for the base hospital and $40,000 additional for the 
ambulance company. 
This represented the chapter's contribution in cash; 
otherwise it gave still more. Its president, Mr. Coleman 
Wortham, was constantly at work in the interests of the 
infant organization. His associates, both men and women, 
spared nothing of time and worry. There were many pos- 
sibilities of misunderstandings but none arose. The utmost 
cordiality marked the inception, the progress and the com- 
pletion of the project. And with the utmost cordiality still 
the personnel of Base Hospital No. 45, now and without 
more ado, but with profound sincerity, wish to share with 
these Richmond men and women any satisfaction it may be 
entitled to feel as a result of its career after it left the 26 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 4 5 
chapter's mothering care and became a war department 
machine. 
Upon the shoulders of Mr. Gwathmey fell a colossal 
load. The necessary funds were in hand. The Washing- 
ton office was now able to state with a certain measure of 
clearness what the equipment should be. All that was left 
to do was to take the money and buy it. This Mr. Gwath- 
mey did. After several months of continuous service, dur- 
ing which his own private business in some miraculous way 
took care of itself, Mr. Gwathmey had fourteen carloads 
crated and ready for shipment to Europe. 1 hat a dozen or 
more committees, of which he was the storm center, were 
in the italics of exhaustion and beginning to greet a mad- 
house with affection was an incident of the time. 
Supply houses were already groaning under orders they 
could not fill. It was a seller's and not a buyer's market. 
The cheapest commodity of all was money. The immediate 
available stock had already been requisitioned by the gov- 
ernment. Foreign sources were cut off by the war. A 
surgical needle was more precious than an equivalent of 
gold. But the thing had to be done somehow-and it was 
done. Business associates with powerful connections rallied 
behind Mr. Gwathmey, and not only opened up sealed chan- 
nels to him, but often gave him maximum qualities for 
minimum prices. The experience and assistance of the mem- 
bers of the firm of Powers & Anderson were of great aid in 
securing the requisite equipment of surgical instruments. 
Touring cars, ambulances, beds, tables, blankets, chairs, 
drugs, kitchen outfits and the thousand other necessities of 
a modern hospital began to gather. Elaborate records of 
expenditures had to be kept. At last it was finished. By 
this time the professional staff, the nursing force and the 
enlisted personnel were also complete. 
Base Hospital No. 45, thanks to its own efforts, but 
especially thanks to the Richmond chapter of the Red Cross The Unit in General Review 
27 
and its purchasing agent, now stood squarely upon its feet 
and, come what might, was ready. 
Thereafter came long full months of training, of im- 
patient waiting for the call to the front, of bitter doubt if 
the call would ever come- 
months that dragged pain- 
fully along but that steadily 
led toward ultimate realiza- 
tion of the dream that 
brought the unit into ex- 
istence. For the time being 
Dr. McGuire continued his 
work in Richmond with the 
assistance of one or two of 
his officers. The remainder 
were either already on ac- 
tive duty elsewhere or were 
speedily sent here and there 
throughout the country- 
into camps, cantonments, 
war colleges, or wherever 
else they might contribute 
their service to the needs of 
the moment and at the 
same time themselves be- 
come better fitted for the 
sterner stuff ahead of them in Europe. As far as prac- 
ticable these assignments, through the co-operation of the 
surgeon-general, were made with special reference to the 
future demands of the base hospital. Here and there weird 
mischance took a hand and odd duties, then annoying but 
now in the main amusing, fell to the lot of a few of us. 
But generally speaking, the system worked well, and even- 
tually each fell more or less accurately into his groove and 
Mr. Richard Gwathmey, 
Purchasing Agent for Base 
Hospital No. 45. 28 
U. S. A R m v B a s e HOSP! I a i. N o. 4 5 
there gathered bits of experience which in the aggregate 
proved of immense value at a later day. Appropriately 
the lines converged toward Camp Lee, the nearest canton- 
ment to the home of the base, and one by one the officers, 
after periods of duty at other posts, began to gather there. 
Early in the history of this great camp Major Peple became 
chief of its surgical service; Major Nelson, assistant chief 
of the medical service; Captain Smith, assistant adjutant; 
Lieutenant Warinner, registrar; Captain Baughman, regis- 
trar and later commanding officer of the contagious hos- 
pital; Captain Geisinger and Captain Herring, operating 
surgeons; Captain Wright in the nose and throat clinic; 
Captain Harrison and Captain John Bell Williams in the 
dental department. Some of them had already been 
through the acid mill of Oglethorpe; others through 
pleasanter days under special instruction in the great cities. 
Captain Hodges was learning and teaching in Richmond 
and New York; Captain E. G. Hopkins and Lieutenant 
Phillips studied war bacteriology at the Rockefeller In- 
stitute and then passed on to other fields; Captain Ander- 
son was at the Neurological Institute in New York; Captain 
Porter was moving here and there and finally landed in 
England; Lieutenant Carrington Williams was holding 
things in shape at the Richmond headquarters; Lieutenant 
R. G. Willis and Lieutenant Q. H. Barney were at train- 
ing camps. 
In the meantime the nurses had been scattered across 
the country on duty in thirteen different cantonment hos- 
pitals. They went in small detachments here and there, 
and were in many instances immediately face to face with 
work more arduous and problems more serious than they 
had ever before encountered in their lives. The canton- 
ment hospitals were huge barn-like affairs that later reached 
a stage of great efficiency, but that in these early days pre- 
sented a scene disheartening to those accustomed to the 
smooth machinery of the metropolitan plant. Cold, cheer- T H E U NIT IN G E N E R A I. R E V I E W 
29 
less, surrounded by mud, scantily supplied with equipment, 
stuffed with patients, swept by frightful epidemics, buried 
under tons of army paper and entangled in miles of army 
red tape of which civilians knew little and cared less, the 
cantonment hospital, at the outset, was a thing to try the 
soul and break the spirit of the most willing. To the nurse 
fell not only much of the burden of this but also much of 
the correction of it. At that time assignment to service 
was not always distinguished by intelligent direction and 
numerous bizarre and sometimes awkward misfits resulted. 
Medical officers trained in one direction were dislocated 
from their accustomed spheres, where they could have been 
of great usefulness, and suddenly thrust into lines of work 
where, for a time, they were completely at sea. But grim de- 
termination and incessant labor ultimately gained the upper- 
hand and by the time these pioneers-nurses, doctors and 
wardmen-were beginning to be inured to hardships and 
to be masterful of handicaps and army technicalities, the 
supply lines were also functioning more smoothly and the 
final result was a real hospital-clean, comfortable, efficient 
-which gave to the late recruit but little idea of what had 
preceded this phase. These were hard days, but were full 
of lessons that perhaps made more endurable days still 
harder that were vet to come. 
In the last week of February of 1918 the enlisted per- 
sonnel were called into active service and the news sent a 
thrill of expectation through the entire organization. Sure- 
ly this meant business at last. The detachment was mobi- 
lized at Richmond on February 28th and went through all 
the experiences of a green outfit confronted with its first 
attempt to get into military form and comportment. 
Trifling details that seem ludicrous now were then matters 
for profound thought and much concern. Other details were 30 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
not so triHing. The solemn service at St. Paul's Church 
will always linger in the memory of those who attended it; 
so also the little intimate household scenes that one can 
imagine with husband, son, or brother leaving for service 
that might take him into warring lands far away. A few 
stirring days passed and then the detachment, under the 
temporary command of Captain Smith, assisted by Lieu- 
tenant Warinner, was delivered on March 1st at Camp Lee, 
safe and sound, and in a state of miraculous integrity of 
life, limb and temper. As the boys, after a self-conscious 
march across the camp full of "veterans," were lined up 
for dismissal at the hospital, a warm glow settled upon 
those of us already there. One smiled, perhaps, at the 
huge, bulging suit cases some of them brought, or the casual 
attention they were now giving to certain formalities; and 
thought of the time, soon to come, when they would be strip- 
ped lean of baggage and would feel the pinch of precise at- 
tention to detail. But for the moment these were matters 
for little consideration. At last we were beginning to as- 
sume the dimensions of an organization. These boys be- 
longed to us-and no more promising lot had ever set foot 
in that camp. 
The detachment was promptly absorbed into the per- 
sonnel of the Camp Lee hospital and immediately went to 
work. At first they were apprenticed in a way to the more 
experienced wardmen already there, but very speedily their 
uncommon calibre began to assert itself independently and 
soon they were in complete charge of many of the activities 
about the hospital-particularly the kitchen police! With 
them added to the group of officers who had alreadv for 
several months been in responsible positions there, our unit 
became recognized as the backbone of the Camp Lee or- 
ganization and continued in this status for a considerable 
period of time. During this period the hospital went 
through some of the most strenuous sieges in its history and 
if the men of "45" bore the brunt of much of this they The Unit in General Review 
31 
received in return a training which was of appreciable ser- 
vice at a later date. 
The question of a commanding officer for the base 
hospital had been one of the utmost interest for many 
months. Though Dr. McGuire was designated as director 
of the unit and was recognized as its guiding spirit, it soon 
became known to be the intention of the surgeon-general to 
place at the head of each base hospital organization some 
regular army officer who combined with medical skill knowl- 
edge of army methods and regulations then known to the 
reserve forces in only a vague and indefinite fashion. Who 
would this officer be? Much depended upon the answer to 
this question. Our organization was a peculiarly well- 
balanced and harmonious unit. This harmony, and with it 
the efficiency of the unit, might easily be wrecked by a com- 
manding officer lacking in congeniality or in a comprehension 
of the spirit which held this command together. So greatly 
impressed were we with the vital importance of this con- 
sideration that in the earlier days we had tentatively at- 
tempted to make a selection of our own and had allowed a 
few hints from us to find their way to Washington. These 
suggestions were tolerated, but it was easy to see that they 
were not particularly welcome and that the surgeon-general 
would, in his own time, appoint whomsoever he pleased. 
Thereupon we withdrew from all activity in this direction 
and simply marked time, awaiting developments of the 
future. 
In early April of 1918, without any preliminary notifica- 
tion to prepare us for so significant an event, Major Alex- 
ander W. Williams reached Camp Lee and presented him- 
self as the commanding officer of Base Hospital No, 45. 
For a day but a few of us were aware of this momentous 
news and speculation ran high. Curiosity in the personality 
of our new chief shared a midnight debate with the con- 32 
L. S. A R M Y B A S E H O S P I T AL N O. 45 
viction that now for a certainty we must be headed for the 
front. By the morrow the former had assumed the as- 
cendency and we were busily-and foolishly-attempting, 
after a few hours' acquaintanceship, to reach estimates which 
only months could unfold. His apparent youth surprised 
us, his grasp of army customs immediately impressed us; 
his determination to be an actual commander and not a 
figurehead was obvious from the first moment. We learned 
that he was a Southerner, which encouraged us; we were 
informed that he had spent most of his time since gradua- 
tion in the regular army, which we took as a matter of 
course. Ihe rest was the grossest speculation. 
Within a few hours after the arrival of Major Williams 
it was evident that he contemplated an early move toward 
the establishment of his organization as an independent unit. 
He made a trip to Richmond for a conference with Dr. 
McGuire and the two leaders there met for the first time 
and discussed plans for the immediate future. Returning to 
Camp Lee Major Williams established his office and 
gathered about himself a small force sufficient to satisfy his 
needs for the time being. Captain Smith was withdrawn 
from the Camp Lee hospital and became adjutant of Base 
Hospital No. 45. To have called out the entire Richmond 
contingent at one swoop would have seriously crippled the 
camp hospital. Instead they were detached in groups large 
or small as circumstances indicated from time to time. 
Simultaneously, many of our officers not at Camp Lee, in- 
cluding Major McGuire and Captain R. C. Fravel, began 
to report there with assignments to duty with Base Hospital 
No. 45. In a few weeks practically the entire original out- 
fit, except the nurses, had been assembled under our own 
standard and the base hospital had become an actuality in- 
stead of a paper organization composed of two hundred 
widely scattered individuals. 
Our duties, previously largely professional, now became 
largely military. Now and again some of us would be The Uni t in Ge n e r a l R e v i e w 
33 
ordered back to the camp hospital tor temporary duty in an 
emergency, but, in the main, wards and patients passed from 
our purview, and army regulations, drilling, technical classes 
loomed larger and ever larger until finally they filled the 
whole horizon. Major Wil- 
liams speedily proved him- 
self to be a stern disciplina- 
rian, insistent upon precise 
attention to detail in every 
particular. He personally 
conducted daily classes for 
the minute study of army 
regulations. He drilled the 
officers and then sent the 
officers out to drill the men. 
He had regular inspections 
and exacted the most pains- 
taking compliance with 
every requirement. The 
work, was dull and tedious, 
but it seemed necessary, and 
out of it eventually came 
something resembling a mili- 
tary machine-and with this 
added to what we already 
had our equipment seemed 
about complete. 
The situation, with two independent organizations side 
by side, and almost within the same household, invited 
friction and friction arose. The commanding officer of the 
Camp Lee hospital and his adjutant were regular army 
men of a type we subsequently came to know quite well. 
They had spent most of their careers within a narrow 
horizon bounded by army regulations and technical military 
details. Suddenly this horizon was expanded to embrace 
Lieutenant-Colonel Williams (right) 
and Major McGuire (left) 
at Camp Lee. 34 
U. S. Army Base H o s p ita l No. 4 ; 
most of the civilized world-and the average regular army 
officer failed to expand with it. He seemed unable to under- 
stand that regulations and technical details are but means to 
an end and not ends themselves. He was therefore dis- 
posed to look with something like contempt upon the civilian 
soldier, who, though confessedly ignorant of military cus- 
toms, was often, in the essentials of the service he was to 
render, far the better of the two. The attitude of the com- 
manding officer of the Camp Lee hospital was imperious 
from the outset and now showed a tendency to extend over 
into the period when we had begun to exist as an independent 
outfit. There, however, he met a shock. Major Williams 
was also a "regular" and perhaps himself had no very high 
opinion of the military knowledge of the new army; but he 
recognized the amenities due to gentlemen engaged in a 
duty of patriotism. The polite but firm and unyielding front 
with which he met the encroachments of this officer, older 
in years, longer in the service, and higher in rank, compelled 
our admiration and aroused our hearty co-operation. This 
was not the only factor influencing the situation, but as a 
result of all the factors combined the Camp Lee hospital 
soon found itself under the direction of a new command- 
ing officer. 
Transferred into barracks of our own in the woods ad- 
jacent to the camp, our life was not unpleasant, particularly 
when we include in it the occasional authorized and unau- 
thorized absences from bounds. Of delightful memory yet 
are the hurried sorties to Richmond for a glimpse of 
mothers, sweethearts, wives and children; or those other 
days when Richmond came to the camp-brave, cheerful, 
well-loved faces, hiding heartaches behind smiles and huge 
boxes of every conceivable thing fit to eat. As the weeks 
dragged on the lines tightened and permission to leave camp 
was increasingly difficult to obtain. But by means fair or T h e Uni t in G e n e r a l R e vi e w 
35 
foul we went, by daylight, dark, or dawn, not infrequently 
spending two hours on the road to secure thirty minutes at 
home-until the scampering Nelson Ford, with its anti- 
quated license camouflaged with mud, became an apparition 
of the pike, rattling its old bones along at a speed that 
time is still quickening and that eventually will doubtless 
become swifter than lightning itself. 
The camp theatre, the hostess house, the Y. M. C. A., 
the K. of C., the canteens and post exchanges, where we 
bought innumerable unnecessary articles-all these contrib- 
uted to a needed and wholesome diversion. Religious ser- 
vices were available for those who chose to attend them, 
and for all of us, whether we chose or not, a peculiar but 
effective type of spiritual regimen was enforced by "Bob" 
Nelson, of blessed memory-that radiant person who one 
day, lonely and unknowm, strolled into the camp, and who, 
through sheer force of his personality, was at a later day 
preaching by order of the commanding general, to ten thou- 
sand men at a time. Our own chaplain had not yet arrived, 
and "Bob" Nelson, without the formality of a consultation 
of our desires in the premises, constituted himself the tem- 
porary guardian of our souls-and whether he saved our 
souls or not he certainly won our hearts. He was not a 
member of this organization but no record of it would be 
complete without this thought of him, of his tireless devo- 
tion, of the astounding influence he wielded, of the genuine 
heartache with which we left him behind. 
Meanwhile other events were pending or shaping. 
Major Williams, who had now become a lieutenant-colonel, 
was in frequent communication with the Richmond Red 
Cross leaders and especially with Mr. Gwathmey over the 
important matter of equipment. A detachment of twelve 
men under the general supervision of Captain Baughman 
was sent to the fair grounds in Richmond where the equip- 
ment was actually assembled and there the huge task of 
crating and packing was accomplished so thoroughly that 36 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
the work received official commendation from many quar- 
ters. Without solicitation on our part the war department 
added about forty men to the detachment. They came from 
Camp Meade and from General Hospital No. I in New 
York. Among the number were many whose unusual ability 
and character we promptly recognized and whose subsequent 
work and unfailing loyalty justified the cordiality with which 
we received them into our little family. But while we gained 
we also lost and were forced to give up several members 
of the original outfit. Among them were Parker Burbank, 
who had done a wonderful job in collecting our kitchen 
equipment; R. C. Wight, who was even then in Richmond 
working day and night with the squad at the fair grounds; 
Elmore Hotchkiss and Harold Calisch, who secured com- 
missions in other branches of the service; J. A. Tignor, 
V. A. Gravatt, R. L. Gray, and a few others. 
I he staff was also undergoing some changes and re- 
ceiving some additions. I he army scheme of organization 
provided that an officer of the sanitary corps should be 
adjutant of each base hospital. Lieutenant Thomas C. 
Boushall, S. C., now arrived to assume this position with 
us, and Captain Smith went over to the medical staff. 
Captain Page Mauck was released as orthopedist to accept 
an appointment elsewhere and was succeeded by Captain 
Raymond Voisinet, of New York. From a Northern post 
came to us Lieutenant B. F. Eckles, an old friend whom we 
were glad to see. Lieutenant C. J. Corcoran and Lieu- 
tenant F. G. Scharmann, of the Camp Lee staff, were trans- 
ferred to our service, and Lieutenant T. H. Van Camp came 
in from Iowa; Lieutenant L. F. Barrier from Georgia and 
Lieutenant Perry J. Manheims from New York. For a 
brief time Lieutenant John Boyd, of Roanoke, was also with 
us, but, much to his regret and ours, was suddenly detached 
and sent elsewhere. The chaplain, the Rev. Russell Bowie, 
rector of St. Paul's Episcopal church in Richmond, arrived 
and assumed command of our morals. Lieutenant C. O. T H E LT N IT IN G E N E R A L R E V I E W 
37 
Jenson became quartermaster of the unit and Captain W. W. 
James took over the vital job of feeding the outfit. Here 
also we lost Lieutenant J. E. Warinner, one of the original 
twelve, a valued member of the staff, who, without his wish 
and certainly without our consent, was transferred to an- 
other service; it was with no ordinary regret that we let 
him go and we have always 
considered him a member 
of this organization and 
still consider him so. 
So far as we could tell 
the cogs were now all in 
place and the machine was 
ready for its task. With 
one or two exceptions the 
entire staff were on the 
ground, booted and spur- 
red. eager for a try-out in 
the field. The detachment 
was well rounded out and 
looking like a real military 
unit. The entire equip- 
ment, personal and institu- 
tional, was quite complete. 
But the days dragged on 
and on and still nothing 
happened. There was a surfeit of drills, exercises, lectures, 
inspections, physical examinations-a dull program which 
soon became nauseous by its repetitions. We wrote our 
wills, addressed post-mortem letters to our families, stole 
home along the pike when we dared, talked interminably of 
the hour when we would move on, and always wondered 
if there would ever be such an hour. What Lieutenant- 
Colonel Williams knew he studiously kept to himself. The 
A/wr Ruth I. Robertson 
(Mrs. Stuart McGuire), 
Who Organised Nurses. 38 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
preparation he had given us was admirable, and his efficiency 
in army affairs and his self-sacrificing devotion to his work 
were matters of frequent comment among us. But even then 
he was exhibiting that quality of mind and habit which was 
later to prove so disastrous-inability to relax, unwillingness 
to delegate duties to capable subordinates, exclusion of his 
staff from confidential orders affecting the organization, a 
grim determination to execute, or at least to oversee, every- 
thing to the minutest detail. 
So we knew little or nothing until the afternoon of 
July i, 1918, when we were electrified by sudden orders 
detaching seventeen of our officers "for extended field ser- 
vice." And even then we knew very little. Was the base 
hospital beginning to move or to be broken to pieces? The 
place was in an uproar. The outmost mystery enveloped 
the whole proceeding. Furiously the seventeen packed for 
a quick get-away and then slept upon the floors to await the 
hour dictated by an abrupt change of orders. At 5 o'clock 
the following morning they left, carrying hearts no heavier 
than those they left behind. The thrill of the long-awaited 
summons to duty in the field was all but wrecked for the 
time being by the thought of a separation perhaps per- 
manent. There is no way of describing the emotions the 
dawn of that day brought us. "Bob" Nelson warmed us 
a bit with hot coffee, and then, from the top of a soap box, 
bade us farewell with words that choked our throats and 
blinded our eyes. Then we were off-for heaven knows 
where. A few of the wives had made a midnight ride to 
the station in the camp or at Petersburg. For the others 
there was only a hurried word over the 'phone, a catch in 
the voice at the other end-good-bye. 
The remainder of the organization turned back to camp 
-and there met orders for the entire outfit to move. 
Promptly the storm broke again. A day of intense excite- 
ment ensued. A thousand duties fell to every hand and as 
many thoughts crowded every mind. Gradually the stir T H E U N I r IN G E N E R A L R E V I E W 
39 
calmed and shape began to emerge from the chaos. At 2 
o'clock the following morning, with packs ready to be slung, 
each of the men marched out with his straw mattress on his 
head. A huge pile was built and an instant later was ablaze. 
It was an eerie sight-with the flames leaping into the dark- 
ness and the silhouetted figures of the detachment moving 
about. Then the fourteen officers and one hundred and 
ninety-seven men constituting Base Hospital No. 45 turned 
for a last look at the sleeping camp, and swung into line, 
with faces turned toward the question mark that was the 
future. 
The seventeen who went in advance proceeded to New- 
port News and in the early morning of the following day 
were aboard a Chinese freighter, the Hwah-Jah, pushing 
up the seaboard to New York, where they joined a large 
convoy bound for Europe. The organization proper also 
went to Newport News, reaching there on the afternoon 
of the day the others left. In some way, news of the move- 
ments of the larger detachment leaked out, and many 
friends and relatives followed the party to the port of 
embarkation where, at Camp Hill, the base hospital was 
kept interned for seven days. At last, after an exasperating 
week of uncertainty, of camp restrictions, of oft-repeated 
farewells in expectation of embarkation on the morrow, the 
outfit, with two new enlisted men, at 2 A. M. on July 10th 
began a march through the silent streets toward the U. S. S. 
Aeolus and a few hours later was upon the sea. 
Thus departed Base Hospital No. 45 to meet the second 
phase of its existence. The day of preparation was at an 
end, and the dawn of the day of action was about to break. 
Between the two lay some thousands of miles of an ocean 
under whose restless surface skulked an army of invisible 
but alert and deadly foes. As we watched the friendly shores 
of America fade into a dim horizontal haze the hour of 40 
U. S. Army Base Hospi t a l N o. 4 5 
reckoning had come-that heart-searching, heart-breaking 
moment which for months we had been resolutely putting 
off to another day. Many of us had never before been 
where the territory of the United States did not rest beneath 
our feet-to feel now that it had slipped away from us, 
out of reach and out of sight, as if into vast space, left with 
us a sense of unspeakable loneliness, of a sort of fore- 
boding. Back yonder in the ever-increasing distance lay all 
that was dear to us save one thing-careers halted in the 
middle, homes torn by the separation, mothers, sweethearts 
and wives whose brave fac-es and misty eyes still haunted us, 
children, waving careless farewells, happily ignorant of what 
it all meant. It was not pleasant to think that when we met 
again some of these mites would be perhaps of quite an age 
and would look upon their own fathers as strangers. 
For it must be recalled that though the end of the war 
came within a few months none foresaw it then and indeed 
the time was the blackest yet faced by the allies. The best 
that even the most cheerful could say to us as we left was 
that Germany would eventually be crushed, but that it would 
require perhaps five years more fighting. On every hand the 
possibility of a stalemate was being discussed-with the 
opposing armies dug into the earth, glaring at each other 
for months across a neutral strip, neither able to move, each 
counting on the gradual inroads of gunfire, gas and disease 
to wear the other out. We were all figuring, therefore, on 
a probable absence of five years, to say nothing of other 
possibilities-and so the parting had its real elements of 
tragedy. In so long a time much might happen-to us, to 
them. 
But crowded into the same ship with us, peering at the 
same shores from the decks of hundreds of other ships 
scattered along the coast-line, were thousands-even mil- 
lions-in the same plight. We were but a few among 
many, all joined in a great cause, and each boat-length away 
from the land that bred us carried us that much closer to The U n i t i n G e n e r a l R e v i e w 
41 
another land where men's work, was waiting to be done. 
Voila ! as we learned later to say. No use crowding one's 
weary brain with speculation of this and that. The need 
was clear, the call urgent, the duty too obvious- to require 
definition. Nothing to do but go and go with a will-to do 
one's bit. In those days no man could tolerate the thought 
of doing less. 
Other hands will record more fully the story of the 
journey and of all the subsequent activities of the base 
hospital. Here we see it from now on only in broad out- 
line with less regard for chronological order than for the 
emphasis of significant events and impressions. 
In the memory of many of us nothing stands out more 
vividly than the zig-zagging cruise that landed us finally 
upon the shores of France. The main party were eleven 
days on the water; the others eighteen. On the Aeolus the 
men were herded in the baggage hold in the bottom-most 
depths of the ship, crowded almost to the point of suffoca- 
tion; the officers fared somewhat better; the food, for- 
tunately, was good. On the Hwah-Jah there were state- 
rooms for all, but the food was almost uneatable, the crew 
were untrained, and the trip was a harrowing experience. 
Both traveled in convoys, and the sight in mid-ocean, with 
dozens of ships riding along together, was a peculiarly im- 
pressive one, particularly when one adds to the mere num- 
bers the crazy-quilt effect of the camouflage, distorting the 
perspective and causing a vessel often to appear to be riding 
in a direction quite the reverse of what was actually the 
case. At night impenetrable blackness often shrouded the 
ocean. Now the enemy submarine, hidden from the watch- 
ful eyes of the gun crews on constant vigil in every ship, 
was wont to thrust a nose upward in search of prey. Even 
the glow of a cigarette was dangerous and was known to 
provoke a sharp reprimand from the commodore in a dis- 
tant vessel. A bright moon usually lighted up the waters 
for the Aeolus and brought with its beauty a wretched home- 42 
U. S. A r m y Bas e Hospi t a l N o. 4 5 
sickness-and incidentally silhouetted the ship for the bene- 
fit of any periscope that might chance along the way. For 
the most part, there was no moon for the Hwah-Jah and 
except for a phosphorescent glow here and there, ocean, 
sky and space between melted into an inky curtain. Into 
this wall of blackness ships sailed, closely huddled, and 
equal almost to the threat of the submarine was the danger 
of collision. In the convoy carrying the Hwah-Jah two 
freighters crashed in the night and both eventually sank, 
though their crews were saved. Upon a memorable even- 
ing the Hwah-Jah herself was abruptly pulled up within 
almost an arm's length of the stern of another vessel. 
Radio-operators were constantly picking up submarine 
warnings and occasionally bits of wreckage from some un- 
fortunate ship floated by. One slept in his clothes and 
either in or upon his life belt, and frequently rehearsed the 
scenes that would be precipitated by a submarine attack. 
Incidentally, also, one compared the size and capabilities of 
the life boat with the huge and venomous looking waves 
crashing against the sides. Left in such a sea while the 
other ships scurried to safety that little shell might perhaps 
last a few minutes and then . But steadily we rode on- 
ward, apprehensive but unharmed. What was under the 
sea remained there, and presently upon the horizon toward 
which we were steering appeared a fleet of specks that with 
almost incredible speed was suddenly upon us. Darting here 
and there, circling the entire convoy dozens of times, sus- 
pecting everybody (even the strange Chinese flag of the 
Hwah-Jah), taking nothing for granted, investigating every 
unusual swirl in the water, racing about like greyhounds, 
the diminutive destroyers of Uncle Sam immediately con- 
veyed to every man of us a sense of pride and security it is 
impossible to describe. We were now approaching the 
shores of Europe, and were in the most dangerous of all 
the submarine zones, but with this business-like escort The U nit in Gen era l R e vi e w 
43 
stripped for instant action we were inclined to cast our 
life-belts overboard. 
A faint line that meant land appeared in the east and 
gradually grew until France lay before us with the cliffs of 
Havre facing the Hwah-Jah and the embattlements of 
Brest the Aeolus. Singularly enough, though one left a 
week behind the other, both reached port upon the same 
day-July 21st. What we felt as at last we reached this 
goal had best be left among those things that one reserves 
for thought but spares from expression. We had traveled 
far and sacrificed much for this; now we were here. 
The tremendous stir at once engrossed us-troops, 
armament, mountains of supplies, unending movement, 
restless activity everywhere. The gigantic hand of Uncle 
Sam was visible wherever one turned-pouring men, guns, 
food, equipment of every conceivable variety into dumps 
of unheard of size; casting up warehouses overnight; build- 
ing railroads in a week or two; thrusting obstacles aside 
with resistless force. No American could stand in the midst 
of it without a feeling of awe and an upwelling of real 
patriotism. As never before we realized then the magni- 
tude of the thing and thereupon fell into our proper relation- 
ship to it-with our personal discomforts and dangers 
shrunk into the insignificance to which they belonged. When 
we say that there came now to us our first full conception 
of The Cause for which we labored, and remained there- 
after completely under its dominance, those others who 
were there will understand what we mean, perhaps. 
In a few days the two detachments, each unaware of 
the whereabouts of the other, began to move toward the 
interior of France. The survivors of the Hwah-Jah, fed 
to the point of explosion, proceeded in a leisurely, almost 
luxurious, fashion, passing through Paris and a beautiful 
strip of country, but always disturbed by the thought that 44 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
they were perhaps cut off permanently from the rest of the 
outfit; after a time they reached Autun, and there halted 
to await realization of the promise at Havre that there or 
thereabouts they would overtake or be overtaken by the 
main body of the organization. In the meantime, the party 
from the Aeolus were experiencing all the hardships of 
camp life in the war zone, and were becoming acquainted 
with the prevailing French method of transportation, asso- 
ciated with a vehicle constructed to accommodate either 
forty men or eight horses, according to which were delivered 
as passengers. Long marches on sea-sick legs, close confine- 
ment to mud-covered bounds, hurried scrambles to get on 
the march again, rough food and rougher travel, made 
their first acquaintance with France anything but inviting, 
yet happily led to the same destination. On the evening of 
July 30, 1918, they pulled into the little station at Autun, 
and were at once enveloped in the thankful arms of the 
wandering seventeen. 
At that time Camp Hospital No. 47 was stationed at 
the Caserne Billard in Autun and Base Hospital No. 45 
was directed to relieve this organization, which had been 
ordered elsewhere for duty. On July 31st this transfer 
was effected, and we now had apparently begun to function 
as an active unit. There were no patients to be cared for 
and we began at once to utilize our time in an exploration 
of the town and its environs, and a survey of the buildings 
and equipment which we were expected to convert into a 
base hospital. 
The caserne, we found, was a hoary monastery, quaint, 
picturesque, probably admirable for the purpose it had 
served during several hundred years, but rather poorly 
adapted to reconstruction into the modern business-like hos- 
pital we hoped to conduct. But by now we had begun to 
learn another of the great lessons the war taught us-to 
take what was at hand and by one means or another shape 
in into the thing it was supposed to be. Oftentimes in this MOBILIZATION IN RICHMOND Enlisted Personnel Assembled on Steps of State Capitol it ichmond Just Before Departure for Camp Lee T H E U N I T I N Ci E N E R A 1. R E V I E W 
45 
army game, as we saw more specifically later on, one was 
appalled at a curt order demanding what appeared the im- 
possible-asking much, providing little or nothing for its 
accomplishment, summarily requiring results and quick re- 
sults at that. Doubtless more judgment could have been 
displayed in some of these orders; but one always recalls 
that in war the enemy fails to await the convenience and 
complete and leisurely preparation of his antagonist. 
Hence, one may suddenly find himself required to act with 
speed and precision before he has had an opportunity to 
adjust himself, and not infrequently with partial, some- 
times total, absence of accessories which in civilian life are 
considered absolutely essential. It is not long, therefore, 
before one becomes accustomed to view huge obstacles with 
some degree of aplomb and to rely rather confidently upon 
the ingenuity and resourcefulness the emergency will de- 
velop in himself and his fellows. 
Our task at Autun was trivial to the point of absurdity 
as compared with what came later; and it is important in 
this record only because it marked our first experience with 
serious difficulty and because it developed a critical chapter 
in what subsequently culminated in a tragedy. We had 
little to do, but at first thought it was much. If there had 
been a rush of patients, the work of getting the hospital 
into condition would have become an undertaking of some 
magnitude. But the beds were empty, and the work of 
reconstruction could be approached with attention undivided. 
It was promptly begun, and quite shortly we were prepared 
to meet such eventualities as might arise. None arose. A 
half-dozen patients from organizations stationed nearby 
came in and we fussed over them mightily. But of battle 
casualties we saw nothing. We made dressings, counted 
beds, planned the details of our organization, counted beds, 
engaged in much paper work, counted beds, worked at times 
quite hard to correct some glaring physical defects in the 
place, counted beds, strolled about the exquisite country- 46 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
side, mooned amid the ancient ruins of the delightful old 
city, made erratic attempts to acquire some knowledge of 
French, cultivated many acquaintances among the kindly, 
hospitable people, and soon began to wonder if this was 
all we would see of the Great War. 
When we first arrived at Autun, we had but the vaguest 
conception of its relationship to the front, and rather ex- 
pected to be caught quickly up in the storm. But we soon 
realized that we were buried in the center of France, where 
only a faint echo of the battlefield could ever reach us, and 
where the most we could expect was an occasional train- 
load of wounded, already half well and on their way to the 
rear. With this realization came discontent and restless- 
ness to be up and on. The place was charming, the life 
promised ease and comfort-but we had not traveled to 
France for that. 
But how to accomplish the dislocation was the question. 
In the army one cannot wire one's superiors suggesting such 
a change, fortunately there are other ways about-and 
here, as in many other situations which met us, the in- 
fluence of Major McGuire put it over. The day after their 
arrival at Autun, he and Captain Baughman were ordered 
to Evacuation Hospital No. 7 at Coulommiers, behind the 
Chateau Thierry line, for a week's observation. While 
away they saw some very strenuous service, but above all 
things, established contacts with certain high officials, who 
happened to be old friends, anxious to do something for 
"45," and quite powerful enough at the time to do pretty 
much what they pleased. They promised Major McGuire 
a more active location than Autun-and before long the 
wheels which shot us onward began to revolve. 
In the meanwhile a situation, embarrassing at the time, 
distressing beyond measure in its ultimate result, was de- 
veloping. Previously in this article, a comment has been The Unit in General R e v i e w 
47 
made upon the apparent inability of Lieutenant-Colonel 
Williams to relinquish the care of details to his subordinates. 
In his organization were men eager to work, capable, under 
general direction, of assuming any degree of responsibility, 
accustomed in civil life to the direction of affairs of some 
scope. All they needed was authority and encouragement. 
But this it seemed quite impossible for Lieutenant-Colonel 
Williams to see. As the volume of detail accumulated, and 
responsibilities gradually grew larger, he became more and 
more obsessed with the belief that it was necessary to give 
his personal attention to the minutest problem. Finally this 
reached such a length that we became seriously concerned 
for the future of the organization; and worst of all we saw 
the mind and heart of the commanding officer himself break- 
ing under the strain. The load was too heavy for him or 
any other one man to carry. 
Putting aside proprieties, certain of his officers remon- 
strated with him, begged him to shift the burden to the 
shoulders of the staff, and concern himself only with the 
general direction of affairs. The effort was futile. Days 
went on and we witnessed the pathetic picture of a young 
man, elevated to high rank, facing the opportunity for which 
he had doubtless yearned, and by some capricious mental 
habit unable to meet it in the only way in which it could 
be met. The organization suffered as a result, it is true, 
but more than anyone else he suffered himself. Honest, 
able, fearless, tireless, he lacked nothing but the ability to 
let go, and because of that he collapsed. By the time we 
were ordered into more active duty, his nervous condition 
was such that he could no longer correctly visualize his own 
command. He conceived the idea that we were unfit for 
service and requested an inspection of the outfit by an officer 
from general headquarters. The officer came on August 
17th in the person of Colonel Hansell, and immediately and 
cordially approved the qualifications of the unit. At the 
same time he inquired into the nervous condition of Lieu- 48 
U. S. Army Base Hos bit a l No. 4 5 
tenant-Colonel Williams and directed that he be placed in 
a hospital at Dijon for treatment. 
Under these circumstances, Lieutenant-Colonel Williams 
left us on August 17th, and we did not meet again. After 
a period in the hospital at Dijon, he was returned to active 
service, but was relieved of his assignment to Base Hospital 
No. 45 and placed in charge of Camp Hospital No. 27. 
About October 10th, we were inexpressibly shocked to learn 
of his death. The news cast a gloom over the entire or- 
ganization; and for all time each member of this unit will 
think with sorrow and immense regret of this untimely end 
of an officer, broken by the magnitude of a mistaken but 
earnest and conscientious endeavor. 
Our stay in Autun developed nothing else of any im- 
portance except the addition to the staff of two new officers, 
who came directly from the States for duty. One of these 
was Second Lieutenant Frank A. Sullivan, S. C., who became 
detachment commander, and who subsequently was trans- 
ferred to another organization. The other was First Lieu- 
tenant Joseph T. McKinney, M. C., an old friend whom 
we welcomed into the unit, where he remained until the out- 
fit was discharged from the service. 
On August 20th we hade farewell to the old town. As, 
in the early morning, we marched, for the last time, through 
the winding, quaint streets, our satisfaction in the thought 
of getting closer to the scene of actual warfare was 
decidedly tempered by regret at leaving behind so many 
new but cordial friends. Brief as had been our stay, we 
had already begun to find our way close to the hearts and 
firesides of these people, and we were pleased to feel, as 
many of them waved their farewells at the station, that the 
reluctance at parting was not wholly on our side. 
It is difficult to picture Autun in a few words; there is 
no counterpart of such a place in America and no basis of 
comparison. The place is very ancient, and with so rich a 
store of history, one soon becomes steeped in the atmos- The Unit i n G e n e r a l R e v i e vv 
49 
phere and inclined to let his mind turn away from the things 
of today and linger in the romantic haze of the past. It is 
commonplace here to stumble upon some relic of the days 
of Augustus Caesar, some pile erected to a Roman deity, 
some monastery a thousand years old, some scrawled name 
upon the cathedral tower, put there, just as you were now 
putting yours, by some other visitor who had preceded you 
by five centuries. Add to this the cordiality of a people 
marked by the fine simplicity of real culture, and it is easy 
to understand how the memory of Autun still lingers 
pleasantly with us-all the more pleasant because in such 
sharp contrast to some other phases of French life we were 
soon to encounter. 
Now under the temporary command of Major Mc- 
Guire, we traveled on toward Tout What and where the 
place was we knew only vaguely, but everywhere we were 
assured that we would find it sufficiently near the front to 
satisfy our bellicose tendencies. At first we were disap- 
pointed that it carried us into the relatively quiet Alsace 
sector, rather than into the vicinity of the Verdun or Chateau 
Thierry hotbeds, for then we could not know that the torch 
which was to set the salient ablaze was already lighted, and 
an American torch at that. Later we were to realize that 
of all the locations available in France we could have been 
placed in none more satisfying to the ambition of our base 
hospital-real service among the fighting armies of Uncle 
Sam. 
At 9 P. M. on August 21st, after about twenty-one 
hours en route, we detrained at Toul, lost in the darkness 
that shrouded the zone of the advance after nightfall. 
Guided by friendly hands we set off for the Caserne La 
Marche, to which we were assigned, and were immediately 
and dramatically introduced to a form of entertainment, 
soon to become commonplace, but for the moment discon- 50 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
certing to say the least. There was a whir of motors over- 
head, the noise of bells and sirens rent the air, guns began 
to flash and bark from a half-dozen different directions, 
and such of the local population as had been visible sud- 
denly vanished. Later on, and for many weeks, we set the 
clock by the hum of the Boche bombing plane and paid very 
little more attention to it. Just now it was all new and 
seemed very warlike. The trucks carrying the officers raced 
for the barracks; the marching detachment were hurried into 
dugouts. In a few moments the anti-aircraft barrage calmed 
down, the sirens signaled "all's well,'' with Fritz moving 
off, the streets filled up again, and before long our outfit, 
safely through our first "battle,'' were domiciled in a new 
home, and very soundly asleep upon its dusty floors. 
With daylight Tout lay unfolded before us-encircled 
by forts, a stronghold of great strategic importance, but as 
a city ugly and forbidding of aspect, distinguished for its 
lack of everything that Autun possessed. Nothing here of 
the serenity and charm we had left behind at the C'ote d'Or 
but everything of what we sought. Roads stuffed with 
moving troops and caravans of munitions and supplies; the 
steady boom of cannon at the front but a dozen miles away; 
overhead, fleets of airplanes circling, with now and again 
floating puffs of smoke telling of a skirmish in the clouds; 
the air filled with rumors of a big push; everywhere pre- 
occupation, hurry, the stir of war. 
At last our work seemed at hand. 
The caserne was a huge barracks, consisting of three 
large four-story main buildings and numerous smaller out- 
buildings, all enclosed within a high wall. The grounds 
were quite spacious, the main buildings forming three of the 
sides of a quadrangle used for the maneuvering of the 
French infantry who had previously occupied the place. 
At the time of our arrival, Evacuation Hospital No. 14 T 11 e Unit in General R e vi e w 
51 
was in the central building, Field Hospital No. 35^ in the 
east building, and a French hospital in the west building. 
On August 21 st the evacuation hospital departed, three days 
later the field hospital left, and a week after that the French 
moved out. Thereafter Base Hospital No. 45 was in com- 
mand of the entire plant. 
Immediately we were faced with a critical situation. 
Orders came instantly, warning us that an American drive 
was about to begin in the Toul sector and instructing us to 
prepare for it; that of itself was sufficient to tax all our 
resources to the uttermost. But worse still, for the moment, 
was the picture confronting us in our own household. From 
Autun we had brought nothing except ourselves, our packs, 
and enough food to sustain us on the journey; the rest, in- 
cluding a meagre equipment and a few patients, we had left 
in charge of Lieutenant Phillips and a detail of ten men. It 
was our understanding, and we believe the understanding of 
those in authority, that the evacuation and field hospitals 
we displaced at Toul should leave for us such equipment 
as they carried, or at least should stay until we could 
acquire some of our own. They did nothing of the sort. 
They departed at once and everything in the shape of army 
property departed with them, except 300 patients in the 
east building, who became our charges; 350 more in the 
"contagious annex" a half-mile distant down the road, and 
at the latter place a staff of 5 officers, 30 nurses, and 60 
enlisted men, who became automatically attached to us for 
temporary duty. 
Without even the semblance of an equipment-without 
kitchen utensils, thermometers, drugs, surgical dressings or 
anything else except a set of ancient French beds, mattresses, 
and sheets, and a few old French cooking stoves-we had 
to feed and care for 650 sick American soldiers, and in- 
cidentally prepare for the possible immediate influx of a 
stream of wounded who would require of us 2,500 beds and 
every conceivable emergency, in a barren barracks, utterly 52 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
innocent of electricity, a heating plant, a water system, or 
toilet facilities save of the crudest type. It seemed an im- 
possible task. But the lesson we had begun to learn at 
Autun we continued here, expanded, finally mastered. 
Within the bounds of reason nothing is impossible. 
Somewhere in France lay the magnificent equipment as- 
sembled by our Richmond sponsors-but there was no way 
to locate it now. Somewhere between New York and Toul 
were also too nurses trying to reach us-but we could not 
wait for them, f or thirty-six hours even the vital question 
of food was acute. The quartermaster at the railhead as- 
serted that we were out of bounds-a base hospital in 
evacuation hospital territory-and refused to furnish sup- 
plies, claiming a lack of authority. We bought our own 
rations as best we could until this situation could be straight- 
ened out. Of the departing French outfit we also bought 
everything we could, and paid liberally for it. The surgical 
instruments were mostly junk, but better than nothing. The 
rest was a miscellaneous and sparse assortment of antiquated 
stuff, with the exception of a small store-room of precious 
surgical gauze. Some of this had been donated by the 
American Red Cross to the French and a few parcels 
actually bore the imprint of the Richmond chapter. It was 
somewhat disconcerting to be buying back our own gift- 
perhaps an accidental oversight in the hurry of the times. 
With this slim layout we began our work, caring for the 
sick and at the same time fitting up the place as best we could 
for the threatened battle. An immense amount of admin- 
istrative detail required the undivided attention of a num- 
ber of the officers and a considerable portion of the detach- 
ment. Herein began to appear the consummate skill of our 
adjutant, Lieutenant Boushall, who now had full opportunity 
to exhibit that personality and ability which soon won for 
him an affection and admiration that permeated the entire 
organization and that persist to this day. Behind him was 
marshaled a small administrative army containing many- THE UNIT AT CAMP LEE Base Hospital No. at Camp Lee After it zvas Set Up as an Independent Organisation-Several Officers Absent from This Group. T h e Unit in G e n e r a l R e v i e w 
53 
officers and members of the detachment-whose excellent 
work would entitle them to special mention if time or space 
permitted. The result was prompt and striking. 
The remainder of the outfit fell to upon the task allotted 
to them. Departmental lines were abolished. The 650 
patients were chiefly medical, and so far as the reconstruc- 
tion and equipment of the hospital was concerned this was 
chiefly a matter of housekeeping, bargaining, begging, and 
thieving. Neurologists and nose and throat specialists be- 
came internists overnight; the hand that usually wielded a 
scalpel now swung a stethoscope, a broom, or a jimmy; the 
dental service suddenly became expert in epidemiology; 
nobody from the highest to the lowest knew just what he 
would be doing the next day, but always knew there would 
be plenty of it, whatever it was. Out of the riot of work 
and apparent confusion gradually arose order. Just how it 
was accomplished others will tell if they can, but it is doubt- 
ful if anybody really knows-or cares. It came somehow. 
The 650 patients were cared for-that two thermometers, 
six tin cups, and a few basins perhaps constituted the equip- 
ment of a ward holding 200 sick men was a mere incident. 
The 2,000 or more beds demanded of us were set up in 
rooms freshly swept and scrubbed-that weary men almost 
dropped in their tracks from fatigue was also a mere in- 
cident. 
Over us, as over the entire zone, hung always the daily, 
almost hourly, expectation of the advance. The movement 
was considered one of immense importance, not only be- 
cause it affected a vital salient, with Mont Sec and Metz 
as distant objectives, but even more particularly because it 
marked the first independent action of an American army 
at the front. 7'he entire area was keyed to the highest 
pitch. I he eyes of all Prance were focused here to see 
what the khaki doughboy would do when he started forward 54 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
with his own officers under his own Hag. Days crept by 
and nothing happened. Some began to doubt the rumors 
of an impending battle. And meanwhile the supplies 
poured onward, day and night, in an unending stream. 
For each day's delay we were thankful. Qur con- 
fidential information was such that we could not question 
the authenticity of the projected advance, but we were glad 
of the opportunity, slim as it was, to fortify ourselves for 
the shock that would come with it. 
At that time the line was only about twelve miles distant 
and we were the closest base hospital to the front in 
France. In fact, we were in evacuation hospital territory, 
and our function then and thereafter, though we were known 
as a base, was that of an evacuation hospital. As such we 
were warned that we would bear the brunt of the St. Mihiel 
drive, and would catch a full tide of wounded and sick 
direct from the field. Happily we soon learned that we 
would not stand alone in this responsible duty, but would be 
joined by a number of other base and evacuation hospitals, 
the whole constituting what was to be known as the Justice 
Hospital Group, with a total capacity of some 15,000 beds. 
Bit by bit we gathered some sort of scarecrow equip- 
ment. I he gauze was transformed into surgical dressings 
and stored, operating rooms were arranged, wards fitted up, 
staffs outlined, administrative details perfected, and every- 
thing else possible done to brace the hospital for the stormy 
hours to come. 
In working out these plans for the future, Major Mc- 
Guire, with characteristic insight, took his officers into his 
confidence, and laid down a principle which contributed more 
than any other one thing to such success as the base ulti- 
mately accomplished. Instead of undertaking to have per- 
sonal direction of every detail of the work, he determined 
the broad lines of his administration, vested large respon- 
sibilities in his subordinates, and then let them alone. As 
long as they measured up to these responsibilities they were 1' he Unit in General R e v i e w 
55 
in no danger of meddlesome and discouraging interference 
from headquarters. Every activity of the hospital was 
under his eye and subject to his frequent inspection, but he 
pointedly refrained from any attempt to shape depart- 
mental minutiae, or to compel his officers to follow any 
prearranged and rigid route to a given end. He specifically 
demanded results, but left the method of their accomplish- 
ment to those who had to do the work. That he secured 
these results to his own complete satisfaction, and inciden- 
tally developed an esprit de corps which still lingers in this 
organization, is abundant justification for the course he 
pursued. 
The other base hospitals were not slow in arriving, and 
soon the group was rounding out, each unit facing essentially 
the same problems that had met our own, except that now 
the question of equipment was becoming less acute. Shortly 
after September ist, Lieutenant-Colonel H. C. Maddux, 
M. C., arrived as commanding officer of the entire group, 
and established his headquarters at Base Hospital No. 45. 
It was a singular, and a happy, coincidence that he was a 
Virginian, a graduate of the University of Virginia, and a 
former interne at the Memorial Hospital in Richmond, 
where he had become well known to several of our staff. 
As an old army officer, familiar with the ways of the service, 
he was able to open channels not yet tapped by us, and soon 
had messages flying all over France, pointing out the vital 
importance of this group in connection with the coming ad- 
vance, and demanding supplies and equipment. The re- 
sponse, though not adequate, was prompt and helpful. The 
transportation lines were choked with troops and munitions, 
and everything had to yield to these. But every here and 
there a package was hitched on for us, and soon we had a 
little store laid by. This was then distributed among all 
the hospitals in the group, and though, when spread in this 
way, it became distressingly thin, we managed to acquire at 
least some of the bare necessities of existence. 56 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
For us, however, the most momentous event of this 
period came on September 9th, with the arrival of our 
nurses. Their whereabouts unknown to us, and even the 
likelihood of their ever reaching us being seriously ques- 
tioned, they had mobilized in New York in July, sailed on 
the Adriatic on August 24th, and, after a trip fortunately 
pleasant in the main, had landed at Liverpool on September 
5th, and almost directly received orders hurrying them on 
to Toul. In the party were the chief nurse, Miss Ruth I. 
Robertson (now Mrs. Stuart McGuire), ninety-nine nurses, 
and six civilian employes. Fifteen of the nurses were im- 
mediately detached and sent to the gas hospital adjoining, 
and ten others were assigned for temporary duty at Evacua- 
tion Hospital No. 14. The remainder stayed with us. 
Never were women more welcome anywhere or at any 
time on this earth. It is difficult to express the emotion and 
relief with which we saw that plucky little band march 
through the gate. Here were not only old friends, whose 
safety had concerned us, but willing and capable hands 
sorely needed. 
For in the days that had now passed the pressure had 
grown steadily greater until it was almost beyond endurance. 
As the hour actually set for the big push drew closer, the 
front lines were combed of all liabilities in the shape of sick 
men in the field hospitals, and in addition the exposure in- 
cident to the trench life brought many down with influenza 
and pneumonia. As a result trains of ambulances were un- 
loading at our doors constantly and the hospital was over- 
flowing, with every bed filled and army cots stuck in every 
crack, so that one could scarcely walk about the place. We 
were then carrying about 1,500 patients, sick in all degrees, 
with a little handful of doctors and wardmen to attend them 
And at any moment might come-and actually did fre- 
quently come-orders to evacuate hundreds of them to make 
room for hundreds of others crowding behind, meaning that 
many more examinations, diagnoses, records, baths, drug T 11 E U N 1 T 1 N G E N E KAI. REVIE W 
57 
orders, beds to be made, and what not. Small wonder then 
that we greeted with joy and loud acclaim those women- 
folk of ours. 
Soon they, too, were in the thick of it-instantly, earnest- 
ly on the job, contending cheerfully with harassing difficul- 
ties and discomforts. What we went through in those days 
it is useless to put down here in detail, and is intimated only 
because it is part of the record, not because there is anything 
unusual about it. Others were undergoing the same thing 
elsewhere. If we worked-nurses, officers, and enlisted men 
-until our brains reeled and our bodies doubled up with 
weariness, it was a mere incident of the times. And always 
before us, making our lot, even at its worst, seem so easy by 
contrast, was the vision of the American doughboy, cold, 
wet, and wretched in his mud-choked trench, steeled for his 
first charge over the top into the hell of bullets and death 
beyond-a vision to be so splendidly visualized in but a 
few hours. 
Came the day and night of September 12th. At the 
zero hour, it was said, the charge would begin. The hos- 
pital had to be stripped of all patients except those too ill 
to be moved. We staggered through this task and then, with 
all the rest of the sector, waited, expectant, through the 
foreboding lull. In the pitch blackness of midnight we 
stood in our courtyard or at the hospital windows and 
counted the minutes as they crept by; and as we stood, 
thought yet more of that American boy over yonder in the 
darkness, of his home on the other side of the sea, of his 
country for which he was about to do his bit, of the stout 
heart in the body he was thrusting at the enemy. A rotten 
business, it seemed, to have him mangled, wiped out in this 
way-and yet thrilling to think of him there, facing the 
sublime issue of all his days, an unromantic figure, perhaps, 
in his hob-nailed shoes and baggy blouse, a mere atom 58 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
among countless others of the same stripe, but about to 
offer, as his part, a life as precious to him as that of any 
starred general or mighty prince. 
The minutes passed on, and then over in the distance a 
flash in the sky, the thunder of guns, and after that a steady 
roar that was to fill all the rest of the night and the day to 
come, rhe zero hour had struck. The battle was on. An 
American army was sweeping through the inferno of No 
Man's Land. 
We went back to our posts. Some of us had been 
ordered out for service in an evacution hospital at the 
"front"; the journey consisted of a walk of about 200 yards 
down the road. The rest stayed at home. The scenes at 
both were practically identical, and one description will 
serve for both. The evacuation hospital filled up first, then 
"45," and then the others-which, in such a rush, meant 
that all were immediately filled to the limit. The work, 
previously chiefly medical, now became chiefly surgical. 
Operating rooms were in continuous service for many days. 
But little time was wasted upon food or sleep. As fast as 
the hospital was filled up, it was evacuated to make room 
for others, and filled again and again. Except for those 
too seriously hurt to be transported, men were operated 
upon tonight and in the morning were in hospital trains 
speeding to the bases in the rear. In this month 8,000 
patients passed through our hands at "45" and the bulk of 
them were congested in the few days preceding and succeed- 
ing September 12th. 
Thus came back to us that doughboy over whom we had 
pondered-unless he was still on the march or had "gone 
West" in the charge. I have often wished for the oppor- 
tunity and the power to put into words our impression of 
him as we saw him then. But it has been impossible before 
and is impossible now. Those who saw nothing of him 
would scarcely understand what we mean; those who did, 
need no such expression. Of course they were not fault- T II E U N I T I N G E N E RAI, R E V I E W 
59 
less; of course there were here and there those who whined 
or who wilted in the crisis. But as a class they, and the 
officers who led them, were so irrefutably the men we had 
visioned them, that we felt an immense pride in our kin- 
ship, an immense satisfaction in the thought that we were 
close at hand to give them such relief and comfort as we 
could. The average American boy is perhaps not a par- 
ticularly impressive figure, and we had heard much, and 
concerned ourselves much in other days, with the stories of 
his callow immaturity as compared with the polished refine- 
ment of the European. But the searching light of a great 
crisis reveals many things, alters and corrects many crooked 
perspectives. And to us came in such a light, realization 
that such things as immaturity are but things of the 
moment, and that in the eternal things of the soul and the 
spirit, the American boy stood shoulder to shoulder with 
the finest manhood of the earth. 
It was almost with a feeling of awe that we watched his 
reaction to this first great test. How he behaved in the field 
others have told and all the world knows. The angle from 
which we studied him was rather different. The buoyant 
impulse and adventure of the charge was gone. Crippled, 
racked with pain, cast aside, unable to share with his bud- 
dies the glow that comes to the victor at his goal, it was a 
time for black depression, for surrender of spirit and cour- 
age and hope. It was a time for that but we saw none of it. 
In its stead we saw that which stirred in us a new pa- 
triotism-one no longer simply national, but now and for all 
time to come, individualistic, as one might say, placing the 
American man where he belongs, in that great company, 
which, whatever may appear to be its faults and follies at 
other times, will always in times of vital need come straight 
and clean and strong. 
Ambulances brought them direct from the field dressing 
stations and piled them high around us. Receiving wards, 
shock wards, corridors were choked with them. During the 60 
U. S. A rm y Base Hos rit a l N o. 4 5 
worst of it, the yards were strewn with litters upon which 
they lay awaiting their turn. In the operating rooms and 
tents the surgeons worked with the upmost possible speed, 
each having two tables and turning from one directly to an- 
other with scarcely a pause between. Patients now as they 
were soldiers an hour ago, they came under the knife with 
the stoicism with which they had met the bullet which 
brought them down. Their blind faith in their doctors cut 
into us deeply. Rarely was a question asked. It was not 
uncommon to find that a fresh arrival, while awaiting the 
anaesthetist, had gone soundly to sleep upon the operating 
table upon which he lay stretched, a witness to all the 
ghastly surgery going on around him, some of it harrow- 
ing in its details, and, so far as he knew, to fall to his experi- 
ence in a few moments. Most of them were cheerful, and 
begging to be "patched up" quickly so as to get back to 
their outfits before the advance came to a halt! T heir com- 
prehension of where this advance would carry them ex- 
pressed in a way the determination with which they went 
over the top. Nobody mentioned anything short of Metz. 
Some were talking of Berlin. It is no wonder that with 
this wild crowd charging them the Germans took to their 
heels, and the American gunners had some difficulty keep- 
ing their barrage out of our own ranks, which seem at 
times to have been traveling as fast as the shells. 
It is no wonder either, perhaps, that with this picture 
before us, and this service as our duty, we are reluctant even 
to mention the trivial hardships through which we passed 
ourselves-the crowded days and sleepless nights and never- 
ending work. It is pleasant to recall that the machine we 
had built slipped no cogs. Whatever his task each man and 
woman did it to the best of his ability, and with the utmost 
of cheerful acceptance, whether he liked his particular job 
or not. And when the storm swept by us, and times grew 
calmer and we steadied down into a still busy but somewhat 
more orderly existence, we felt that at least we had done T h e Uni t i n G e neral R e v i e w 
61 
all we could upon his day of days for him whom we now 
knew as a real hero of the Great War-the American 
doughboy, for whom we shall always stand in respectful 
salute. 
1 he work, of the base hospital, though it fell naturally 
into certain phases, followed no orderly routine, and was 
continually undergoing a series of readjustments to meet the 
shifting conditions at the front. War takes no account of 
schemes of organization, and plans, however scientifically 
and carefully elaborated, will suddenly be found wretchedly 
inadequate to meet an emergency, unless they are elastic 
enough to permit instantaneous revision. 
We soon learned this lesson, and it was well that we 
did. We were supposed to have the personnel to conduct a 
hospital of 1,000 beds; actually we had for most of the time 
about twice that number of beds. We had expected a large 
preponderance of surgical cases; in fact, the medical cases 
greatly outnumbered the surgical. We had to give to the 
administrative service the time of officers and men we had 
hoped to have in the professional service where they were 
so sorely needed. We had pictured the difficulties of too 
nurses attempting to handle a hospital of the size we had 
anticipated; we witnessed the success of seventy-five nurses 
handling a hospital twice that size. We had imagined 
clearly defined duties, with work hard but more or less 
systematic; we found ourselves swaying back and forth, here 
and there-starting each day with the uncertain feeling that 
the doctor of surgery of the morning might be a doctor of 
medicine before night-fall; the wardmaster of today, a 
quartermaster clerk tomorrow, a litter-bearer the day after 
that. All of this, though it added variety to the life, in- 
creased its problems, but it was so obviously necessary that 
it never occurred to anybody to complain when he awaked 
to find himself suddenly detached from his accustomed 62 
U. S. A r m y Base H os pi t al No. 45 
haunts and thrust into situations strange and momentarily 
embarrassing to him. 
The period antedating the St. Mihiel drive was con- 
cerned chiefly with the work of reconstruction of the hos- 
pital, preparation for the battle, and the care of an ever- 
increasing stream of medical cases. During the engage- 
ment, and for a time after it, the surgical situation, of 
course, became predominant and imperative. Then, just as 
we were beginning to emerge from this stormy period, 
Evacuation Hospital No. 3 packed up, followed the army 
forward, and unloaded its patients upon us. We were then 
so utterly overrun that it was necessary to close our gates; 
the limit had been reached; there was not an unoccupied bed 
or cot in the hospital. 
About this time we accomplished the miracle of recover- 
ing the magnificent equipment assembled for us in Rich- 
mond, and enviously eyed from many quarters as it lay 
stored at St. Nazaire. The story of the diplomacy with 
which Lieutenant Charles Phillips rescued this precious as- 
signment, filled a French train with it, brought it to Toul 
and delivered it at our back-door, constitutes a bright chap- 
ter in the history of the unit. So that while, with the 
avenues shut to new admissions, we worked over a hospital 
stuffed with patients, we put in every possible moment with 
hammer, axe, crowbar, and what not, breaking into the huge 
boxes, setting up the contents, and distributing it as rapidly 
as possible over the plant. And when the job was done, 
we had, at last, a real hospital. 
But before it was done another drive was on, there was 
a rush of evacuations, a corresponding rush of admissions, 
and the pressure on the surgical service again became acute. 
After a bit, relative quiet came once more for a spell, the 
hard-pressed operating teams got some relief, and some- 
thing resembling an orderly service was instituted. Soon, 
however, we were buried beneath an avalanche of casual- 
ties of another type. An American command was gassed Nl'KSES AT NEW YORK Mobilization of Nurses of Base Hospital No. 15 at Nciv York, Preparatory Sailing for France. Flag Presented by Richmond Chapter of Red Cross. The Unit in General R e vi e w 
63 
by the Germans, and now the hospital was cleared again, 
and promptly filled up with the pathetic figures of the victims 
of this venomous new refinement of modern warfare. Thus 
we became suddenly a gas hospital, and for the moment all 
energies had to be concentrated here, with the ear, nose, 
and throat department bearing the brunt of it. Barely had 
we come through this siege when another wave of influenza 
and pneumonia swept the armies. The medical men, al- 
ways with their hands full, were now doubly pressed, and 
departmental lines had to be wiped out again, all the wards 
being thrown open to chest cases. At all times the rumor 
of some new drive kept us on the alert, ready at a moment's 
notice to shift the stage in preparation for it. 
Then began to fill the air strange, almost unbelievable, 
stories of a collapse of the German resistance, followed 
shortly by the sensational news of a possible early armistice. 
Stirring days these, with hope bounding in every breast, 
and with visions of home beginning to loom large upon the 
horizon. 
The work, now chiefly medical, went on apace, and oc- 
casionally came some event of more than ordinary personal 
interest to us. In mid-September Major McGuire had been 
changed from the status of temporary to that of permanent 
commanding officer; and a short time later he was advanced 
in rank to a lieutenant-colonelcy, which was vastly pleasing 
to us, of course. The contagious annex was set up as an 
independent hospital under Captain Barrier (October ist), 
who took with him the five casual officers, the thirty nurses, 
and ninety-five of the enlisted men from our own personnel, 
which had now been increased by the addition of 136 special 
training battalion men attached for temporary duty. On 
October 28th the Justice Group Medical Society was or- 
ganized, with Lieutenant-Colonel McGuire as its first presi- 
dent. 
The morning of November 11 th dawned, and France 64 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
and all the world stood in expectation. Strangely, still came 
to us from the distance, the faint roll of a cannonade, as if in 
mockery of our hope. Wondering, we went half-heartedly 
about our wards, dreaming of dear ones far away, trying 
to comprehend the astounding thing soon to occur, picturing 
the great generals bending over that momentous scrap of 
paper, bitter with the thought that perhaps it was all a hoax. 
Still the guns rolled, and an ambulance or two began to come 
with the wounded. Assuredly men who would lay aside 
their arms within an hour would not be fighting now for 
mere lust of blood. Belief that the armistice was a delusion 
began to spread. From an upper-story hospital window, I 
looked in the direction of the front, and held a watch in my 
hand. At 10:59 A. M. the cannon were still in action. 
What could it mean? Eleven o'clock. Ears almost burst 
with the strain. No guns now, but a strange sound-maybe 
guns after all. Then more plainly-the chant of bells ring- 
ing from every church in France that had a belfry left. 
Thank God! The end at last. 
That day we gave up to celebration. Toul, usually so 
sombre and bleak by day, so black and forbidding by night, 
was at once thronged by a joyous crowd, curiously mixed 
up of various nationalities. Throughout the afternoon the 
festivities continued, and in the evening the town was ablaze 
with lights for the first time since we landed there. 
The relief of the French in the thought that the terrific 
strain of the long war had been lifted was pathetic and 
spoke eloquently of the ordeal through which these hard- 
pressed people had passed. Now they relaxed with a shout, 
and some of their antics brought a wan smile even to the 
faces of the black-clad women, who here and there mingled 
with the crowd. From a kiosk in the town square, an Amer- 
ican negro band dispensed a full repertoire, consisting most- 
ly of jazz; and at our behest finally broke into the strains 
of "Dixie," which, of course, set us into a sort of frenzy. 
Mellowed by the freely flowing vin rouge, doughboy and The Unit in General Review 
65 
poilu, with arms about each others waists or necks, marched 
in pairs, sextettes, or long lines, up and down the city, 
squawking in jumbled French and English, "Tipperary," 
"Madelon," or any other old thing that came into their 
lightened heads. Hundreds of little groups gathered for 
dinner parties, or other manifestations of holiday spirit. 
All in all, a day never to be forgotten-full of merriment, 
but underneath it a spirit of deep thankfulness that the war 
was over and the enemy on his knees. Fini la guerre! 
Great words! 
With the next day came reaction. It was hard to 
realize, but we were promptly face to face with the fact 
that the American legion would not immediately board ship 
for home, and that, in fact, the problem of transportation, 
leaving everything else out of consideration, was one of huge 
dimensions. Not days or weeks, but months must pass- 
perhaps even years-before all the armies could be gotten 
across the ocean and disbanded. In the meantime work, and 
plenty of it, remained to be done. 
The time dragged along at a snail's pace. The urge of 
war had passed. The stimulus of combat was gone. There 
was nothing to fire the spirit with zeal, and strengthen the 
tired body with an imagination's vivid picture of the battle- 
fields ahead of us. Over there were no longer the flash and 
roar and turmoil of men at arms. In No Man's Land 
doughboy, poilu, and Boche were smoking cigarettes and 
swapping souvenirs. Casualties were no longer the affair 
of guns and bayonets, but of disease and automobiles and 
careless handling of ammunition. 
To many of us these were the hardest days of all. 
Homesickness laid its heavy hand upon us, and, as the 
laureate of the gang hymned his plaint, one felt inclined to 
go out and sit in the mud and the unending rain and howl 
with all the dismal zest of a hound baying at the mid- 
night sky. 
Immediately after the armistice, we caught a stream 66 
U. S. Arm y Base Hospital No. 45 
from the belated drive that took the Second Army over the 
top, and a busy spell over these kept our minds and our 
hands occupied. "Wounded at 10:59 A. M., November 
nth." Not infrequently did this appear on the patient's 
card. It has been said that commanders in the field did not 
know of the impending armistice, and continued fighting as 
a matter of course-a simple explanation if one overlooks 
the inefficiency which made such ignorance possible. It has 
been said, also, that the wilful stubborness of certain high 
officers was responsible for these American lives and limbs 
uselessly sacrificed. Circumstantial stories came to us then, 
and have been repeated to us since, of peremptory commands 
to advance, though the whole line knew that within a few 
moments the war would be at an end-and for all practical 
purposes was ended then. One officer, who, judging from 
the attention he received from certain headquarters, must 
have attained some distinction, solemnly told the writer that 
he now had one main ambition in life-to return to his law 
office in New York, remove his uniform, and spend the rest 
of his days, if nceessary, in an attempt to bring into pub- 
licity and suitable punishment those who, to feed a bloated 
vainglory, had driven American troops into guns even then 
being stacked on the field. Whether he, and the numerous 
others who were of the same mind, tried and failed in the 
attempt; or whether, once home again, they forgot it, we 
have never heard. The simple fact remains with us-un- 
explained, certainly unadorned. 
Gradually the work dwindled. Lieutenant-Colonel 
Maddux was sent into Germany with one of the armies 
(November 14th) and Colonel R. M. Thornburgh suc- 
ceeded him in command of the Justice Group. On Novem- 
ber 23rd the maximum number of patients in the hospital 
was 1,908. On December 1st, "45" was designated as a 
"clean surgical" hospital, and the medical service was prac- The Unit in General R e vi e w 
67 
tically discontinued. On the same day a group triage, con- 
sisting of a series of tents, was established in the court of 
"45," which meant that the admissions for the entire group 
were presented here, assorted, tagged, and distributed 
among the various hospitals. To us came the "clean" sur- 
gical cases, and for some time the number of these was 
quite sufficient to keep our staff rather busy. On December 
17th our bed capacity was reduced from 2,300 to 1,400. 
Slowly and drearily we moved along, snatching at every 
rumor, meticulously dissecting every sign that might be taken 
to indicate an intention on the part of headquarters to order 
us back to the States. Disappointment after disappointment 
left us dispirited, tired of the guesswork, but always re- 
turning to it with a lingering hope. 
Christmas brought a welcome break of the monotony. 
We had all been secretly dreading it. The thoughts it 
would bring of the fireside scenes dear to our hearts on 
this day-of the wives, children, and mothers over yonder, 
waiting and praying-were rather terrifying to the home- 
sick band. But a miracle occurred. Some genius proposed 
the decoration of the entire hospital, and a full stocking at 
the bedside of each patient. The idea spread like wildfire. 
Soon we were in a delightful maze of work from which the 
hospital emerged a rare and beautiful picture which visitors 
came many miles to see. Every ward was in gala dress, 
with streamers, evergreens, Christmas trees, ornamental 
devices of strange but enticing vintage, wall pictures and 
what not-mostly home-made (except the trees), and much 
of it manufactured out of bits of paper by patients in their 
beds. Competition promptly developed and wardmasters 
began to vie with one another, until the place ran riot with 
color and enthusiasm. Incidentally the edge wore off the 
wretched longing for home, and, in the wave of activity to 
produce something like a real Christmas for the sick boys 
in the hospital, the organization found a real Christmas 
for itself. To all of us the day will remain a glowing 68 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
spot in our memory, with a strange sort of peace and happi- 
ness all over the place, reflected in the thankful smiles of a 
thousand men chained to their beds. 
A week later came a new thrill. As so often happens 
after worry and watchfulness have worn one down to a state 
of almost hopelessness, sudden realization comes of the 
thing so ardently desired. So came to us on this New Year's 
Day, with a galvanic shock, orders from the chief surgeon 
of the A. E. F. to prepare to return to the United States, 
and to be relieved by another hospital. Instantly we were 
in an uproar. There was much useless haste, much wasted 
talk, energy, wine, song, and hilarity. In a few days we 
were back in the slough of despond. Somebody was med- 
dling and throwing obstacles in our way. Many days passed. 
Somehow the machinery for the transfer could not be set in 
motion. Some underground influence was at work balk- 
ing us. 
Lieutenant-Colonel McGuire and several other officers 
were detached and started for home leaving Major Nelson 
in command. Passing through Tours, one of these officers, 
disregarding all the intervening "military channels," slipped 
into the office of the chief surgeon, and reported what ap- 
peared to be an attempt to circumvent the instructions to 
"45" to leave Toul. A peremptory order was dispatched 
at once, and thereafter things began to happen more defi- 
nitely. Finally, after some unpleasant incidents wfith the 
incoming organization, the transfer was effected, and on 
February 16, 1919, the Base Hospital No. 45 waved a 
farewell to Toul and without regret saw it fade into the 
distance. 
The journey homeward carried the nurses and the de- 
tached officers through Brest and the rest of the organiza- 
tion to Nantes for a stay, and finally landed both in America 
where all were speedily discharged from the service. Others 
will tell that tale. Any hardships on this journey were soon 
forgotten in the thought of what awaited us on the other The Unit in General R e v i e w 
69 
side. The detached officers landed several weeks ahead of 
the others. The organization proper went out of uniform 
at Camp Eee on April 29th. The nurses returned on the 
Agamemnon, landed in Hoboken on March 1 ith, and with- 
in ten days were practically all at home once more. 
Such in brief constituted the major activities of Base 
Hospital No. 45 in Europe. The details will be found in 
other pages. A glimpse of the plant, also more explicitly 
described elsewhere, can now be added to the picture. 
The main hospital buildings, as stated, were large four- 
story affairs, erected with the solidity which seems to be 
characteristic of French construction. They were probably 
admirably suited to the purpose for which they were 
designed, but for the care of the sick their arrangement 
could scarcely be considered ideal. The floors were symmet- 
rically divided into rooms extending the depth of the build- 
ing, except at the ends, where they extended half the depth 
of the building, with a short corridor between. There were 
on each floor eight of the larger rooms and four of the half- 
size rooms. The rooms were grouped in pairs by interven- 
ing stairways, of which there were six. There were no 
central corridors. Once on the floor, to reach a patient at 
the other end, one had to pass through every room, opening 
and closing thirteen doors-not a trifling consideration in 
times of stress. 
There were no elevators. Removing a patient to or 
from the ambulance or the operating room meant his trans- 
portation the full distance on a litter borne by two men. 
The evacuation of several hundred patients too sick to use 
their legs-and such an evacuation was liable to come at 
any moment-introduced, as can be imagined, a huge prob- 
lem. Too much praise cannot be given to the litter bearers 
who dragged their weary limbs up and down those stair- 
ways. Many of them collapsed under the fearful strain; 70 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
but all of them hung on as long as an ounce of strength was 
left in them. 
There was no running water, except in the operating 
room, where it was installed by our own plumbers after 
great difficulty. All other water for whatever purpose-and 
tons of it were needed-had to be carried by hand from 
without the building. So also with the meals, three times 
each day. 
There was no sewage system. Refuse of whatever sort 
had to be collected in containers, which likewise had to be 
dragged up and down the stairs and across the lot. 
There were, at first, no lights, but American engineers 
stationed in I oul wired the place and gave us a perfect 
electrical equipment. 
There was no heating plant. Each ward contained in 
the center a stove, from which the smoke was carried 
through a long pipe, and eventually through a hole in the 
window. 1 he fuel was brought each day in scuttles and 
boxes by the wardmen. There was never quite enough of 
it-sometimes almost none. On those days the patients, 
who were not forced by sickness to do so, stayed in their 
beds to keep warm. 
There were no scullery-maids, scrub-women, janitors, or 
orderlies. The work indicated by these names had to be 
done by our enlisted personnel. One of the latter was as- 
signed to each ward-twenty patients-and over the group 
presided a floor chief, an overworked individual, who had to 
shoulder many real burdens, swallow many affronts, and 
bear the brunt of many stormy hours. For each floor 
eight large and four small wards-there were three nurses, 
with one designated as head nurse. This constituted the 
day force. At night the numbers were reduced. 
Under such circumstances we did our work-while from 
other quarters was administered the executive side of the 
hospital, requiring the services of a large part of the entire 
force. One of the things which continually complicated our The Unit in General Review 
71 
daily schedules was the frequent shifting of assignments, 
especially among the wardmen. It was not uncommon, upon 
beginning the day's work, to be met at the door by a frantic 
floor chief, whose main helpers had suddenly been com- 
mandeered for duty elsewhere, with the substitution of a 
green group, whose value for the time being was less than 
nothing. 
The normal capacity of each floor was 200 patients; 
during a push, by crowding cots into every corner, the num- 
ber was run up to about 250. The capacity of one floor of 
"45" therefore was greater than the entire capacity of any 
one hospital in Richmond; and the care of such a floor was 
in the hands of one man in the medical service and two men 
in the surgical service. The capacity of all the floors com- 
bined was far greater than the capacity of all the hospitals 
of Richmond, private and public, combined. If it can be 
imagined, therefore, that the professional problems of the 
largest hospital in Richmond, with every bed occupied by 
medical cases, were entrusted to one individual, who had 
to examine, diagnose, and prescribe for each case, make 
some record of the data on a separate slip for each, main- 
tain a ward book showing at a glance, for instant use, the 
condition of each with reference to possible evacuation- 
some comprehension may be possible of the daily life of the 
doctor in charge of a medical floor in Base Hospital No. 45. 
Then add to this a series of operations to be performed, and 
a long list of dressings, sometimes as many as a hundred, to 
be done-frequently involving a half-dozen different com- 
plicated manuevers on the same case-and the picture of the 
duties of the two ward surgeons on a floor will begin to 
appear. Now add to both a sudden evacution of a third 
or a half or three-fourths of all the beds and the immediate 
refilling of all of them with new cases to be freshly listed, 
examined, diagnosed, prescribed for, dressed, operated upon 
and recorded, and one can better grasp our meaning when 
we say that life at Toul was constantly astir to say the least. 72 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
Whether or not we did our bit worthily the records will 
have to show. All that we undertake to say for ourselves 
is that we did the best we could, earnestly, conscientiously, 
not only with willingness, but with pride in the opportunity 
to render service in such a cause. It will perhaps be per- 
mitted to us to note that the commanding officer of the 
group, at first harsh and unsparing in the words with which 
he drove us on to almost superhuman efforts in the great 
push, soon adopted us as a model for the group and officially 
commended our work. He established a central staff of de- 
partmental overseers and put officers of "45" in practically 
every one of these places-Captain E. G. Hopkins for the 
laboratories; Captain Hodges for the X-ray services; Cap- 
tain Harrison for the dental branches; Captain Anderson 
for the neurologists; Dr. Bowie for the chaplains; Lieu- 
tenant Jenson for the burial officers. It has been impossible 
in this review to go into all the ramifications of the work, 
and little has been said of these essential departments. But 
the pressure on them was as great as it was anywhere else, 
and the efficiency with which they met it is best described in 
the signal recognition they received in this assignment to 
supervision over the work of their corresponding depart- 
ments in all the hospitals grouped about Toul. 
It must not be inferred from what has been written that 
we spent our days with body and spirit bent beneath an over- 
load of toil and woe. Actually the situation was quite dif- 
ferent from that. Days were long and work was hard-but 
in those times men went to Europe to work and not to play, 
and we simply worked like all the rest. To our lot fell some 
things sterner than fell to others, but on the other hand, 
many that were easier. We had roofs over our heads al- 
ways. We were sometimes chilly, but never frozen. We 
had beds to sleep in. We had food which, though mo- 
notonous to the point of distaste, was yet nourishing and OFFICIAL MAP 
Showing Situation of Toul with Reference to Zone 
of Advance and the German Line. AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCED 
OFFICE OE THE CHIEF SURGLOAT 
HOSP1TA LIZAT1 OA DIVISION 
REFERENCE MAP 
SHOWING LOCATION OP FlXEU MEDICAL DEPT. UNITS 
FOR DETAILS CONSULT ATTACHED INDEX 
GORfZ£CVeo TQ The U n i t in General Revie w 
73 
abundant. We were close to the front as hospitals go^ but 
we were in no danger from gunfire, except from the Boche 
bombing planes which visited our vicinity nightly. Com- 
pared with the life of the man in the trench or the dugout 
our path was almost luxurious. 
Furthermore we added, here and there, what we could 
of a lighter side. In our canteen we could always find to- 
bacco and usually candy and some other things to eat. 
Books came to us through a circulating library. The nurses 
and the officers had rest rooms, and conjointly used a rec- 
reation room, where small parties, meetings, lectures and 
religious services were held. Now and again an accom- 
plished, sometimes a distinguished, visitor or troupe of 
them would wander by with songs, recitations, and other 
forms of amusement. Each week we had a dance for the 
officers and nurses and this speedily became the most im- 
portant social event of the hospital, attracting many visitors 
who came from every direction, and especially through the 
sky. Occasionally one could-after the armistice-secure a 
leave for a few hours, or even a day or two, and slip away 
somewhere, to Verdun, Paris, Rheims, Domremy, and a 
dozen other places rich in recent or ancient history. 
The detachment fared less liberally than the officers in 
these diversions. They, perhaps, enjoyed even a bit more 
freedom of motion than the staff, but in other respects they 
were short-handed. They had no adequate rest or recrea- 
tion rooms, though efforts were made to secure both. Sports 
were not developed according to our expectation, and a good 
equipment bought in Richmond went almost to waste. The 
restraints of military life drew certain artificial lines which 
could not be overstepped. Many of the men were old 
friends of both officers and nurses, and in civil life met them 
upon terms of complete equality. But as long as uniforms 
were worn army regulations had to be scrupulously observed. 
Everybody understood this, and there was no feeling about 
it. But it prevented a certain type of social intermingling 74 
U. S. Army Bas e H o s p i t al No. 45 
which, so far as our little family of Virginians were con- 
cerned, was a matter of serious regret to us. As far as we 
could, we made the life of the enlisted personnel pleasant. 
If it fell short in any particular of what they wished it to 
be, the fault was in the times and not in our hearts. 
The religious side of the hospital life was directed by 
Chaplain Bowie, who, in an institution of this size, had his 
hands very full. He had not one congregation but dozens 
of them. His flock could not go to him, or assemble at 
any one point; he had to go to them at many different loca- 
tions. Services were held regularly in the wards for the 
patients; in the recreation room for the officers and nurses, 
and in the mess hall for the entire organization. In addi- 
tion, the chaplain had many other duties, and perhaps the 
chief of these was the intimate moment at the bedside with 
the sick and dying. Here he had a wonderful opportunity 
for real service to those who were so constantly thinking 
and talking of home while they lay, racked with pain, facing 
an end so different, from that they had pictured. 
Of the spirit which permeated the three groups-officers, 
nurses, and detachment-and of the manner with which each 
met its particular duties, we cannot be expected to say much 
under the circumstances. As men we shall always pay a 
respectful tribute of admiration and devotion to the women 
who stood so loyally by us. Earnest, tireless, unafraid, 
swiftly efficient, they faced a great ordeal in a way that is 
beyond the power of simple words to express. It was no 
place for women, and yet what would have happened to 
us without them we shudder to think. With boundless grit, 
unsparing self-sacrifice, loyalty that never swerved, they 
went with us wherever the way led-into the depths and 
out again-always at their posts, ready for anything, real 
comrades upon whom we came to lean heavily and with 
assurance. 
As officers we say of ourselves only that to the best of 
our ability we did what circumstances seemed to require of The Unit in G f. n er a l Review 
75 
us at the moment. Rather would we speak of the detach- 
ment, and especially of the wardmen. The majority of these 
boys came from homes of refinement, were well educated, 
and were accustomed in varying, sometimes notable, degrees 
to the luxuries of life. Now their individualities were sub- 
merged, they enjoyed but few of the necessities and none 
of the luxuries of former days, they were subject to brusque, 
often ill-considered, orders, which they dared not question; 
whenthey traveled they were herded up like cattle, when they 
worked they encountered quite frequently a duty so menial 
that it stung their pride and shocked their sensibilities. 
All the more to their credit then that they balked nowhere, 
and gave not only the service which law required of them, 
but a hearty and cheerful co-operation which comes only 
from stout and loyal hearts. In all departments they worked 
well and with a vim-but in the wards this is especially 
true. Doctor and nurse, though hard pressed, were still 
in their element. The wardman was up against a new deal. 
His duties were legion. He was a bit of a doctor and a 
nurse. He scrubbed his patients and then scrubbed the 
floor. He carried litters, brought meal trays, shouldered 
boxes of coal and wood, and staggered beneath other dis- 
agreeable loads. He kept records. He was father con- 
fessor to the boys of his ward. He wrote letters home for 
those too sick to write for themselves. He drew heavily 
upon his own morale to keep up theirs. He all too fre- 
quently went to his bunk utterly worn out from his day's 
work, disheartened, weary of the grinding, unattractive job; 
but back at it again the next morning, facing with a great 
spirit another day which he knew would be but a dreary 
repetition of the one that had gone before. A fine and 
worthy figure, it seemed to us, that wardmaster, that dough- 
boy of "45," that man in the hospital trench. 
Often we have been asked our impressions of this or that 76 
U. S. Army Base Hos p i t al No. 45 
touching the war and the manner of its execution. It is 
probable that such impressions as we have are scarcely worth 
recording, and certainly time has mellowed much that was 
once sharply defined and not altogether agreeable. 
In general, our impression of the part played by Uncle 
Sam in this big affair was of something for which the words 
stupendous and thrilling seem inadequate. Apparently post- 
bellum dissectors are finding many ways in which it could 
have been done better, but at the time, and still, for that 
matter, it was of a sort that stirred in us an immense pride 
in the achievement. The magnitude of the undertaking 
cannot be fully comprehended except by those who followed 
it through from the cantonment in the States to the battle- 
field in France. A colossal, magnificent piece of work it 
was, and that it turned the tide, and converted impending 
defeat into quick and decisive victory none of us have even 
the remotest doubt, whatever may be said from any other 
quarter. 
Beside so notable an accomplishment as this, the criti- 
cisms that linger with us seem trivial, and yet, because 
they continually prick at the fine patriotism that grew in us, 
they are not trivial. Scarcely could one complain of the 
rapacity of the French with the ugly vision of the American 
profiteer in the distance. And of profiteers there are all 
sorts, great and small. In our organization were a num- 
ber of skilled artisans. Some of them were well beyond 
the draft age, and had no reason to enlist except the urge 
of their consciences. One recalls, for instance, a carpenter- 
in those days almost as important as a general-who gave 
up a lucrative job, and wormed into our ranks because he 
was too old to get into any other. Flis pay with us was 
$30 per month. At Camp Lee he had to see other car- 
penters drive up in automobiles, park them in the woods, 
spend a short and leisurely day with hammer and saw, crank 
their cars and drive merrily homewrard. Their pay from the The Unit in General R e v i e w 
77 
same government purse was $10 per day. Many other such 
glaring inequalities we tried to swallow and could not. 
Universal conscription, with each man assigned to his 
task, is the only solution for this. 
The singular device of breaking the spirit of men accom- 
plished, and often distinguished, in their professions, by 
subjecting them to unnecessary hardships in the encamp- 
ments, to a training routine in menial service for which other 
and more suitable hands were available, to public ridicule 
by upstarts glad of an opportunity for a dig at those usually 
beyond their reach-perhaps it was born in some diseased 
brain which, it is to be hoped, will be in oblivion before 
another war comes upon us. This sort of thing happened 
often enough at Oglethorpe and elsewhere to embitter the 
memory of many, who yet smothered their pride and kept 
in to the finish. 
Of the same general tenor was the attitude which many 
of the regular army officers assumed toward the reserve, or 
perhaps toward the world in general. Their assumption 
of superiority would have been amusing if it had not often 
proven disastrous. So far as our own branch is concerned, 
we were quite willing to concede to these gentlemen every- 
thing in the matter of military routine. But in the more 
important matter of the practice of medicine and surgery, 
for which the armies needed us, we felt it necessary to 
concede them nothing, but rather, in the average case, the 
reverse. As with us so with others, and in fact all the way 
down into the ranks. Often one's superior was, in fact, 
except in the detail of insignia, one's inferior. Often the 
private was mentally and socially more exalted than the 
captain. This situation, unavoidable with our national 
fabric, could produce many stings-and did. With the 
reserve officers, fresh from civil life and its clearer per- 
spectives, there was usually no difficulty, however high their 
rank. One expected firmness, and, in fact, admired it. 78 
U. S. Arm y Base Hospital No. 45 
One knew that instant obedience to orders was all-essential, 
and complied without question. One realized the rigors of 
war and faced them without a grumble. But one could not 
then, and does not now, understand why firmness had to be 
accompanied by intolerance and rudeness. And this, though 
there were many notable exceptions, was not infrequently the 
habit of the regular army officer. It is not particularly 
pleasant to say such things-but neither was it pleasant to 
endure them. And assuredly it will be a wholesome lesson 
if, from frank but honest criticism, the regular army can 
be made to realize that the Americans who join them in 
their hour of need are not ruffians to be met with cuffs; 
and furthermore that the stimulus to patriotism and high 
endeavor lies not in the way of martinets. 
An unfortunate personal antagonism developed between 
the Frenchman and the American. This was to be regretted 
but is probably of no great significance. Our own feeling 
did not differ from that of the rest of the A. E. F. At 
Autun we saw much of French life that was delightful; at 
Toul we developed a distaste for many phases of it. We 
landed with hearts beating quicker with the thought that 
our feet were at last upon the sacred soil of France; we 
departed without a sigh. Some of this was due to home- 
sickness; much of it was not. It is probably useless to 
attempt to analyze this situation, though some of its under- 
lying causes are very obvious. Perhaps it is impossible for 
two nationalities to exist side by side, with separate lan- 
guages, separate customs, separate habits of mind and 
action, and not eventually come to misunderstanding and 
friction. At all events, time has worn much of this away. 
Such as they are these are our impressions, or a few of 
them. And when all is said and done, there is nothing that 
matters a vast deal than this-that when the earth faced the 
greatest crisis of its history, and the fate of civilization 
rested with the marshaled armies of the world, America The Unit in General R evi ew 
79 
failed in nothing that was essential, and contributed much 
that was beyond all price. 
The soldier is back in his home and his haunts-if not 
in a hospital or a grave. He has relapsed from a hero 
into a nonentity, and not only is his service stripe not a 
badge of distinction, but in some countries-and here and 
there in our own- it is actually an impediment. Such, 
they say, is the history of all wars. Time, the great ad- 
justor, will correct this, too, perhaps. 
But now and again one hears strange words, mostly 
from the mouths of those who stayed at home. Much of 
this is irrelevant, some of it is ridiculous, and practically all 
of it can be left to answer itself. Recently a gentleman who 
had no opportunity for close observation ventured a series 
of opinions, and one of them lingers in the memory, less for 
itself than for the train of thought it aroused. The Great 
War was a dreary, mechanical thing, he felt, and developed 
none of the leadership or the chivalry that marked the days 
of 1861. He preferred to look back to that time for the 
inspiration that fires the imagination and stirs the soul. 
For him the days of 1917 were dull and barren of thrill and 
he had missed little or nothing by remaining at home. 
And as one thinks of this a vision floats before the mind. 
One fancies he sees the noble figure of Lee, and beyond 
him the doughboy, and between the two this speaker. And, 
with somewhat of a start, one realizes that in external things 
the bedraggled, hob-nailed youth is pathetically small beside 
the majesty of the great Confederate. Perhaps after all 
this ironic critic is right. But then the vision changes and 
one sees instead the fields of Manassas and of St. Mihiel; 
and looking back again knows now that the chivalry of man 
resides neither in the gold upon the sleeve of Lee nor in the 
tunic upon the back of the boy, but rather in the heart and 
soul of both. Again the picture shifts and from it, it seems, 80 
U. S. Army Base H o s p i t a l No. 45 
has been blotted the figure of him who stood between. Now 
are left none but Lee and the doughboy-and far away, as 
among the things of no concern, are the blare of bands and 
the noise of multitudes applauding. For here in the shining 
light of immortality there is no place for such as that. 
Here instead, stripped of all disguise, are two whose spirits 
are meeting across the span of years. And now, it seems, 
the doughboy, no longer a pathetic unromantic figure, has 
risen to his real height, and stands beside the Southern 
knight, worthy son of a matchless father. 
The vision fades. Around us we see the matter-of-fact 
things of the day. Over there, Europe still seethes, but 
here the blessedness of peace and contentment and security 
fills our lives. May it please God Almighty to wipe forever 
from this earth the horrible scourge of war, and may nations 
contend more as human creatures and less as wild beasts. 
But if in spite of everything war comes to this land again 
may there rise to meet it the same chivalry which met it 
before-and which those who witnessed it will ever cherish 
as an inspiration to whole-souled service and unshakable 
faith in a true and great Americanism. 
Joseph F. Geisinger. II. On the High Seas- 
By divers routes we went, to destinations unknown, 
across land and sea, through days fuller of discomfort 
and concern than of ease and contentment, but endur- 
ing no more and no less than that which fell to the lot 
of the millions of other Americans, who, facing the 
Great Adventure, traveled ahead of us or followed be- 
hind. Split into three parts, we worried as much over 
the separation and the possibility of its permanency as 
we did over the threat of the deadly submarine which 
lurked in our wake. As, with fair or stormy zig- 
zagging days and pitch-black nights, we gradually ap- 
proached the shores toward which we were steering, the 
three lines began to converge but still did not meet. 
And so, each group unaware of the whereabouts of the 
other, we landed at three separate ports, still wonder- 
ing where and when, if ever, we would be united agaim Camp Lee to Havre 
at4P- M., at the barracks 
in the woods of Camp Lee, we-Captains 
a Geisinger, E. G. Hopkins, Wright, Ander- 
son, Voisinet, Hodges, Herring, W. B. 
Hopkins, Barrier, Harrison and Williams, 
and Lieutenants Willis, Scharmann, Cor- 
coran, Eckles, Van Camp and Manheims-were hurriedly 
notified that we were to hurriedly prepare to hurriedly de- 
part at 6 P. M. We asked our probable destination, but 
were promptly and in no uncertain words told that it was 
none of our business. For the next hour and forty minutes 
our barracks resembled a pillow fight. While bedding rolls 
rolled here and different articles of overseas apparel from 
dog whistles to indelible pencils flew there, we wondered 
as to our destiny. At 5 :4c P. M. we were notified that 
we would not depart until the next morning. Our bedding 
rolls being packed, we attempted to sleep on the floor, but 
Old General Rumor was so busy that few slept. 
At 5 A. M. we were ordered to the station at Camp 
Lee to entrain for Newport News. Here we waited one 
hour, during which time Parson Nelson served coffee from 
his communion service. It was some days later before we 
realized the significance of the parson's beautiful thought. 
Then we were notified to go to Petersburg for the first train 
for Norfolk. After breakfasting in Petersburg we 
entrained about 9:3c A. M., arriving in Norfolk about 
12 :3c) P. M. 
While crossing the ferry for Newport News, one of 
the detachment noticed an old freighter in a nearby slip 
and remarked that it would be terrible if any one were sent  U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
84 
on that old tub, not even considering the possibility of our 
mysterious orders leading us right there in a few minutes. 
During lunch at the Warsaw, we were suddenly aware 
that we were being paged and quickly learned that we were 
to report at headquarters immediately and would sail in a 
few hours. 
At headquarters the colonel was very fatherly and told 
us that our boat was a Chinese affair, would go to New 
York without a convoy and was probably too late to catch 
her convoy across. He wished us godspeed on our journey 
and some wondered if he meant Prance or the ocean depths. 
On arriving at our boat we recognized the same old tub 
discussed while we were crossing the ferry. I hey were 
loading high explosives, iron beams, and salmon. A slight 
breeze came up so no one fainted. We didn t care especially 
about being sunk while sailing under a Chinese flag. Captain 
Wright said he would be blanked if he was going on that 
tub. He didn't mind dying for his country, but not under 
the Chink flag, after being blown into the air and smeared 
over with salmon. The Hwah-Jah was her name, built by 
England, bought by Austria, interned by China, rented by 
America, and manned by Chinese and British. I he crew 
consisted of an English master and chief engineer, an Irish 
first mate, a Sweedish handy man, Chinese waiters, etc., 
and an American naval gun crew. The passenger list was 
as follows: seventeen officers, two cats, two dogs, and two 
pigs. The officers, cats and dogs were first class, the pigs 
second class. 
On boarding the Hwah-Jah, we were asked if we had 
any automobiles or other excess baggage, and were allowed 
to take anything we had or could obtain the next few hours 
allowed us up town. 
All the cabins were on the lower deck. The few not 
filled by our detachment were occupied by the Chinese. The 
Chinese weren't especially cleanly? so with an additional On the High Seas 
85 
couple of dogs and cats, and all the windows closed after 
sunset, one can readily see how comfortable our quarters 
actually were. 
Before going into Newport News, we filled out several 
lists in order that each member of our respective families 
could have a copy in case we didn't reach our destiny, which 
was still unknown to us. This was followed by the filling 
out of red, yellow, green, black, and even salmon colored 
cards. Our qualification cards were carefully and cere- 
moniously sealed in one packet. The officer performing 
this ceremony impressed upon us in no uncertain terms that 
our qualification cards were extremely important and should 
be delivered to the proper person at the proper time and 
place, but did not know when, where, and to whom they 
should be delivered. Anyway we carried them religiously all 
over France, trying in every town to give them away, but no 
one would have them. Finally we mailed them somewhere 
and after six months were notified that they had never been 
received anywhere, so we mailed some more and hoped 
they would be received before the next war. However, one 
month later we were again notified of the loss of our latest 
cards and ordered to make out more. These we are going 
to make out to suit ourselves and are going to take them 
home for souvenirs. 
Another officer came aboard with an entire library of 
confidential bulletins and orders. He explained that the 
contents of these circulars were very important and should 
never be disclosed to anyone, some of us even understand- 
ing him to mean us. Adjourning to a quiet corner, we read 
two orders as follows: "Order No. i. Be careful to have 
neither more nor less than five buttons on the front of your 
blouse, for the French are very careful about such things 
and might criticise you.'' Many of us who had been in 
France, were immediately suspicious, since we knew that 
any Frenchman with a red bandanna handkerchief around 86 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
his head and a pair of blue pajamas would be perfectly at 
home in some one of the fifty-seven varieties of France's 
army. "Order No. 2. Do not steal beehives from the 
French, for they don't like it, and above all else, don't take 
barrels for bon fires." Immediately we knew that a bon 
fire in France was an impossibility, and since we could see 
no special value of a beehive in an army, we relegated the 
remainder of our library to the waste basket and started 
for Newport News. 
On arriving in town we were met by many friends who 
said they had been waiting for us all day, were sorry we 
were sailing on the Hwah-Jah, and to be sure to write them 
on our arrival in France. Astonished and chagrinned that 
they should know everything when we knew nothing, but 
glad to learn our destiny, we returned to the Hwah-Jah. 
The next morning at five we weighed anchor and were 
soon on our way. Noticing that we were zigzagging, some- 
one asked the reason for this within the three-mile limit. 
That mate's answer, "Here, we ain't zigzagging; that's the 
best he can do," put at rest any anxiety felt as to the ef- 
ficiency of our crew. Our helmsman had never seen the 
ocean before, but had just finished a correspondence school 
course, and wasn't intentionally zigzagging. 
At breakfast, we learned that our cook was a carpenter, 
never having cooked anything in his life. This was con- 
sidered "dope" until some one biting a biscuit, harmless in 
appearance, had his eye filled with dry flour. The crusts 
were O. K., but the centers were full of dry flour and air. 
For fear some one would be accused of S. I. W. a general 
order was immediately issued forbidding any more biscuit. 
After breakfast a careful inspection of the boat dis- 
closed a large six-inch gun located at the stern. This was 
dubiously scrutinized. All were sure that if this thing ever 
should accidentally go off, we would capsize. Later events 
almost proved this to be true. On the High Seas 
87 
The morning of July 4th, our hopes high, especially 
Captain Voisinet's, that we would get several days in New 
York, we entered New York harbor. The master who was 
to join us here came out in a tug. He stated that our 
convoy had left, but that we could overtake it if we turned 
about immediately. He also stated that he had been unable 
to secure a cook, that he had very little ice or meat, but 
that he had a couple of dozen oranges and plenty of salmon. 
Knowing that fish not, we agreed to stand by the captain. 
Immediately the Hwah-Jah about faced, and seventeen 
mournful countenances turned to the New York skyline, as 
we again started on our journey. However, we realized 
the distinction in having sailed from New York and New- 
port News. 
For about two days, all alone, our old schooner plugged 
along at about nine knots. There was much speculation as 
to just what particular type of tortoise convoy we hoped to 
overtake. The second day out we were hailed by a British 
man-of-war, asking who and what we were, and why we 
were flying a flag never before seen on the Atlantic. They 
were curtly notified that we were the merchant marine of 
the Chinese Republic and had our navy with us-the old 
gun at the stern. We were promptly allowed to continue 
our voyage, but were later further annoyed by the same 
questions from other American and British men-of-war. 
The afternoon of the sixth, our convoy was sighted; 
thirty-six boats, a French coal barge of two thousand tons, 
and the Hwah-Jah, making a total of thirty-six and a half 
boats. They were all over the ocean and running in every 
direction. There were five lines of ships in the formation 
probably covering a five-mile radius. At zigzagging, we 
knew the Hwah-Jah was no amateur, so we hoped to get in 
the center of the convoy and make them all ill with envy. 
No such good luck, however. The commodore caught us 
slipping in under cover of the French coal barge, and said  U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
88 
that the Chinese navy should have the honor position, also 
explaining that if anything should happen to our high ex- 
plosive, it would not be fair to the other ships in the convoy. 
The Hwah-Jah then took a position to the right and front 
of the convoy; as submarine bait, according to a headliner 
in Lieutenant Corcoran's Daily Mail, edited by him during 
the trip. In this position we had very little difficulty, except 
that when the others were going east, we were usually 
going west. 
For a few days the routine wasn't so bad, reading and 
card-playing during the day, eating largely candy and fruit 
bought at Newport News, and sleeping on the top deck in 
the rain, at night-after the first night, few attempts were 
made to sleep downstairs. It was fine on deck, except for 
the constant rain in our faces and ashes over our feet. The 
old boat had no way of getting rid of ashes, so they had to 
be brought up in buckets and dumped over the side. A few 
were studiously inclined: comme ca, spe spa spo spa spe 
(Captain W. B. Hopkins studying French). By this time 
the majority of us had been given life belts and were slated 
for a boat drill. At the drill we were told to jump in a 
boat, cut the ropes and slide overboard. There is little 
question of anyone having been left on the Hwah-Jah, if 
any accident had happened. At our other boat drill, two 
weeks later, few remembered which boat to get in. 
Everything went well until about the twelfth, when it 
was discovered that all our fruit and candy were exhausted. 
The cold fact of hard-tack, rancid bacon, potatoes, occa- 
sionally jam, and salmon, yes, rivers of it, almost dis- 
couraged us, but after due consideration we decided that 
we could eat all the salmon on board in two weeks and 
we fully expected to be on the water for six months. So 
much salmon caused the dinners of some of us to go 
A. W. O. L., but with proper American spirit we fought 
that fish until only two warriors remained-Captains Wright O N T HE H I G H S E A S 
89 
and Hopkins. They landed at Havre still fighting that fish 
and were duly and properly decorated. 
About the thirteenth we were enveloped in a terrible 
fog and our boat was lost most of the time. During the 
night two of the boats of the convoy collided. We under- 
stood later that both sunk, but without loss of life. We 
almost rammed one ship and the commodore ordered us 
to the rear of the convoy, where we remained for the rest 
of the journey. Following this maneuver "The Daily Mail" 
issued an extra, stating that this was even worse than the 
one previously occupied by us, as submarines were supposed 
to follow you all night, getting in their ghastly work just 
before dawn. 
Our gun crew seemed to have unlimited confidence in 
our big gun and certainly won our admiration by remain- 
ing on watch day and night, always looking for a submarine. 
Several times during our voyage some old box, salmon can, 
or log of wood was fired upon by one or more of the convoy, 
but only one submarine was actually seen by us. This was 
on a very foggy day, about the seventeenth. Several of us 
on the top deck and practically at the same instant saw a 
periscope pop out of a fog bank right by the side of the 
Hwah-Jah. Everyone yelled "Submarine!" For a few 
seconds all, completely paralyzed and amazed at the bold- 
ness and nearness of the thing, stood perfectly still, wonder- 
ing what latitude and longitude we would be in when our 
high explosives got to work. Suddenly Captain Erasmus G. 
Hopkins yelled out, "Why in hell doesn't somebody do 
something?" and simply hurdled the stairs in search of his 
life belt. Our gun crew had just gotten our navy lined on 
the periscope and was getting ready to open up a broad- 
side, when the captain came running up, yelling "fog buoy." 
Each one of us quietly sneaked off to his quarters, perfectly 
willing to see our gun crew get all the abuse for pulling 
the captain from his morning nap. Someone stopped Cap- 90 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
tain Hopkins before he had time to appear before the 
skipper in his life belt. The "Daily Mail" was not issued 
this date, the editor being slightly indisposed. 
Now in the submarine zone we passed right through 
the wreckage of one ship which had gone down a few hours 
before. Our wireless operator would state every little while 
that some ship had gone down. Then he reported S. O. S. 
calls from the "Carpathia." This required an extra from 
the "Daily Mail." 
About 11 o'clock the night of the seventeenth, while 
all were in quarters, a terrific report followed by violent 
rocking and trembling of the boat informed us all that we 
had been torpedoed. With and without life belts, up the 
stairs we went, only to learn that the gun crew couldn't get 
a rusty shell out of our big gun, so decided to shoot it out. 
The next day our convoy was met by several American 
and British destroyers. Immediately they wanted to know 
who we were. They impressed us with their extreme energy 
and watchfulness. Two days out our convoy split, part 
going to Brest, part to Bordeaux, and the Hwah-Jah up the 
English channel. We anchored in Plymouth harbor for a 
day and then started out again. The concensus of opinion 
was that we were slated for Kiel or Heligoland. We had 
been for three weeks chasing all over the Atlantic ocean 
and English channel and now doubted the existence of sub- 
marines. 
On July 21st, we anchored far out in the harbor at 
Havre. Soon a tug was at our side and a quartermaster- 
lieutenant came aboard. He explained that there was an 
excellent cafe in Havre, but that if we wished to remain 
long it would be best to get the captain to keep our baggage 
for a few days. Explaining to the captain that we never 
wished to see our baggage again, we started for the shore. 
In a few minutes, and after tipping all the frogs two or 
three times, we were on land; thankful to be alive, thankful On the High Seas 
91 
to be in France, where we hoped to help rid the world of 
the Hun, thankful to be Americans, and fully appreciating 
Uncle Sam's big job and how well he was carrying it out, 
and thankful there was a cafe near, we made a bolt for it. 
Guy Harrison's order was as follows: graves, one litre, 
hors d'ouvres, soup, salad, fish, beef steak, potatoes, peas, 
beans, cheese, more cheese and bread, vin blink-one litre. 
When the waiter returned with the hors d'ouvres, Guy bore 
an awful expression, followed by, "My word, ain't this a 
meal for a hungry man." After the hors d'ouvres had en- 
tirely disappeared the real meal began coming in. After 
a time, Guy lost his resemblance to Abe Lincoln, and began 
to resemble Irvin Cobb or Taft. Lieutenant Eckles re- 
ported that Captain Harrison's meal cost 162 francs and 
21 centimes, or 11 centimes more than Paul Anderson's. 
After cleaning up Tortoni's, we went to a British camp 
to await news from 45. 
Fred. M. Hodges. Camp Lee to Brest 
U RIN G the latter part of June, 1918, the 
? a*r around the convalescent barracks at 
Camp Lee was full of rumors as to when 
I ^ase hospital would leave for France. 
® We had been there since the first of 
March and the enlisted men had engaged 
in many unaccustomed duties. We had served on K. P. 
duty fourteen hours a day, had scrubbed tables and floors, 
and handled dishes, pots and pans. We had policed bar- 
racks and grounds, washed windows and grubbed stumps. 
We had drilled and drilled, and hiked with our packs 
over dusty roads in the sun. We had "counted off" shout- 
ing our numbers to Major Nelson, some two hundred yards 
distant over the crest of the hill and had scrambled our 
platoons in such a fashion that Pershing himself would have 
had difficulty in straightening them out. 
We had taken setting-up exercises in the sun at high 
noon and had spent hours every day putting up and taking 
down "pup tents," which, by the way, we never used in 
France. We had gone through Saturday inspections-per- 
sonal, barracks and pack-when the absence of a tooth 
brush would make it assume the proportions of the Cedars 
of Lebanon. 
During the last ten days of June a new form of amuse- 
ment or athletic sport was taken up for our further edifica- 
tion-Barrack Bag Inspection! This sport was indulged in 
at least once daily during these last ten days of June and 
consisted of carrying these bags, weighing some hundred 
pounds, five hundred yards, then emptying them on the 
ground of their store of cigarettes, tobacco, sweaters, socks, On t h e High Seas 
93 
mufflers and everything else. This being done the bags were 
then laboriously and carefully packed and carried back. 
Rumor said this was the last thing done before leaving so 
we were sure we would leave in the morning and we always 
did-but only for barrack bag inspection. 
At 3 o'clock on the morning of July 3d, every one was 
ordered up and in silence we carried our bed sacks out and 
burned the straw. We were going sure enough, but where? 
After the best breakfast ever served at the Camp Lee 
hospital, we stacked our cots, shouldered our packs and 
swung down the road to the station. 
We boarded the train, came to Richmond, then via the 
Chesapeake and Ohio railway proceeded to Camp Hill on 
the banks of the James just above Newport News. Here 
we were quartered in small barracks, quarantined, and re- 
stricted to such a small area that at any time you had but 
to raise your voice to speak to any member of the organi- 
zation. 
It was dusty and hot and many of the men became 
violently ill, either from too much salmon or an overdose 
of anti-seasick medicine. Nearly every hour there was a 
call and we had bunk inspection, pack inspection, dog tag 
inspection, physical inspection and, of course, barrack bag 
inspection forever and ever without end. Then some care- 
less soul lost a razor blade and spoke of it-a brand new 
idea! The bugle sounded and we had Razor Inspection. 
Thirty minutes after our arrival friends of the men 
began to appear and others followed, fathers, mothers, 
sisters, sweethearts, wives, brothers and cousins, so that 
Charlie Jones had to turn the mess hall into a kind of 
hostess house. 
We were slowly becoming soldiers and so after the sec- 
ond day felt very much at home in our cramped quarters. 
About 5 o'clock one afternoon orders were issued that every 
one had to move with all of his belongings. Some had to 94 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
move to other buildings and others only a few feet, but 
all had to move. The air at this time assumed various 
hues as the opinions of the men were voiced in well-selected 
but unchoice language, but they moved nevertheless. I, 
personally, moved all my belongings four times between 
6 and 9 P. M. 
The "dope" came straight on the afternoon of July 9th, 
and those who had friends or relatives with them bade 
them good bye, for the last time perhaps-who could tell? 
One member of the organization had wept copiously over 
the long distance 'phone at intervals during the week but 
on the afternoon of the ninth many eyes were moist and a 
grim seriousness settled over our section of camp. 
At 2 A. M. we were ordered out, rolled our packs for 
the last time on United States soil, had breakfast and then 
swung down the street toward the town. The march through 
the sleeping town was made mostly in silence. The men 
were busy with their own thoughts and the even beat of 
the hob nails on the pavement was interrupted only by quiet 
orders or the rumble of heavy motor trucks. We made 
few stops and our packs grew to an incredible size and 
weight before we reached the dock. 
We had been promised the best position on the boat 
and arrived first to claim it. As the roll was called each 
man in order moved up the steep gang plank. I had been 
across before, and never will I forget the feeling of dismay 
which came over me as, through the open hatch, I saw our 
men; following a sailor in single file they were three decks 
down and still going down, down, down. We were in the 
bow of the ship Aeolus, five decks below open air. In peace 
times the ship had been the North German Lloyd Grosser 
Kurfurst, and our quarters the baggage hold. 
We were assigned bunks consisting of strips of canvas 
between two poles and these were in tiers of three. The 
exact width of the aisle, which I measured at the time, On the High Seas 
95 
was thirty inches and the height from bunk to bunk twenty 
inches. The ventilating system having broken down was 
left at Hoboken and how we were to live down there for 
ten days we did not know. We don't know yet how we 
did it. That we might feel at home pack inspection was 
ordered on those bunks I! I All matches and flash lights 
were collected and carried aloft for during the voyage we 
were to be guided entirely by that much-talked-of piece of 
ship's furniture, "The Smoking Lamp," which no one saw. 
After two decks of negro troops had been quartered 
above us the ship moved slowly out into the stream at 9 130 
A. M. The sun was shining and the water smooth as the 
Aeolus, the Martha Washington and the Powhatan steamed 
slowly down the bay, escorted by destroyers and hydro- 
planes. Many a man that day would have wanted to turn 
back had not his longing for home been overshadowed by 
the greatness of the cause he was going to serve and that 
inexpressibly comfortable feeling of doing his duty for Eng- 
land, for France, for Belgium, for America, for Civilization. 
Overalls were issued for all the men, giving them a more 
dejected appearance than ever, and the hatches were all 
closed, putting our quarters into total darkness except for 
the weird moonlight glow cast by the blue electric globes. 
The weather was warm and the air down at the bottom 
of the ship became so heavy and dense it seemed almost 
possible to cut it with a knife. 
Needless to say we spent as much time as possible on 
deck, but this was comfortable only by comparison, it being 
against orders to sit on anything higher than the floor. The 
ship carried an overload of about three hundred men so 
that even floor space was at a premium. After stumbling 
over hundreds of feet you would perhaps discover a choice 
bit of unoccupied deck two feet square, only to be told by 
a guard that you could not sit there. 
By the time overalls had been swapped so as to get an 96 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
approximate fit, life belts were issued. To describe these 
words fail me. They were hot, they were bulky, they were 
uncomfortable, but they had to be worn constantly-whether 
they would hold you up in the water, I don't know. I do 
know they had six strings down the front which had to be 
tied for all drills and that they served as a kind of portable 
upholstery for you if you were fortunate enough to find 
anything to lean against. 
Our days on board ship started at 3 A. M.-when 
"general quarters" was sounded by the boatswain's whistle, 
by the bugle, and by electric bells all over the ship. The 
blue lights burned all night and we slept with one arm in 
our life belts, and most of our clothes on. At the sound 
of these bells every one was to report on deck at a par- 
ticular spot, all present, none accounted for. It made no 
difference if they were so seasick they could not sit up, 
they had to get up those five flights of steps somehow to 
their particular spot and have those six strings tied on 
their life belt. 
That sounds simple enough but it had its difficulties. 
When the bells sounded the bunks gave an awful groan as 
all the men rose at once. When you jumped out it was 
easy to land on the man's head below you, who was also 
getting out, and it was just as easy for the man above to 
land on your head, to say nothing of colliding with the 
three men across the aisle, or others who were hurrying 
for the stairs. Once in the aisle you could have managed 
very well among hundreds of other men had it not been for 
those six strings! They had to be tied while you were 
going up the steep stairs on a rolling ship, being jostled 
and crowded in front, behind and on both sides. 
The change from the close, heavy air of the hold, reek- 
ing with the smell of humanity and strong disinfectant, to 
the cold breeze on the open deck at 3 o'clock in the morn- 
ing made you shiver. On the High Seas 
97 
When you arrived on deck you found every one there, 
even Mantakos, deathly sea sick and limp as a rag, who 
had been dragged bodily up the steps. Then standing on 
the deck swaying with the ship, and listening to the swish 
of the great black waves in the darkness, you were given 
minute instructions as to how to abandon the ship when 
ordered. 
At the conclusion of this cheerful and edifying dis- 
course, we were told to remain in our places until half an 
hour after daybreak. Presently a sailor with chronic throat 
trouble would announce, "The smoking lamp is lighted." 
No one knew where this lamp was or where the light started, 
but in an instant smoke curled from thousands of cigarettes. 
A little way out we met the rest of our convoy and the 
cruiser Seattle, which escorted us until we met the destroyers 
from the other side. 
Meals for the enlisted men on the Aeolus were a cross 
between army mess and a Japanese juggling act. They 
were served one deck below the main deck but had to be 
carried to the main deck, then up to the second deck, and 
to the back of the ship to be eaten. Laden with your 
knife, fork and spoon, your mess kit full of beef, potatoes 
and gravy, its cover full of rice pudding and bread, and 
your canteen cup full of coffee, you started your perilous 
journey. The motion of the ship made walking difficult 
on the deck, but on the steps your troubles multiplied. 
The men in front had spilled coffee and gravy on the 
steep steps, your hands were full and the handle to your 
cup had a way of folding up at any moment without warn- 
ing-you couldn't catch it and so might spill your coffee 
on yourself and those below. The cups above you were 
just like yours. You might slip on the steps and fall on 
the men behind you and spread your lunch over the deck, 
thus losing it, or you might get too close to the man in 98 
U. S. Army Base Hospital N o. 4 5 
front and his heel would catapult the contents of your mess 
kit into the air, giving those below a luncheon shower. 
It was a really remarkable feat to get your lunch safely 
up those steps and along the deck over numerous mess kits 
and outstretched legs to the back of the ship. Then you 
had the eternal search for deck space to sit down. Finally 
when you did get settled with the remainder of your lunch 
you certainly did enjoy it, congealed gravy and all. 1 he 
navy meals were good and worth the trouble, thanks to the 
assistance of our cooks and a baking company on board. 
Many of the men slept on the deck, preferring the hard 
boards in the open air to the strip of canvas and the close 
disinfectant-laden air below. This also gave them a chance 
in case we should be hit by a torpedo. In our sleeping 
quarters below the water line "general quarters" would 
never have been heard had the front portion of the ship 
been hit. 
In an unguarded moment I allowed a friend to per- 
suade me to try the deck one night. In order to get enough 
space to lie down it was necessary for us to bring our 
blankets on deck about 5 :3c or 6 o'clock in the afternoon. 
As the men around moved, we would spread out inch by 
inch until after several hours we could lie dowm-and by 
9 o'clock I felt as if I was simply a bundle of protruding 
bones. From time to time soldiers came stumbling along 
in the dark trying to step between the bodies of the men 
who carpeted the deck, but the darkness and the motion of 
the ship caused them to step on the men as frequently as 
on the deck. 
After my hands, arms and feet had been walked on for 
several hours I dozed oft to sleep only to be awakened by 
being kicked in the ribs. A guard was about to arrest me 
because the luminous face of my wrist watch was shining 
in the dark and might attract the attention of a lurking 
"Sub." I took off the wrist watch and got along better until On the High Seas 
99 
I was nearly washed off the deck by the stream of water 
from a hose early in the morning. They were washing the 
decks and found it easier to just let the sleepers find it out 
and move, than to bother about waking them. Every night 
thereafter I slept below. 
I don't think any enlisted man who went over on the 
Aeolus will ever forget his futile attempts at cleanliness. 
We had fresh water at certain times in the day, but only for 
drinking and a guard stood by to see that none was carried 
away. This meant that our various unsuccessful attempts 
at cleanliness had to be made with salt water. Ordinary 
soap in sea water is as effective as a piece of porcelain. 
From the canteen on board we bought what was alleged to 
be "Salt Water Soap" in great quantities-its advantages 
were mostly psychological. It would lather in salt water, 
but so far as I could determine possessed no cleansing 
properties whatever. 
Shaving presented a much more uncomfortable problem 
than performing one's customary ablutions. Many men did 
not shave at all until the day we landed. Ordinary shaving 
soap was useless and the salt water soap little better. This 
left only two alternatives to the fastidious individuals on 
board who insisted on shaving. They could use plain salt 
water and pull the beard out with the razor, or they could 
use one of the patent creams, which were supposed to need 
no water, and pull the beard out with the razor. 
The sea voyage from below decks was uncomfortable 
and we listened with interest to Big Ben Jones as he made 
plans for his next voyage-"The next time I am going to 
get them to put a halter on me and just tie me in a stall. 
I would sleep just where I do now but they would bring 
my meals to me, and I would not have to carry them all 
over the ship before eating them." 
Some one has called the American army "The Singing 
Army," and I think the good humor of the Americans im- 100 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
pressed most people who came in contact with them. This 
good humor was not lacking in our organization, and I 
think that fact does much credit to the spirit of our men. 
Our outfit was composed largely of men from homes of 
refinement, who in civil life not only enjoyed all the necessi- 
ties of life, but many of its luxuries as well. On board the 
Aeolus they had three necessities of life, a place to sleep, 
clothes to wear, and food to eat. They had no luxuries and 
all the luxury had been taken out of the necessities. It was 
a great and radical change for most of us, yet the men for 
the most part remained in a good humor and joked and 
laughed, even about their meagre comforts, as if they were 
on a pleasure excursion instead of sailing a sub-infested 
ocean, with much danger, hardship and work in store for 
them when they landed in France. 
At io A. M. Sunday, July 14th, we had services on 
deck, conducted by Chaplain John McLean. He had been 
frequently down in our quarters and was known to some 
of our men. 
I have mentioned that we had some negro troops on 
board. Where you have negroes, entertainment is never 
lacking, and I am sure many of us will recall the colored 
boys from Mississippi who used to sing for us, accompanied 
by one of their number on his canteen. 
As we neared the shores of Europe our convoy of de- 
stroyers appeared. The Seattle had been with us all the 
way but when the danger zone was reached we had de- 
stroyers for our guard, which seemed to appear on all sides 
of us at once, and our guard on board became more vigilant. 
Ever since we had left America our navy gun crews 
were at their guns night and day ready for instant action. 
The two crow's nests on each mast were always occupied by 
dizzy army officers and sailors. I he naval officers were on 
the bridge while on top of the pilot house sailors with tire- 
less arms kept their signal flags in constant motion. In addi- MAP OF BASE HOSPITAL No. 45 The C of "4 5 On the High Seas 
101 
tion to these, little curtained enclosures every few feet along 
the decks were occupied by military lookouts. All of these 
strained their eyes out over the water every minute night 
and day. So keen was the watch that the fire on the end 
of an officer's cigarette was reported from another ship at 
least a quarter of a mile away. 
At 4 A. M. on the morning of July 21st, we sighted the 
shores of France, and later sailed into the beautiful harbor 
of Brest surrounded by its picturesque hills. We lay in the 
harbor several hours waiting to get to the dock and the 
enlisted men labored, cursed, and sweated below decks, 
trying in that crowded space to roll their packs so that 
they would be portable. 
At 3 P. M. Sunday, July 21st, we set foot on French soil 
with our packs on our backs and enormous roast beef sand- 
wiches in our hands. We were glad to leave the Aeolus, 
our life belts, and air-tight quarters, and life drill at 3 A. M. 
We again appeared in olive drab instead of blue denim and 
felt more like soldiers. 
Of the town of Brest only one detail stands out dis- 
tinctly in my memory. This is the long, long, steep hill 
leading from the docks to a certain open square where we 
first stopped to rest. I have talked with hundreds of men 
who landed at Brest and they all remember that hill. We 
were "soft" from eleven days on the boat with no exercise, 
many had been seasick, and the land felt queer after the 
rolling of the ship. I am sure that the mention of this hill 
will recall to each man's mind the particular difficulties he 
had there. Many packs were not rolled properly and did 
not carry well, some leggings were wrapped so tight as to 
almost stop the circulation, while others came unrolled on 
that hill, raincoats came untied, and the tin hats of some 
were the offenders-but if any man hiked up that hill with 
ease I have yet to see him. 
After a brief rest in the square at Brest we hiked four U. S. Army Bas e Hoshi t a l No. 45 
102 
miles out to camp and were soon settled in the mud. I shall 
here leave the story of our wanderings to chroniclers with 
keener observations, better memories and more facile pens. 
Walter V. Moore. 
FROM THE UPPER DECK 
Being "mobilized" without orders is very much like 
being all dressed up with no place to go. Such was the 
condition of our base hospital the last week in June, 1918, 
and it was an impatient lot who began the day of July 1st 
without a ray of hope having appeared that would indicate 
the time of departure from Camp Lee. Money began to 
change hands in the afternoon, however, for orders had 
come that seventeen of the officers should leave at once for 
"extended field service." 
Off they went, some merrily, some with melancholy coun- 
tenance, for their distination was unknown and their like- 
lihood of rejoining the unit was a matter of great specu- 
lation. Those who possessed them, surreptitiously notified 
their wives, who like magic appeared from the vicinity of 
Richmond with their "mouchoirs" in the "alert position" 
and "prepared to lacrimate." It was the right day but the 
wrong hour when our worthy forerunners arrived at the 
Camp Lee station to take the special train for Norfolk, and 
it was only after the C. O. had been roused from bed and 
the camp adjutant interrupted in his morning tennis that 
emergency transportation to Petersburg was provided. The 
much excited veterans of the battle of Oglethorpe, Sevier 
and Green departed amid tears, regrets and good wishes, 
with the hope of rejoining us "over there." It was not until 
after this story stops that Captain Fred M. Hodges, com- 
manding, reported his detail of sophisticated Parisians to 
the commanding officer, thus eliminating one of the greatest On the High Seas 
103 
calamities that might have come to the unit had these good 
officers been taken from us. 
Patience is a virtue and virtue is rewarded. For this 
reason quiet orders were issued that everybody was to get 
up the next morning at 3 o'clock so that the remaining 
officers and men might have a chance to start toward the 
land of opportunity also. For the first time in its history 
Base Hospital No. 45 had its entire detachment out and in 
full equipment, as on the morning of July 3rd it swung into 
the road from the convalescent barracks and marched to the 
station to entrain. For what place? The C. O. knew and 
so must some others who were at the station that morning. 
As nobody was allowed to get off the train the osculating 
bon voyages took place mid-air between the ground and the 
farthest point down a soldier could lean from the window. 
Who brought the good news from Lee to Richmond 
no one will ever know, but the local chapter of the Red 
Cross was there at the station to bid its favorite sons fare- 
well when the "Forty-Five Special" went through. Car- 
rington Williams, in the absence of his wife, claimed that 
all the people he kissed good-bye were older or younger 
sisters and who knows, maybe they were. 
Camp Hill! Who found it? Who named it? Who 
let it live? And quarantined at that! Nobody could go 
outside of the camp limits and nobody could come inside 
except at certain hours. Equipment to be inspected and 
more things to buy. A whistle for every officer, a pack 
and pack carrier, two pairs of shoes, field! And how you 
wives, cousins and sweathearts would have been faint at 
heart to see inspectors taking away those sweaters, helmets, 
mufflers and wristlets you so carefully did for those men! 
No news of a ship. No prospective sailing dates. 
Wives and friends arriving daily and the quarantine still on. 
Camp Hill, instead of improving with acquaintance, grow- 
ing less attractive every day. True there was the beautiful 104 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
stretch of the James River, but it only reminded some that 
Richmond, too, was on the banks of that historic stream. 
The blooming thing was too shallow to swim in off shore 
and to fish, well, the danger one incurred in going that far 
from camp when orders might come. As we later learned 
to say, it was "pas bon" for an officer to even want to go 
fishing, though some daring spirits improved the mess by 
bringing in some croakers and spots. 
A whole week of this was rapidly coming to a close 
without relief. After a very decided piece of insubordina- 
tion on the part of the then very timid adjutant, a party 
was arranged at the Chamberlin and Old Point Comfort 
once more earned its title. Wives and husbands met in a 
joyous festival of something one could really eat, where 
flies were exiled and strains of sweet music filled the air 
in contrast to the groans and muffled swears of impatience 
at Camp Hill that had run the barometer of the esprit de 
corps of Base Forty-Five to a cloudy position on the sixth 
day which had dawned without hope. 
Then, just to put it over Camp Lee, orders came on 
the seventh day to depart, not at 3 o'clock, but at 2 o'clock 
in the morning. Forward March! The word had come 
for us to get on board, to take our feet off the sacred 
soil of our consecrated land, next to place them on the blood- 
stained soil of wounded France, where we would bend our 
efforts to move the oppressor's heel. What would our 
part be? What sacrifices would it entail? How many years 
or months before we would return and of our little band 
how many of them would find their graves among the ships 
which had so valiantly set sail for these same shores that 
were our objective, but which had never reached the goal? 
How many of our number would be the victims of enemy 
gun or bomb from the sky or would make his sacrifice in 
a more unromantic death from disease before the end of 
all the horrors of war should come? On the High Seas 
105 
Silent and solemn thoughts passed through the minds 
of most of those who had for the first time really met the 
fact face to face of going out to encounter the dangers that 
beset both sea and land. So far as the records show there 
wasn't a man among them who would have foregone the 
chance to offer himself to the cause had the opportunity 
presented for turning back, even with the most alluring hope 
of reward on the safe side of the Atlantic. 
First Lieutenant Quintus H. Barney, M. C., detachment 
commander, was the first aboard and then the men all filed 
past the checker who held that Jonah of previous days, 
The Passenger List, to see that none but the elect might go 
up that straight and narrow gang plank and that such elect 
had all their records just right as did attest our worthy 
personnel officer, Lieutenant Charles Phillips. The officers 
quickly followed the men on board and each was given a 
stateroom number. Having located that and placed our 
luggage we went to see what had become of our men. None 
were apparent on deck and so, picking up their trail here and 
there some of us started down to look them up. Down, 
down, down, the first on board to get the best sections! 
Right on down, below the water line, below the air line, 
below the line of least existence. Right to the bottom. The 
first on board! Just like any cargo, the first must go 
farthest down to make room for the rest. Horror of 
horrors! How were the men to exist like this? They 
didn't know, nor did we, and how they did do it nobody 
knows to this day, except that just as often as possible and 
just as long as possible, they got out on the decks and 
stayed there. 
Were we going by New York and could we get off 
for a day or so? You don't know the army traveling with 
the navy. We put out about 2 o'clock, due south! Were 
we going through the Panama canal to Siberia? Then due 
east, due north, due east, due south again. We were zig- 106 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
zagging already to dodge the submarines! The second 
day out there were life boat and ladder drills to practice 
up for the danger zone. And all the while instead of the 
proud Sam Brown belts we were wearing a combination, in 
high state of perfection, of a bustle, a baseball breast- 
protector, straight-jacket, life belt, swimming belt and worst 
of all Polar region sleeveless jumper. If you were found 
without it you were put in the brig until you learned that 
on board ship in those days there was something that must 
stick closer than a brother or a shadow or even your per- 
spiring underclothes. 
By finding a spot on deck before dark and getting there 
directly after supper you were able to get along all right 
until sleep forced you to retire. But how to get to your 
berth? Dark! Not a light, not a match, not a flashlight, 
one was even afraid to call out very loudly for fear of 
setting off some sound detector in a subway down below. 
Down the steps you'd stumble, bumping into colonels, com- 
manders, majors, privates, waiters; apologizing profusely 
to a colored sailor and swearing at the naval C. O. who 
only added another check to his already full vocabulary 
on army officers' intelligence. The second night you con- 
gratulated yourself on finding your room in half an hour 
and then, the morning of the third day. What was that, 
a mine, a torpedo? Was everybody else off the boat already 
but you? Why had no one waked you? There were the 
alarm bells ringing incessantly and scurrying of feet over- 
head. None around you. Everybody was already on deck. 
You jumped up, slipped on your trousers and blouse more 
hurriedly than ever a reveille had called you before. You 
reached the door " and many more remarks, you 
had forgotten that life belt. You reached for it and 
there-there lay Jenson asleep. "Get up! Get up! The 
boat's struck and sinking!" And then you found the other 
two members of your apartment still in bed but fully clothed. On the High Seas 
107 
Now all were out of bed and the four of us started on 
deck. Darkness, complete in every detail. Where were 
we to assemble? We arrived at an exit to the top deck and 
heard harsh tones just outside which sounded familiarly like 
the C. O. of troops on board ship. We stepped out just 
in time to hear him say, "Gentlemen, this is very poor 
exhibition of the life drill. You'd all have been drowned 
if anything had really happened. Tomorrow morning at 
3 o'clock there will be no bell sounded, just a whistle blown 
in the corridors and you will report more promptly. Wait 
here until half an hour after daylight and return to your 
rooms." 
The thing became more orderly and you rather ex- 
pected it each morning. You gained consciousness sooner 
now and knew that it was "just for fun" you did this, just 
for fun that you got up and spent half an hour before and 
after dawn watching the stars fade out and the sun peek 
over the eastern horizon. Each morning you panted up 
to the "port side, forward of deck B," and saluted Major 
McGuire, who shortly reported, "All here but Nelson." 
We would turn our attention to watching the rapid assembly 
and checking of the men on the various decks in their al- 
lotted positions in a remarkably short time. Many of the 
men only rose and stood where they had slept, for some of 
them had found a blanket on a plank deck in the fresh air 
better than the canvas rack on which they were privileged 
to lie in a temperature that might be registered by a ther- 
mometer in degrees of heat, but could never be registered 
by any instrument as to the stuffy, close, ill-smelling, 
humanly-congested and rolling sensation that one found in 
the uttermost depths of the ship. There were not a few 
whose stomachs revolted and peculiar to the breed, espe- 
cially in the hold of a ship or even on an airy deck, mob 
action results and when a noble spirit is found to lead the 
"charge to the rail" there are any number of quick followers. 108 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
To those who had been across before the absence of 
light, of music, of promenading, the delicate dishes and im- 
promptu offerings of the stewards were all strangely lack- 
ing. To those who had never been across as well as to 
those sophisticated ocean mongers, the quiet nights on roll- 
ing waters, disturbed only by the constant vibration of the 
ship and the swirl and swish of waters about the stern or 
the slapping of the waves against the prow, were all curi- 
ously lacking in what seemed a most essential element to 
make it all that one had dreamed or read or thought about 
an ocean voyage. Old men, young men, middle-aged and 
youthful there were, but alas, not a woman on board! 
Wasted moonlight, wasted rolling of the waves across whose 
capping tops there ran the silver road to the great luminous 
orb that rose out of the depths of the waves in front of you, 
or sank behind you in the direction of your memories and 
fondest thoughts. 
Days and nights passed while Captain Fravel argued 
that if we could just get up to the top of the hill which was 
always in front of us and which we seemed always to be 
climbing, he would feel encouraged. For three days the 
report spread that we were three days from land and 
it indeed seemed strange that we could go on and on and 
continue to be three days from land. But our morning 
rendezvous became more and more interesting. We were 
in the danger zone. Anything was possible. Anything 
might happen. The strange, toy-like destroyers that had 
come to join our great protector who, proud dreadnought 
of our high seas battle line, had led us through those lurk- 
ing waters in such safety, held our attention for hours as 
we admiringly watched them circle about us, darting off 
from time to time to give the once-over to some craft of 
suspicious appearance, or zigzagging about in their courses 
to pick up any possible clue of a sub that might dare to 
dart in among those ten great carriers of precious lives and On the High Seas 
109 
claim a victim. Such was our confidence in those M. P.'s 
of the ocean that we lapsed into a state of security of feel- 
ing that was not once disturbed during our whole voyage. 
The early morning drill had its feature in the even voice 
of the colored private who, stationed near our post of as- 
sembly, never lost his modulated tone or became hurried 
with excitement as he sang out melodious and monotonous, 
"Company A, Five Seventeen," and as we stood there listen- 
ing to him calling his comrades to their post we often 
wondered what his actions would have been if it had been 
necessary to assemble "Company A, Five Seventeen," in 
a more hurried manner. 
No boxing or wrestling or other athletic sports were 
allowed to distract the men, as it was not wise to gather a 
crowd together on decks for fear of congestion or panic 
resulting from a danger signal. Every precaution possible 
was taken and the patience of the naval officers with the 
army officers and men is certainly to be recorded to their 
credit in the courteous treatment and forbearance we found 
and experienced. 
One beautiful afternoon we were told that land would 
be in sight on the following morning and as we hurried out 
on deck in answer to the bos'n's early whistle we saw a 
light in the distance, disappearing and reappearing and we 
knew that France was not far off. We stayed this morning 
long after the required half hour of daylight and were re- 
warded by the sight of the shores we sought so eagerly. 
Some of us went below to catch a bit of needed sleep 
and waked later in the harbor of Brest, which lies well 
within the shelter of high hills. Our faithful destroyer 
guardians were gone and we had a closer look at the other 
members of our party whom we had so keenly searched 
with glasses before we became so closely acquainted. Wait- 
ing outside the inner harbor for three hours we were finally 
towed inside the rock breakwater, moored to a landing and 110 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
about 3 o'clock on Sunday, July 21, 1918, Base Hospital 
No. 45, intact, except for its nurses, seventeen extra officers, 
equipment, location and buildings, disembarked on the shore 
of France to experience such events and happenings that 
none of us dreamed about, but toward which all of us 
looked with a zeal and anticipation that is only measured 
by the story of the accomplishments in spite of the dis- 
couragements such as the rest camp at Brest to which we 
marched from the dock. 
Thomas C. Boushall. New York to Liverpool 
HFTER hanging in midair for several days, 
hearing divers rumors as to when and on 
what ship we were to sail, the assembled 
nurses of Base Hospital No. 45 at last re- 
ceived their orders, and on Friday morning, 
August 23, 1918, set out from Hotel 
Holley, New York, for pier 59. There we found our- 
selves, at noon, boarding the S. S. Adriatic of the incom- 
parable White Star Line, and not the Leviathan, as rumor 
had promised us. The day was hot and humid, and we 
spent the afternoon rambling about or sitting on deck 
watching the passengers come aboard. I think we all were 
greatly pleased to find our ship was carrying civilian pas- 
sengers and that ours was the only unit on board. 
At 8 o'clock the following morning, we hoisted anchor, 
slipped down the river in the wake of two other British 
ships, the Cedric and Alsatian; past the Leviathan lying 
at dock at Hoboken, and on down past the Statue of Liberty, 
where we began to pick up our convoy, just off Fort Hamil- 
ton. We had in all twelve ships, gaily and fantastically 
camouflaged, and were escorted by a cruiser, a torpedo-boat 
destroyer, and a blimp towed by a light cruiser. The 
entire convoy was said to carry some 45,000 troops, the 
Adriatic having on board 2,200 or thereabouts. The scene 
before us as we picked up our places and set sail across the 
ocean, was a most picturesque one. Owing to the piratical 
Huns' undersea operations off the American coast at this 
time, every precaution was taken during our first three days 
out. All doors, windows and portholes were kept tightly 
closed, and every passenger was required to carry his life 112 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
belt at all times. The weather was warm, and the "shut- 
in-ness" of the ship kept us all very uncomfortable. 
On Sunday we were still warmer. The increased heat, 
and later the appearance of flying fish and furrows of phos- 
phorus in the ocean at night, pointed toward a southerly 
course. A short service was held this morning, in the 
lounge, directed by the Y. M. C. A., of which were fifty 
members on board. In the afternoon, Sir George Adams 
Smith, one of the divines of Aberdeen, spoke a few words 
to our boys. His address was very simple, yet direct and 
forceful, and held the attention of all his listeners. At its 
close, with the lead of the Y. M. C. A. quartet, we sang 
again. 
Monday was a really tropical day, and as few of us 
had slept at night, owing to the closeness of our cabins, we 
spent its hours nid-nodding in our steamer chairs. Evening 
brought us a little more air, a very fine moon and a com- 
fortable time on deck. 
Tuesday was a clear delightful day and with our win- 
dows and portholes opened we all were quite comfortable. 
In the morning after roll call, which came always at 11 
o'clock in the reading-room, and during which the nurses 
and civilians of 45 sat about on chairs or on the floor, we 
were addressed by Mr. W. Perkins Bull, K. C., of Perkins- 
Bull Hospital in London. He told us much of interest of 
the war work carried on there. In the afternoon, all Amer- 
ican and British officers and others, and all organizations 
on board, were invited to meet in the lounge for the purpose 
of becoming better acquainted, and the head of each was 
asked to speak a few words. Dr. Thomas, of the Ohio 
State Agricultural College, represented the Agricultural 
Mission, and told us a little of the work they had been sent 
out to do. Mr. Bok, of the Curtis Publishing Company, 
explained, as far as the censor would permit, the mission 
of the American editors; Miss Robertson outlined the organ- O n r h e High Seas 
113 
ization of Base Hospital No. 45, and was followed by the 
directors of the American Red Cross and the Y. M. C. A. 
workers, who gave a few briefs of the work they hoped to 
carry on. The other organizations represented were the 
Japanese Peace Commission and the Committee on Ex- 
change of Prisoners. 
On Wednesday, a clear, cool day, roll call was followed 
by an interesting talk by Mr. Home-Morton, engineer, of 
London, and president of the Rotary Club, who told us very 
modestly a little about the magnificent role that England 
had played in this great struggle. In the afternoon, after 
tea, Lieutenant Walter Marks, R. N. V. R., an Australian 
and a really remarkable story-teller, entertained us with 
anecdotes relating to his experiences with the British navy, 
in the.North Sea. 
Thursday brought us rougher water, cooler weather and 
some "pep." At 11 o'clock, Mr. Duncan Clark, of the 
Chicago Evening News, talked to us on war facts and gave 
a highly interesting and complete synopsis of the war, from 
the very earliest days. Mr. Carl Vrooman, assistant secre- 
tary of agriculture, in the lounge at 5 o'clock, made a few 
remarks in regard to the work that the department of agri- 
culture had accomplished during the past eighteen months 
toward feeding the armies and civilian populations of the 
allied countries, and was unstinted in his praise of the sup- 
port of the American people and especially that of the 
farmers. 
By Friday the weather was much cooler and a heavy 
drizzle kept us mostly indoors. In the reading-room at 11, 
Mr. Vrooman met us after roll call and talked of the work 
that lay before us, and I am sure was a stimulus and in- 
spiration to all of us. After luncheon, a committee was 
called of two American and two British officers, two civil- 
ians and two members of our unit, to arrange for the ship's 
concert. Later in the afternoon, Sir George Adams Smith 114 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
was the speaker in the lounge and gave to us his impres- 
sion of the American people, gathered during his recent 
visit there, and was very pleasing in his rehearsal of them. 
The following morning we were lost in a blinding fog 
which hung over us all day. Lieutenant-Commander R. K. 
Wright, U. S. N., entertained us right royally at 11 o'clock 
with tales of his experiences in Panama, during his United 
States consulship there. He told us most vividly of the 
wild and fiery uprisings in Venezuela, and incidentaly, that 
Edison chose as a name for one of his high-power dynamos, 
"Venezuela," for the reason that it made almost as many 
revolutions a minute as Venezuela made in a year. In the 
afternoon, Mr. Duncan Clark and Mr. Oulahan, Wash- 
ington correspondent of the New York Times, laid before 
us some of the "tricks and manners" of the newspaper 
world. 
In the evening we gathered in the second cabin saloon 
as guests of our boys who had arranged a concert for us. 
They had asked Mrs. Karl Vrooman, Miss Robertson and 
Mrs. Elinor Franklin Egan to say a few words to them. 
Mrs. Egan, war correspondent of the Saturday Evening 
Post, and the only woman allowed into Mesopotamia dur- 
ing the British campaign, told us most graphically of her 
experiences there. Her ease and charm of manner, her 
exquisitely colored word-pictures of the desert mirages, 
the river Tigris, the city of Kut-al-Amara and the pic- 
turesque Arabs, and her eclat, made her, easily, the most 
delightful speaker of all our interesting family. Of very 
special interest was her recital of the evening when as 
General Maude's guest, she attended a performance of 
Hamlet, given by the Arabs, in Arabic. She colored most 
vividly her description of the open-air court, and the stage 
gorgeously decorated with rich and costly Oriental carpets. 
It was on this night, at the conclusion of the play, that 
coffee and cold milk were brought and set before them on On the High Seas 
115 
an elaborate little table arranged for the purpose. Hers 
she drank black; General Maude poured into his a little of 
the cold milk, and you will recall, died within two days 
of a most virulent cholera. It has since been believed that 
on that night he was poisoned. 
Sunday was still drizzly with a heavy fog hanging over 
us. As it lifted a little later in the morning, we were 
shocked to find that five of our ships were missing, and we 
really felt strangely lonely without them to look out upon. 
A mid-morning and an afternoon service were held in the 
lounge for those who wished to attend. Just about sunset 
our lost ships appeared on the horizon, and we found much 
of interest in watching them pick up their places again. 
The following day was clear, brisk and delightful. We 
received orders early in the morning that we must again 
carry close to us our life belts; and we were put through 
a very systematic life-boat drill. I think that most of us 
spent that morning, up until roll call, tramping on the 
promenade deck. At 11 o'clock we were talked to by 
Professor George C. Creelman, president of the Ontario 
State Agricultural College and MacDonald Institute, 
Guelph, Ontario. His subject dealt with the present-day 
education of young women and laid before us a very com- 
prehensive, thorough and well-balanced prospectus. In the 
afternoon all of the ship's passengers were invited to hear 
Mrs. Elinor Franklin Egan relate her experiences in Meso- 
potamia. While the members of 45 had already heard her, 
we felt it a real privilege to be able to hear the whole 
story again. Her audience was simply charmed with her 
and most extravagant in their praise. One of our English 
officers remarked later that she was "really quite ripping'' 
which incidentally is the very nicest tribute an Englishman 
can pay one. 
Early Tuesday our hearts were made glad by the ap- 
pearance of the British-American convoy, come out to meet 116 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
us. We had in all, about fourteen destroyers to guard our 
ten troop ships-two having left us, veering off to a south- 
erly course, on their way to Bordeaux. Mr. Ouhlahan came 
to us at ii o'clock and entertained us with stories of his 
early experience as a reporter, some of which were very 
amusing. We were still further entertained in the roll call 
room by Mr. Vrooman, dressing himself in his life-saving 
suit, that we might learn by watching him, the mode of 
adjustment. As a tableau vivant, he was very, very funny. 
I think, though, that most of us who looked upon his bulk, 
decided in our own minds, that, if the emergency arose, we 
would pass this particular style, for our smaller life belts. 
The chief event of the afternoon was a real and business- 
like boat drill. In the evening wre had the ship's concert 
at 9 o'clock. This was largely vaudeville and quite enter- 
taining. I think, perhaps, the "tid bit" of the program was 
a humorous sketch by Captain W. R. Knight, Royal West 
Kents. Captain F. W. Blackwell, too, was very amusing 
in "The New Officer Will Drill the New Recruits." 
All were called up early Wednesday morning, and every- 
where on board was a bit of a thrill, and much talk of our 
now being in the real danger zone, just off the Irish coast. 
When we learned that the boys had been up and dressed 
since 3 A. M., we felt that we, too, must take our places 
on deck as quickly as possible. We found that a large 
number of submarine-chasers had come to join us. Such 
lively little chasers they were; and, what a feeling of se- 
curity they gave to us! Ever on the alert, they darted 
hither and thither, those in the outer circle looking like 
mere specks. As I stood on deck watching them, I won- 
dered if any Hun U-boat commander could be so foolhardy 
as to provoke a test of their efficiency. About 9 o'clock 
we entered North Channel, and never shall I forget the 
quiet beauty of the scene that opened out before us: Scot- 
land on one side and Ireland on the other, standing so On t h f. H 1 gh Seas 
117 
solidly there, with their delicate pastel colorings, and our 
ships converging into closer formation. Truly a wonderful 
flotilla! Later we heard that about noon we had sailed 
through the very water where only two hours later two 
merchantmen, without convoy, were torpedoed. 
In the afternoon, in the lounge, we had an auction sale 
of the "Atlantic Oncely," a pamphlet of ship's news, pub- 
lished on the way over. Bill Rogers acted as our first 
auctioneer and quite delighted us with his breezy remarks. 
He was followed by Captain Blackwell, who, while not so 
entertaining, showed rather a keener commercialism, and 
sold his papers for very fancy prices. Many of these were 
autographed and realized such modest sums as thirty dol- 
lars apiece. The total aggregated between six and seven 
hundred dollars. The idea was to turn over this sum to 
the boys to be used by them to purchase cigarettes, candy 
or whatever they might choose. They wished-and I think 
no member of our unit will ever forget the sweetness and 
generosity of the thought-to turn over the sum, intact, to 
Base Hospital No. 45. We were very reluctant to even con- 
sider such a gift, but realized that a refusal would dis- 
appoint them sorely, so consented to take $500.00 to keep 
as a fund, in trust, that might later enable us to add in 
some small way to the comfort and pleasure of those of 
our boys who might be brought to our hospital in France. 
That night about half-past eight, we dropped anchor, 
just outside of Liverpool, and knew then that we had 
reached a haven of shelter. 
In reviewing the voyage, I feel that we must not over- 
look our evenings. These were spent usually in the reading- 
room or in the lounge, where we wrote letters, read, played 
bridge or just chatted amongst ourselves. Much enjoy- 
ment, too, was given through our exchange invitations for 
dinner. They were especially enjoyable in that they gave 118 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
us an opportunity of becoming better acquainted with the 
different members of our big family. 
When we appeared on deck, the following morning, 
Thursday, September 5th, the docks of Liverpool lay before 
us, and off to the right the customhouse with its two huge 
stone Liver Birds looming up out of the English fog and 
drizzle. As I looked across at the other ships of our 
convoy, all safe beside us, I thought of the wonder of it all, 
and I thought of the grim, silent, watchful British and 
American navies, that had made possible so comfortable 
and so secure a trip, and I thought still further of what 
might have happened in the past four years had the British 
navy failed. Europe and America both would have been 
flying the German flag, or would have been trampled under 
the German hoof, as Belgium, Serbia and Poland have been 
trampled. The calm, unshakable dignity of the navy is, 
to me, one of the most impressive things in the world to- 
day, and is in keeping with its immensity, and the position 
it occupies in the government of the world. We cannot 
imagine it boasting of what it is, or what it does. That, 
under Providence, is its prerogative, the reason for its 
existence. 
Edna L. Chappell. III. Getting Together- 
The great surge that was Europe in arms engulfed 
us. Among all these millions, and amid all this mighty 
activity it seemed impossible that the few who were our 
unit should ever make our puny voices heard. At Brest 
the main body of the organisation still clung together 
and started inland, herded like cattle-as were all others 
who traveled so in those days. On the other side, the 
nurses presented an unbroken rank, as they, too, pre- 
pared to cross for service in the same field. But the 
seventeen wanderers, survivors of the Hwah-Jah, 
seemed swallowed up completely at Havre, where, after 
nineteen days of semi-starvation, they were eating them- 
selves into a state of stupefaction, not enough, however, 
to dull the edge of their isolation. But somewhere a 
guiding hand still held the threads that drew us onward 
and at Autun those of Brest and those of Havre sud- 
denly stood face to face. There, in the heart of France, 
we tarried-pleasant days, lazy days, days too placid 
with war all around us. Chafing and restless, we beg- 
ged to go on-and went. Toul next-and last. Air- 
plane raids, boom of distant cannon, ceaseless move- 
ment of troops, tremendous stir of a great drive about 
to begin. Nothing placid here. Work at last-endless 
work. In the midst of it, as, frantic with haste, pray- 
ing for aid, we fought wretched odds to prepare for the 
oncoming battle, one hundred women marched through 
the gate and saved us-faces from home, loyal hearts, 
willing, tireless hands. All together now, as by a 
miracle-united, ready for whatever the future might 
hold. Brest to Autun 
O this is France!" 
We walked the plank to France, looked 
around with wonder at the huge ships be- 
ing rapidly docked or unloaded by barges, 
laughed at the tiny railway cars and engines, 
and filed along to our appointed place in a 
dirty, narrow street in Brest. Here we saw for the first 
time what boys and women could do in the places of men, 
for they were driving horse-drawn trucks, rolling wheel- 
barrows and loading freight. The smaller boys lined the 
street asking for pennies and singing songs, the favorite of 
which was "Hell! Hell! the Gang's All Here!" 
The march to the rest camp soon began and visions of 
a good shower and a comfortable bed made the hike up 
the hill easy. The hill was long but nobody cared and led 
by the field officers we marched the three miles in good time. 
We did not get the shower and the beds turned out to be 
wooden slats two inches above the wet ground, and we 
soon found out that the "rest camp" was anything but 
"restful." The name, however, was soon explained by an 
enlisted man who had already spent two weeks within its 
walls-"Everyone would remember it the 'rest' of his life." 
The camp bore the name given to it by Napoleon when 
visions of invading England were in his mind-Pontanazen 
Barracks-and had been extended by our pioneers to include 
groups of tents in every available field (in which the mud 
was no deeper than six inches) within a radius of two kilo- 
meters. We were very fortunate, for to us was assigned 
a group of pyramidal tents just outside the old stone wall, 
with a Y. M. C. A. hut nearby and the entrance to the real 122 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
barracks, which was the center of all activity and departing 
trucks, not far away. We soon found, however, that the 
tents were put there for us to stay in, the Y. M. C. A. was 
"off-limits," the big gate was "taboo," and to all who had 
visions of trips to Brest the general confinement order was 
read and the departing trucks carried only our departing 
spirits. With remarkable morale the whole command set- 
tled back to our small area and guards patroled the borders 
to keep out sociable strangers and keep in those who wished 
to wander. 
Major John G. Nelson rapidly rose to well-deserved 
prominence by appointment as sanitary officer for our sec- 
tion of the camp, succeeding an ambulance corps lieutenant 
who had been a lawyer a few months before. The major, 
as is his custom, was very busy. The mud was hopeless, for 
this country had always been wet and no amount of sanita- 
tion would ever make it dry, and the G. I. can problem 
was beyond his power and French to solve, but his energy' 
was rewarded very close to our tents. Just across a narrow 
stretch of mud, on which there were no tents and which was 
therefore called a road, ran a small stream of dirty water 
over which was a large sign-"Polluted Stream, Keep Out." 
The sanitary officer quickly ran this stream to its source 
and found that it passed beneath the lavabo around a number 
of tents and came out of the hospital grounds through the 
famous stone wall. The lavabo was evidently placed over 
it in order to rid the soldiers of excess toothbrushes, razors, 
mess kits, etc., for in the stream there were hundreds aban- 
doned by their owners in the shadow of the forbidding 
sign. A sanitary squad was detailed for the major and 
together they cleaned up the ditch and sterilized the sal- 
vaged material. 
The newness of the situation saved us at first and as the 
days began to pass still other new things arose to occupy us. 
The officers found the way, via the bath, to visit the can- Getting Together 
123 
teens inside the walls and then discovered Jeanne and her 
little shop outside the wall, where hard-boiled eggs, black 
bread and the best beer in France broke the monotony of 
"bully" beef and beans. On the third day Captain Baugh- 
man discovered Lambezellec and to this pleasant village 
many half-secret trips were made. During the last two days 
the lid to Brest was lifted and every one except two lieu- 
tenants rushed in to dinners and baths and new overseas 
caps, the latter of the standard "57 varieties." At mid- 
day we gathered for officers' call and in the evening by the 
twilight we had classes in French by our Canadian sergeant. 
These lessons were not very profitable for the time was 
short and we had advanced to the stage of "Dunna-mo" 
and buying books, when we were ordered to move. At a 
later date in Autun, however, the influence of these meet- 
ings resulted in the near-lynching of a very small red-headed 
lieutenant who suggested a similar enterprise. 
During this same period the enlisted men were amused 
by reveille and mess and retreat, at each of which a junior 
presided, newly adorned by a Sam Brown belt and even the 
new cap when it was not raining. This routine was later 
broken by "setting-up" and sunshine hikes, both of which 
were usually rudely interrupted by the tri-daily rain. 
At last the zero hour arrived. We had been warned 
that we might go at any minute or it might be several weeks. 
The enlisted men had begun in their letters to hear the roar 
of cannon from distant Chateau Thierry, and one officer, 
who was later destined to make the first trip to the front, 
had begun to sweep the shrapnel from his cot before be- 
ginning to snore-when the order came. It was about 10:3c 
o'clock Saturday night, just before dark, and we packed 
immediately. There was great excitement shared by the 
entire crowd, from colonel to buck private. The tents were 
carefully furled around the center poles in order that their 
ground floors might get thoroughly wet for the next crowd 124 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
coming in; a rapid police cleaned up all trash and removed 
the "empties," which had escaped the scrutiny of the daily 
inspection; the mess department, encouraged by a drizzling 
rain, slowly worked up a fire in their first kitchen and by 
morning served a meal which, due probably more to the 
environment than its quality, was more enjoyed than any 
that later came out of "the finest kitchen in France." The 
baggage trucks began to arrive and with them came an 
epidemic of sore feet, sick stomachs and lame backs, some 
of which were real but many due to the memory of the 
heavy pack and the long hill. As many as possible, both 
packs and men, were loaded on the trucks, rushed off into 
darkness and at the appointed early hour the march began. 
We started in the dark and as to our future we were as 
dark as the night; there was a rumor that a train was wait- 
ing, but it was only a rumor. 
At daybreak we marched into Brest and with hatchets 
swinging and men singing passed by the long wall to the 
railroad yard and were introduced to the first troop train 
we had seen in France. Our train was a long one, for on 
it were to be placed a battalion of negro laborers, Base 
Hospital No. 47 and ourselves. The little "wagons" were 
there, labeled "Hommes 40, Cheveaux (en long) 8" and 
though there was some doubt of the meaning of the latter, 
all agreed that "Hommes" was intended for men, but very 
few were willing to believe that forty full-grown Amer- 
icans would actually be put into those small cars. What- 
ever illusions of comfort they may have had were quickly 
dispelled as they were crowded into their places at the 
regular rate, packs and men, forty of each in every car. 
There was one "second-class" coach at the end of the train 
which was reserved for the sick and those attached to the 
quartermaster detail and these two parties were much envied 
by the ordinary soldiers. In addition to the men and packs, 
five days' rations wrere crowded into each car-loaves of Getting Together 
125 
bread, cans of beans, more bread, "bully" beef and more 
beans. The spirit was very good except in one car where 
even the plain board seats were broken and the men and 
packs and food piled about without discrimination. In this 
car one man made quite a reputation by being able to sleep 
standing up; his record was six hours straight, but he was 
born in Italy and had probably had much, experience in 
traveling by European methods. 
Lastly, the officers waited calmly alongside for orders 
to board the first-class cars and while waiting suddenly 
realized that the French operators were about to start the 
train, so without regard to rank or dignity all piled bag and 
baggage into the nearest compartment, the train pulled out 
and the second lap of our foreign travel had begun. 
Just before leaving we were surprised to see chalked 
on each of our cars "B. H. 45-Autun," and after getting 
settled and bringing out the maps, we located Autun, but 
even then we could hardly believe that such publicity would 
be given to the movement of an army organization. It was 
the first crack in our shell of secrecy and we could not 
understand for at that time "S. O. S." still meant a cry for 
help and had no relation to that part of the army which is 
allowed to talk, and G. O,. 39 was fresh in our minds. 
The train pulled out quietly and swiftly as French trains 
habitually do, but our luck was with us for all hands were 
safely on board. The first day was far from disagreeable- 
the men were crowded and uncomfortable but France was 
then very new to us and Brittany was really beautiful in 
spite of our first ideas derived from Brest and its im- 
mediately surrounding country. This was our first experi- 
ence on a "Frog" train; we were surprised at the small 
size and light weight of the cars, but they stayed on the 
rails in spite of high speed and we were forced to admit 
that they could travel. How the small engine could move 
that long train has never been explained but to the "Hommes 126 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
40" in and around those little cars, the speed was very 
impressive. The train stopped frequently and at each halt 
the men swarmed off to stretch their legs and fill their can- 
teens with water, usually from the source marked "Eau non 
potable." This habit of leaving the train was a source of 
constant worry to the detachment commander who each 
time was hurriedly dispatched to pack them on again. By 
noon the small stock of jam was entirely gone and when 
supper time came all hands were tired of beans. At this 
stage of the trip the men began to learn that "Eau Potable" 
was not the national drink of France, so at the stations 
trades were made for the "Vin" family "blanc et rouge," 
giving the white Q. M. bread in exchange. "The morning 
and the evening were the first day" and after dark we 
were switched to a side-track near Segre in the department 
of Maine-et-Loire, where the Red Cross had hot coffee pre- 
pared for us, and here we spent the night. 
Early the next morning the cars containing the negro 
laborers were separated from our train and with Base Hos- 
pital No. 47 we continued our way. At Angers we were 
startled by a deep-throated whistle from a real engine and 
after rubbing our eyes several times we enjoyed the sight 
of a big Baldwin locomotive dragging along a train of 
honest big United States box cars. This train had come 
up from St. Nazaire along the splendid railroad which our 
own engineers had constructed and was the first of the 
many huge American preparations that we saw during these 
two days, for from this point all the way to Nevers, where 
the second night was spent, the whole country along the rail- 
road was filled with warehouses, railroad yards, aviation 
camps and other construction; much of it completed but 
more being built by the negro battalions, Chinese laborers 
and frequently by the dough boys. This huge amount of 
construction impressed us with the work our army had 
been doing and gave to everyone a feeling of pride in the Getting Together 
127 
tremendous accomplishments of the A. E. F. When we 
found later that this was the S. O. S. of which we were a 
part and realized that this war was not to be won in the 
front line alone, we did not feel "out" of it so much as 
the location of our destination had made us appear. 
At Tours we were held up for a short time and while 
standing on the station platform saw our first wounded men 
in hospital trains fresh from the Chateau Thierry salient. 
It was particularly interesting that during this brief stop 
we saw and talked to French, British and American wounded 
on three separate trains. It was our first sight of the real 
effect of war and the stories told by these men stirred us as 
no other war stories had ever done before. Late in the 
evening we arrived at Nevers and sidetracked for the night. 
Here the men succeeded in procuring the French substitute 
for water which greatly relieved the fatigue of two very 
rough days. 
The morning of the third day found us proceeding 
merrily on our way again, still crowded in the same cars. 
One of our officers who reads French well but does not 
speak it finished his book on "Jambons," half of which 
book had been read upside down by way of showing dis- 
regard of his critics, and proceeded to tell the story to his 
half-asleep companions. About noon we arrived at the 
small town of Etang, which will always be a pleasant spot 
in our memory, for here we crossed the trail of the Wander- 
ing Seventeen. Just as the officers were hurried on the 
train at Brest, so were they rushed off at the last minute 
at Etang and in the confusion of the separation, Base Hos- 
pital No. 47 rushed off with our personnel records. Our 
only efficient officer, however, was able to get them back 
very promptly. The hours we spent at Etang were very 
pleasant for the officers but somewhat gloomy for the men. 
The officers were able to secure a clean lunch and strolled 
around the town, where the inhabitants all remembered 128 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
well the detachment commanded by Captain Hodges, which 
had evidently created a big sensation three days before. 
The men immediately rushed to quench their thirst, but 
their fun was short for the crowd was dispersed and all 
assembled by the cars for an inspection which took all the 
joy out of life for many of them. It was astonishing to 
the inspectors the amount and variety of wines the French 
would trade for bread; it was also remarkable to the men 
that such good stuff should fall to waste along the tracks. 
All this was soon forgotten and another train pulled us 
out for a short last lap through a beautiful hilly country 
abounding in great white cattle, to the little town of Autun. 
We landed joyfully, with songs and cheers, for the trip 
had been long and tiresome and there on the platform were 
all of the "lost sheep"-as glad to see us as we were to 
see them. We were all together again; another stage of 
our great experience had arrived and-all was well. 
Carrington Williams. 
THE VOICE OF A HOMME 
Upon disembarking at Brest, after an impatient wait 
of five hours on the deck of the S. S. Aeolus, we marched 
up through the narrow, winding streets of the town-up 
and up, till we were well-nigh exhausted, through the lack 
of exercise on shipboard, till we halted outside the town 
on the land side. After a few minutes' rest, we again 
started on toward one of the largest concentration camps 
in France; namely, the Pontanazen barracks. Here we 
were taken to our "parking place," or rather our temporary 
French quarters. 
We were very fortunate in being allotted tents with 
sleeping boards and quarters which were very near to the 
running water (as well as being near to a condemned Getting Together 
129 
stream, into which we all succeeded in dropping most of 
our toilet articles, which we had to "leave lay,'' although 
one of our enlisted personnel insisted on rescuing his mess- 
kit which had fallen into the "River Styx," which name we 
gave to this stream of uncertain origin). The sleeping 
boards were greatly appreciated, as the first night it rained 
very hard, and a heavy fog set in from the sea, soaking 
the ground. 
After a meal quickly prepared by the cooking force, 
we turned in at once, and most of us slept to the imaginary 
motion of the "Aeolus." In the morning we woke happy 
and eager to get off, for France held for us all a great and 
glorious future. 
Our tents were large square affairs accommodating ten 
men, five sleeping on either side, with a central pole for 
clothing, "souvenirs-de-France," etc. 
We had twelve tents, six on either side, forming a com- 
plete company street, which was kept well policed at all 
times by numerous details of men. A guard of six men on 
a shift, with four shifts, was at once posted, mainly to keep 
our men from purchasing "red ink" and other substitutes 
for drinking water, which was so very scarce. There are, 
to this day, certain spots "sacred to the memory" of a 
certain few of our men, as these same spots saved many 
a time, these same men, from the guards and from the 
M. P.'s. A hole in the hedge by the road, and a narrow 
crossing between two large rocks at the brook, were favorite 
places, through which certain of our long and narrow en- 
listed men could easily dive, and lay securely hidden from 
all offending eyes! 
We stayed in these quarters for one week, and were 
allowed one hike a day, off into the country, either in the 
morning or the afternoon; and it would have been an easy 
matter to have hiked in the evening, as it was daylight up 
to 9 o'clock, and was not really dark until after io o'clock. 130 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
I remember one day in particular when we hiked out 
into the beautiful Breton country, to a chateau owned by 
an Italian noblewoman, a countess without an account, 
about whom we afterward learned from the caretakers. 
This being the first chateau we had seen in France we were 
all greatly impressed. The caretakers were very kind (^so 
would I have been, had I been given "beaucoup francs," 
as they were, enough I am sure, to support them, for a year 
or more). 
The chateau, a very old one, with a chapel on one side 
and conservatory on the other, was situated in the centre 
of a small park, with eight straight lanes of tall old trees 
on either side forming a most beautiful setting, and a pond 
in the rear well stocked with fat gold fish, and a real weep- 
ing willow on the edge. The peasants in the stable-yard 
greatly amused us all, and many of the boys helped them 
pitch the hay and beat out the seed pods from the fodder 
for the cattle. The chateau also boasted a dungeon, about 
which the peasants told us weird and interesting lies. 
Upon our return to the camp we were told, much to 
our joy, that baths were to be "issued" to us the following 
day, and as we were tired of washing altogether and entirely 
from a mess-kit cup, we turned in early to prepare for the 
shock of the morning, which never came-that is, a "bath- 
ing morning." Our orders to pack up came at io P. M. and 
by midnight we were ready to leave. It was a most pic- 
turesque sight-a wonderful moon was full (and here I 
may add without reference to any particular person, so was 
most of the detachment). After all the equipment of the 
officers and men had been packed, the tents were furled, 
all in the moonlight with only a candle here and there for 
light; the effect was quite weird as well as beautiful. 
By 2 A. M. we were marching back through the same 
narrow streets up which we came the day we landed, only 
this time we went to the freight yards, "with the rest of Getting Together 
131 
the equipment," instead of the ship, and halted before cer- 
tain freight cars allotted to Base Hospital No. 45. By 
5 A. M. we were off in our "train de luxe," known through- 
out all France as "side-door Pullmans." 
To this day most of us are wondering whether we would 
rather be 1 "cheveaux" (1 out of 8), or 1 "homme" (1 out 
of 40). I was favored to the extent of being 1 "hommey" 
out of 42. As every freight car is labelled "8 cheveaux or 
40 hommes," we with forty-two in our car were even more 
fortunate, as the extra two men helped to keep us warm. 
We rode and we rode and we rode, and I think would 
have been riding yet, had it not been for-well, that will 
come later. We slept on the floor, on each other, on the 
cross sections of the car and on the bread; in fact, on what- 
ever or whoever was in the car. One non-commissioned 
"major" spent his entire journey across France on, in and 
among the loaves of bread. But through it all, three days 
and two nights to be exact, everyone was happy. 
We reached Autun, in the province of Saone-et-Loire, 
at about 6 :3O P. M. on July 30th, and by 8 P. M. we were 
marching up into the beautiful old town, toward our new 
home-a monastery eight hundred years old, called recently 
by the French, "Caserne Billard." On our way up through 
the town we halted in the square, for rest and breadth, and 
as we did, the cathedral bells rang out "huit heures" just 
as the sun was setting over the high hills beyond; this, to- 
gether with the people who lined the curbs and clapped their 
hands as we passed, made a lasting impression upon us all. 
As we were among the first American troops to be stationed 
in Autun, the people were keenly interested in our arrival. 
As we entered the court-yard of the monastery and saw 
the beautiful old buildings built in a quadrangle, surrounded 
by a high wall, with a wonderful garden at one end, we 
thought we had found at last a comfortable resting place, 
and a temporary home, and we truly had. After a few 132 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
days' rest, we started to turn the old high studded and wains- 
cotted rooms, as well as the specious corridor porticos and 
alcoved halls, into wards. Within a short time the place 
was transformed, the buildings as well as the grounds were 
thoroughly "policed," and all in excellent condition. 
The town of Autun was peculiarly interesting, owing to 
the remains of ancient architecture still left standing, in- 
cluding about one-half of the city wall, with two of the gates, 
the temple of Janus, a Roman amphitheatre, and many 
monuments. These were of piles of rocks, mostly peaked- 
shaped, and very picturesque. Some nuns were in charge 
of part of the main buildings, the chapel, etc., and spent 
portions of the day walking with the war orphans under 
their charge, in the beautiful old flower, fruit and vegetable 
garden inside the monastery walls, feeding rabbits and 
doves in the square near the sundial. 
Our barracks on the fourth floor of the main building 
were very airy and afforded a beautiful view over the town 
and across the valley on one side, and on the other directly 
overlooked the foothills of the French Alps. 
Just as we were becoming quite well acquainted with the 
people and the surrounding country, and at the time that 
most of the officers and enlisted men thought they were 
really beginning to think in, as well as speak, French-our 
orders came to move, and as usual, under the same condi- 
tions, there was a great excitement and arguing, as to where 
we were bound. 
Some said Toul, some Tulle, and others Tours, and not 
until on August 20th at 5 A. M., when we were really under 
way, were we quite sure. We reached the "gare" and found 
our carriages on the "train-de-luxe" marked in large white 
chalk letters "TOUL." 
Newell Van Derhoef. AUTUN Lying among the picturesque foot-hills of the C'ote 
d'Or, Autun, hoary with age and yet a favorite resting 
place for the jaded Parisian of today, presented the 
most pleasing aspect of French life with which we be- 
came acquainted. The countryside is beautiful. The 
town itself, with its narrow winding streets, its tower- 
ing cathedral spires, monasteries hundreds of years old, 
its curious commingling of the distant past with the 
immediate present so that there seems no interruption 
between the two, is a type delightful to recall but dif- 
ficult to describe. The place is very ancient. In the 
days of Augustus Caesar it was named Augustodonum, 
in his honor, and here was once staged for the enter- 
tainment of this monarch, the greatest massacre of 
Christians known to that day. The ruins of the 
coliseum, zvith its dungeons for the unhappy victims 
and its pits for the wild beasts, are still there. So 
also are dozens of other historic piles, sweeping reverie 
back a thousand years and more. The people are kind, 
hospitable, and cultured. In our short stay here we 
made many friends from whom we parted zvith real 
regret. Public Square at Autun, Looking Toward Cathedral. 
Street Scene Showing Ox-Team and Driver. Corner of Base Hospital No. 45, Showing Clock and Belfry. 
Walkway and Trees in Grounds of Base Hospital No. 45. Entrance to Base Hospital No. 45. 
Street Leading to Cathedral. Piezo of River-Roman Arch in Distance. 
Group of School Children. Remains of Ancient Roman Arch. 
Peasants and Their Donkey Carts. Ancient Wall and Towers. 
Interior of Temple of Janus. Autun to Toul 
HE seventeen officers who had crossed on the 
Hwah-Jah, arrived at Autun on Sunday 
evening, July 28th, with orders to report to 
the commanding officer of Base Hospital 
No. 45 at that place. But there was no 
- I one at Autun from Base Hospital No. 45, 
although there was a camp hospital which had been expect- 
ing our organization to relieve it. Two days later the 
remainder of the officers and the enlisted men, headed by 
Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, pulled into the town. 
Our first impression of the place was a very pleasing 
one and lasted throughout our entire stay. Autun, in the 
province of Saone et Loire, is in the foothills of the C'ote 
d'Or, a small mountain range, and although we were there 
in what would have been our warmest season in the United 
States, the weather was cool and pleasant, with very little 
rain. The old walled town dates back to the days of 
Augustus Caesar and was originally called Augustodonum, 
and there were many relics of the Roman era to be seen in 
and about the place. As we were not very busy while sta- 
tioned there we had ample opportunity to inspect the 
coliseum, the Temple of Janus, and all the other ruins in 
the vicinity. 
The building we took over for Base Hospital No. 45 
was situated about a fourth of a mile from the center of the 
town, at the top of a winding hilly street, and was originally 
a monastery. At the beginning of the war the French used 
it as a barracks and then more recently as a hospital, before 
turning it over to our government. Two days after our 
arrival, the personnel of the camp hospital moved out and 134 
U. S. Army Base Hos pital No. 45 
Base Hospital No. 45 was now officially at Autun in the 
intermediate section of the Service of Supply. 
The camp hospital people had cleaned the place and 
had started to make the old building into a hospital, but 
"45" began to get busy at once. Plans were made for 
operating rooms and wards. Beds were arranged, counted, 
re-counted, and equipped with the necessary coverings. Then 
after some days, when things were getting ship shape, it was 
seen that at the very utmost the bed capacity of the hospital 
could not be over 500. So that when our nurses would 
arrive, we would have a 500-bed hospital run by 37 officers, 
100 nurses, and 200 enlisted men. Of course this state of 
affairs would not last very long as the army was in too great 
need of medical personnel, and we feared that if something 
was not done the unit might be broken up. Then we were 
told that another nearby building was being negotiated for 
with the French government. 
Meanwhile Lieutenant-Colonel McGuire, then major, 
and Captain Baughman had been ordered away for tem- 
porary duty and observation to an evacuation hospital at 
Coulommiers. They returned on August 13th, full of en- 
thusiasm and experiences. We in the hospital had prac- 
tically been marking time. We had no equipment-very 
little transportation and very little to do. Then came word 
that we would receive 400 patients and great excitement 
ensued as to how we would care for them. We even went 
so far as to purchase gauze in the town and make pads and 
bandages. But the patients never came. Instead, one even- 
ing we received word over the 'phone that there had been a 
motor truck accident and that we should send out our ambu- 
lances. So six patients were brought in and there was great 
rushing about and fussing in attending to them. Just one 
month later we were smoothly admitting more than 600 a 
day, and evacuating the same number at Toul. 
About this time it began to be noticed by the officers Getting Together 
135 
that Lieutenant-Colonel Williams did not seem to be in good 
health, and not being a man of robust build his nervous con- 
dition soon became noticeable. He went to Tours about 
this time to inquire into the future of the hospital as it 
seemed to be a case of our unit being broken up or else 
moving to larger buildings. 
Lieutenant-Colonel Williams returned with the good 
news that we would soon be moved up toward the front to 
a more active location and have a hospital to correspond to 
the size of our organization. But the stress and strain of 
the work and excitement of the preparations for moving 
seemed to be too much for him in his state of ill-health and 
after nervous days and sleepless nights he completely broke 
down and was confined to his room. 
On August 17th, we were inspected by a colonel from 
headquarters, who said we were in very good shape 
and ready for work. At the same time it was thought best 
that Lieutenant-Colonel Williams be sent to the hospital at 
Dijon; and from then on, Major McGuire, very shortly 
afterwards promoted to lieutent-colonel, was in command of 
Base Hospital No. 45. On Tuesday morning, August 20th, 
at 5 A. M., there was heard the steady tramp, tramp, 
tramp of marching along the cobbled streets, and "45" was 
on its way to Toul. 
We have many very pleasant memories of the little 
town of Autun. Aside from a United States signal corps 
office and some ordnance men, no Americans were there, 
and the people seemed to wish to make us feel right at home. 
Then, too, the officers were billeted either at the hotel or in 
private homes, and this personal contact made us quite well 
acquainted with the people. Who will ever forget the nar- 
row, crooked streets, lined with the small quaint red-roofed 
houses, and who will ever forget the Hotel St. Louis, where 
we often went for dinner, and then afterward in the cool 
of the evening, sat at one of the sidewalk tables of the Cafe 136 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
de Paris sipping a delicious champagne fraise? Nor will 
we ever forget the feeling that stirred in us as we pulled 
out of the station bound for Toul-that at last after all 
those months of training and preparation we were really 
going to take an active part in the war and do something 
worth while. 
We traveled all day and reached the large camp at 
Is-Sur-Tille, a few miles outside of Dijon, at 6 P. M. Here 
we detrained, were issued helmets and gas masks, and had 
a short gas mask drill. We had supper at a Red Cross hut 
and then slept on the train that night. You always do sleep 
on the railroads in France, whether you are in one of the 
famous "40 hommes, 8 cheveaux" box cars, or else trying to 
stretch out in a compartment of a second or third-class car- 
riage, because you are always tired. Oh, for a Pullman 
sleeper and a white-coated darkey to say, "Yes, suh, lower 
7 suh, make yo' berth up, suh?" We stayed in the rail- 
road yards at Is-Sur-Tille until 1 o'clock in the afternoon 
and then started on, seeing more signs of activity the farther 
we went. We arrived at Toul at 9 P. M. on August 21st 
in pitch darkness, quickly extinguishing our candles as the 
military police called, "Lights out." This was our first 
taste of the advanced area where after the sun set every- 
thing was done in darkness, lest the Boche drop a few 
bombs from one of his buzzing Gothas. After detraining, 
the officers were taken up to the hospital in motor trucks 
and the men were marched there. About a half hour 
after our arrival, the sirens blew the warning that a Boche 
plane was near, but soon after the "all clear" sounded, so 
we were not further disturbed that night, and managed to 
sleep pretty well on the French beds in the Caserne La 
Marche, now Base Hospital No. 45. 
Perry J. Manheims. Liverpool to Tool 
T was on a disagreeable, foggy morning, the 
fifth of September, that our ship reached the 
landing-stage at Liverpool. For many 
members of the nursing personnel of the 
base hospital the voyage had been most de- 
lightfully interesting; nevertheless, we were 
all glad to see land again, even through the mists and fog 
of old England. 
The soldiers aboard the ship were first off-a proceeding 
that occupied many hours-and it was nearly 6 P. M. be- 
fore the order came for each nurse-corporal to assemble 
squads and leave the ship in "squad formation." During 
the day each nurse had been given her rations-a large 
meat-sandwich, an orange, and an apple. We were all 
"present and accounted for" at the appointed time with 
everything except the kitchen stove in our pockets and on 
our arms. Truly we made a "moving" appearance as we 
tramped through some muddy streets to a railroad station, 
where we arrived somewhat travel-stained, but with real 
appreciation of the discernment of some Britishers along the 
line of march who were overheard commenting on our 
"smart appearance." This made us feel more at home and 
cheered us greatly. 
At the station we were greeted by Red Cross canteen 
workers who were very friendly, with their cups of hot 
coffee, crackers and hardtack. Travel on land in this coun- 
try is almost as uncertain as a sea voyage, but after a time 
a train drew into the station, we occupied the compartments 
reserved for us, and at the end of a short journey enjoyed 138 
U. S. Army Base Hos pit a l No. 45 
a good supper, as guests of the English government, at the 
Northwestern Hotel. 
At 9 o'clock we left Liverpool and next morning ar- 
rived in Southampton rather earlier than we had anticipated, 
so that when our captain gave the order "squad formation" 
a very sleepy, disheveled company straggled out of the train. 
With some difficulty we "fell in," executed a "squads right" 
and gave the Southampton populace, also, an opportunity 
to admire our fine military bearing and "smart appearance." 
Curiously enough our arrival had not been heralded, and in 
the grayness of the early morning only the street-sweepers 
and a few cart-drivers witnessed our parade to the South- 
western Hotel. Here we were assigned to a rather dingy 
reception room where some chairs and divans were imme- 
diately occupied by weary nurses. Those who were not 
fortunate enough to find chairs, sat on the floor or turned 
to the wall for support. 
After breakfast a large dormitory was opened for our 
use, and, as orders were against leaving the hotel, that 
dormitory was filled to overflowing in a very short time. 
In England and in France the hotel slogan must be "stand- 
ing room only," but grim persistence in worrying the long- 
suffering office clerks almost to distraction procured com- 
fortable rooms for a few members of our "company." Two 
of these fortunate ones, much elated because of having 
obtained a real resting place, cast aside their weariness, also 
their luggage, and slept. A determined knock on the door 
of their apartment some time during the afternoon and the 
anxious inquiry, "Are two American nursing-sisters with- 
in?" fully aroused their eagle-screaming propensities and 
professional pride. These two devotees of Rip Van Winkle 
were then informed that two American officers had been 
searching Southampton for two lost nurses and requested 
their immediate appearance at the office. Much consterna- 
tion ensued, also a mental post-mortem, in an effort to re- Getting Together 
139 
member some possible breach of military etiquette. That 
office seemed a long distance, but finally arriving, the soldiers 
made the startling announcement that the unit had left the 
hotel, some members of the personnel had already started 
for the shores of France, and there was barely time to catch 
the last boat crossing the English channel that night. But 
those nurses proved themselves good "sprinters," and were 
safely on the boat before the Lieutenant C. N. arrived from 
her fruitless search. 
After leaving Southampton the personnel was divided 
into three groups, one in charge of the chief nurse, another 
chaperoned by the First Lieutenant C. N., and the third 
section assigned to the Second Lieutenant C. N. The earlier 
incident of the day must have left an extremely nervous 
impression on the mind of our second lieutenant, for though 
roll call was in order before the narrow plank to the boat 
could be crossed, it was called again after we had, to all 
appearances, gone safely "over the top." Then at frequent 
intervals, pursued from the upper deck to the lower and 
vice versa, we were admonished to "stand in a straight 
line" while that inevitable "roll" was called. Not one of 
us had an opportunity to fall into the channel or even medi- 
tate upon any mild adventure; we just stood in line and 
"owned up" to our names until we were safe in the clean, 
white beds of that hospital ship, and it may be recorded that 
at intervals all through the night could be heard faint 
murmurs of "present"-"here," and anon, a great sigh of 
contentment from the second lieutenant's corner. 
The division in charge of the first lieutenant arrived in 
Havre early in the morning, September 7th, and were taken 
in an American Red Cross ambulance to the Hotel Grande 
Moderne, a place even more dingy than the English hotels. 
We had a very good breakfast on the ship and after find- 
ing a resting place for our luggage we spent the morning 
sightseeing, changing our American and English money to 140 
U. S. Army Base Hospital N o. 4 5 
French coinage, and shopping. By midday we had been 
joined by the division in charge of the second lieutenant, also 
by a military escort, one lonely young lieutenant, whose 
duties, assigned by the military authorities, appeared to be 
"courier-in-chief" to our final destination. Figuratively and 
literally he was "the only pebble on the beach," but he was 
no coward and stayed bravely at his post until the journey 
ended. 
After our morning exercise we were hungry enough 
when dinner was announced and we were taken to a small, 
unattractive room containing one very long table and three 
small tables, all of them well decorated with American 
flags-a friendly greeting that was really appreciated. It 
is to be regretted that we left with this cordially-inclined 
French hostelry such a mistaken impression of American 
"table manners," but true it is that in our minds hunger 
must have been uppermost for we waited not whate'er the 
future might bring but promptly devoured the entrees and 
relishes before us and were somewhat confused and dis- 
mayed when, some moments later, a real dinner of soup, 
fish, meat, vegetables and dessert appeared. The French 
bonnes' must have been electrified by the enterprising 
methods of some of the American nurses. 
At 6 o'clock we collected our luggage for another night's 
journey nearer our base. The inevitable "roll" was called, 
"all present and accounted for" and we were handed, or 
pulled, up into army trucks and rattled to a railroad station, 
with only the very meagre information that our train would 
leave Havre for "somewhere" at 8 o'clock. Through the 
long night we watched the signs over the stations as the 
train crept along, hoping to discover some clue to our des- 
tination, but finally resigned ourselves to the cold and dark- 
ness of our compartment. At every station there were many 
French soldiers with their packs and kits crowding the one 
narrow passage and desiring to share the already filled Getting Together 
141 
compartments reserved for our nurses. Rations for several 
days had been issued to us at Havre and consisted of large 
loaves of white bread, canned peas, beans, some jam, canned 
corned beef and salmon-the latter popularly known in the 
army as "corn-willie" and "goldfish." These rations were 
thrown in one corner of the coach though under the watchful 
eyes of some members of our "company." 
Even during these strenuous times we had much enliven- 
ing conversation and amusing incidents galore. Our real 
excitement came, however, when a drunken French soldier 
attempted to enter the compartment occupied by our 
chaperone and several other nurses, the chaperone protest- 
ing, in perfectly good French, and assuring him that the 
compartment was reserved for American nurses. Of no 
avail were her gentle protests; the man had spied the good 
white bread and other edibles and desired to satisfy his 
hunger with our rations. Our long-suffering Lieutenant 
C. N. finally became exasperated by his persistence, gave 
up all idea of French conversation with the intoxicated one, 
and, when he would have assisted her into the compartment, 
she told him in most emphatic English to "take your hand 
off my arm, don't touch me!" He understood not a word, 
but his maudlin eyes again beheld the many loaves of white 
bread and demanding a "couteau" he started in the bread 
direction. For a few wretched moments we had visions of 
that man with a "couteau" and we did not come over here 
to die by the knife in the hand of any Frenchman. For- 
tunately for us the knife was not forthcoming and our tipsy 
fellow-traveler soon subsided on the floor just outside our 
Lieutenant C. N.'s apartment, where, much to her disgust, 
he would occasionally try to interest her in a game of peek- 
a-boo with the curtain, until sleep finally overcame him and 
we spent the rest of the night in comparative peace. 
Many had been the conjectures as to our destination, and 
as we traveled only at night and knew not at the beginning 142 
U. S. A r m y Base Hos pi t a l N o. 4 5 
of each journey whither we were bound, so there was great 
surmising as to where each moon would find us. Great was 
our rejoicing when we discovered ourselves near Paris- 
not the Paris of former days, always gay and bright, but 
now shrouded in darkness by night and a certain sadness 
by day-though ever Paris of so many varied interests. 
We hurried from the train and were once more pulled 
up into army trucks, most of us calmly resting on our 
luggage and silently wondering if we could ever be hungry 
enough to eat the rations that persistently followed in our 
wake from place to place. After a rough ride over the very 
cobbly cobble stones of Paris we were unloaded before the 
Y. W. C. A. quarters in the Rue Caumartin, were cordially 
welcomed by the hostess-our rations being deposited in 
the courtyard meanwhile-and given some food in a very 
cozy breakfast room. Some of the nurses were made com- 
fortable in good sleeping apartments, and as we were to 
have the whole day for our own, several of the group found 
"quarters" at the Hotel Vouillemont, where we had a fine 
rest during the morning and early afternoon. 
The day being Sunday, Paris was comparatively quiet, 
but we could see many interesting places, notably the Paris 
Opera House, one of the largest theaters in the world, cov- 
ering nearly three acres of ground, the Louvre, Hotel des 
Invalides, the splendid Bois de Boulogne, the famous Arc de 
1'Etoile standing at the entrance of the Champs-Elysees, 
Cathedral de Notre Dame, and the very long drawn-out 
Eiffel Tower, the tallest structure in the world. We longed 
for time to see Versailles, but our next move was scheduled 
for 8 o'clock and the inevitable "roll" had to be called after 
we all collected at the Y. W. C. A. All "present" we again 
mounted the trucks-with the ever-present rations-and 
were taken to the train where compartments had been re- 
served for us. 
That night began our "last lap" of the journey into Getting Together 
143 
"no man's land." The train moved out of the dimly lighted 
station and we were soon in utter darkness, not even allowed 
to strike a match or use our flash lights, unless under camou- 
flage, for we were now really in danger of shell-fire. A few 
hours after leaving Paris we had the first intimation that 
our base was already established in Toul and that we would 
be there too in the morning. 
Our interpreter, a Frenchman who had been our 
"orateur" since we arrived on t rench soil, and our Amer- 
ican lieutenant who had been our guide and "courier-gen- 
eral," wTere still with us and tried nobly to make us-and 
our rations-as comfortable as possible. All through the 
night our train crawled like some long dark body through 
some of the bloodiest battlefields of France, through a vast 
stretch of dead country pitted with shell-holes as though it 
had been scarred with smallpox. As we went on and on we 
could see, here and there, houses either leveled or in com- 
plete ruins, never a leaf or a blade of grass so far as our 
eyes could penetrate the darkness, and at every station many 
French soldiers, fully equipped and wearing their steel hel- 
mets, returning to the front, perhaps after a leave. How 
many of these brave fellows, we wondered, would ever 
return ? 
Of course we had been told all manner of hair-raising 
tales about the Huns trying to shell the trains, and about 
the possibility of a lurking airplane that would surely bomb 
us at the first "show" of light, so our flashes-among the 
most useful things that we have had over here-were given 
a rest for that night at least. 
Early on the morning of September 9th the word was 
passed along that Toul would be the next stopping place 
and "O 'twas a joyful sound to hear." A rather tired and 
untidy group of nurses descended from the train, stood at 
"attention" in that everlasting "straight line" and waited 
further orders. Our Lieutenant C. N.-of the encounter  U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
144 
with the tipsy Frenchman-further distinguished herself by 
suddenly rushing off up the station platform. Of course, 
we did a "right face'' and what was our amazement to be- 
hold her shake the arm of a very military looking personage 
and exclaim, "Do you see the train moving off, and our 
rations are still on that car?" But we knew that she was 
more astonished and confused when the "personage" turned 
and she saw that in her eagerness to recover our faithful 
rations she had mistaken this much decorated French gen- 
eral, as he stood with his back to us, for our more humble 
interpreter. She was brought safely to us, however-not 
put in the guard-house-and fearing we might get into some 
real trouble our lieutenant-guide and interpreter hurried us 
to the waiting ambulances. After a short ride we arrived 
at our base hospital where a real Virginia welcome awaited 
us, and we felt ready for any sacrifice, and happy because of 
the splendid opportunities ahead of us. 
Helen M. Day. TOUL "The life of Tout goes back to ancient years. It was 
a settlement in the far-off days when the Romans were 
in Gaul-Tullum Leucorum, they called it. The first 
stones in the cathedral were laid in the tenth century, 
nearly a thousand years ago. The massive fortifica- 
tions, high stone walls and sloping earthen ramparts, 
which, with their elaborate system of scarp and 
counterscarp, of moats and gates and drawbridges, 
entirely surround the heart of the city, were built by 
Vauban, the great engineer of Louis XIV. These 
fortifications are of no value in these days of long- 
range guns, but they are immensely picturesque. The 
most interesting and beautiful thing in Toul is the 
cathedral, though in strict accuracy it is no longer a 
cathedral, since the seat of the bishopric, which for 
twelve hundred years was established here, has been 
moved to the more modern but more flourishing 
Nancy. In the old streets of the town one can come 
across carved facades and quaint gateways and ancient 
looking houses which have come down to our modern 
times from their mediaeval years. But aside from its 
general aspect Toul does not hold a great deal of at- 
traction now; and probably the normal life of its people 
is a good deal shrunken because many have moved 
away from a place which was so near the front." Looking Toward Tout from Central Building of Base Hospital No. 45. View Showing Walls, Moat, and Cathedral. 
French Woman Washing Clothes in Moselle River. Wall, Moat, and One of Gates to City. 
Hotel of Chariot d'Or. Hills as Seen from Window of Central Building. Another "Gate" of Tout. 
Group of French Children. A Favorite Shoeing Center. 
Public Square With Kiosk Where American Band Played on Armistice Day. Snow in Familiar Grove Outside City Wall. 
Close-Up View of Cathedral Towers. Church of St. Gengoult. 
Interior of Cathedral. Typical Street in Toul. 
View from Rear of Base Hospital No. 45. View Showing Canal and Depot. IV. The Hospital in Action- 
How we took a barracks and hammered it into a 
hospital is at first a dreary tale full of the woes of 
men in unaccustomed roles-willing but awkward in 
their essay into the strange realms of housekeeping. 
Then our zvomen came and, stifling their smiles, set 
us and the beds and pots and pans and everything else 
straight. And left us with the rest-of which there zvas 
quite enough for the time. The Army makes no re- 
quests and accepts no excuses; it issues commands and 
expects compliance. A few miles beyond a battle was 
soon to begin. It was up to us as best we could to 
be ready in a week with 2,500 beds to handle the flood 
of wounded-and in the meantime, utterly barren of 
supplies and equipment, to care for 600 sick left on 
our hands. The memory of those days is burnt into 
our brains. We worked until it seemed that flesh and 
blood could stand no more-and then worked on. Now 
from the sky of the north came through the night the 
flash and roar of guns-and the great drive was on. 
An American army was over the top, into the belching 
hell of No-Man's Land. Back they came to us then- 
a bloody, crippled lot but real men if ever there were 
men on this earth. With a great thankfulness and a 
surging warmth of admiration mixed with awe, we 
knew then that our doughboy, in his first great test, 
had met the issue squarely and stood shoulder to 
shoulder now with anything the seasoned armies of 
Europe could produce. And as we saw him then- 
calm, stoical, clear-eyed and unafraid-we saw him al- 
ways thereafter, and zvith pride claimed him as our 
own. After this a lull and then more of it, with the 
hospital stuffed and all its resources, human and ma- 
terial, taxed to the uttermost. So it went on, swaying 
back and forth, until one day the guns were silenced, 
and the carnage stopped, and the war was at an end. 
Then followed quieter times-dull and dragging and 
wretched times, zvith none of the stimulus of the fight 
to stiffen tired bodies and homesick hearts. Transformation of Barracks 
Into a Hospital 
was ab°ut 9 o'clock at night on August 
2ist that after a long and fatiguing trip 
on a trooP train we reached Tout As we 
landed on the platform of the dark station 
we were met by several officers who stated 
' that they had been detailed to guide us to 
our new quarters. 
These officers had arrived themselves only a day or two 
before and were eager to tell us of an air raid they had been 
through the previous night and to warn us against flashing 
lights or striking matches as it was about the hour the raiders 
usually visited this area. 
Our officers were put in automobiles or trucks and our 
men formed in column in heavy marching order and we set 
off for our destination, which we were told was less than 
two miles distant. 
We had not been on the road more than ten minutes 
before the sounding of the sirens and the ringing of the bells 
in Toul announced the approach of the Boche planes. Al- 
most immediately the sky was lit with shafts from numerous 
searchlights and anti-aircraft guns on all sides of us began 
to fire at real or imaginary enemies. 
The motor vehicles which were running without lights 
put on double speed to get out of the danger zone, but the 
enlisted men had to be hurried into dugouts by the roadside 
and kept there until the raid was over. Eventually we all 
reached the buildings we were to occupy. It was so dark 
we could not see much of our new quarters, so after feeling 148 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
our way indoors we lay down wherever we happened to be, 
most of us on the floor, and slept the sleep that comes from 
fatigue and excitement. 
Tout is a strategic point of great military importance 
and a large garrison was always maintained there by the 
French government. To accommodate these soldiers a num- 
ber of barrack buildings or casernes had been erected on 
high ground to the west of the city. These buildings 
stretched along on both sides of a road for a half mile or 
more. They were divided into separate units by high walls. 
Collectively they were known as "The Justice Group." In- 
dividually they had distinctive names. 
We found we were in Caserne La Marche, which had 
formerly been occupied by the 153rd Regiment of the 
French army. The other buildings of the group were to be 
occupied later by American hospitals, but we had the dis- 
tinction of being the first base hospital to be sent into the 
zone of the advance, and the first to be located so near the 
front. As we went into breakfast we saw aeroplanes over 
head, and as we ate we heard the sound of big guns only 
eight miles away. We knew that we had hard work ahead 
of us, and we were satisfied! 
The grounds of Caserne La Marche covered about 
twelve acres and were inclosed by a high wall which opened 
on the road by a rather pretentious gate flanked on either 
side by a guardhouse and sentry box. There were three 
large barrack buildings at the northern end of the enclosure, 
one facing and the other two flanking a large open court 
which had evidently been a parade ground. The surface 
of the latter was scarred by zigzag trenches recently dug 
either for drill practice or for shelter in time of air raids. 
Besides the three main buildings there was another of con- 
siderable size which had been the infirmary. There were 
also numerous small buildings along the boundary wall used 
for kitchens, washrooms, latrines, stables and storerooms. 
The barrack buildings were constructed of brick and The Hospital in Action 
149 
concrete and were four stories high, with a front of about 
three hundred feet and a depth of about sixty feet. Each 
building had six stairways that led from the first floor to 
the fourth. One stairway was at either end, and the other 
four di\ ided the building into five equal sections, between 
each of which was a passageway and a small hallroom. 
Each section contained two barrack rooms, which in shape 
and size approximated the usual hospital ward capable of 
accommodating from twenty to twenty-four patients. There 
were no water or sewerage connections or provision for heat 
except small stoves, otherwise the buildings were admirably 
constructed for the purpose to which they would be devoted. 
We were told that after the buildings had been evacuated 
at the outbreak of the war by the troops then garrisoned in 
them, the French government had used them for a military 
hospital. When the Americans took over this section of 
the front there was no longer any need of a hospital by the 
french and they had been closed. Recently the United 
States government had secured control of them. 
On our arrival we found that United States Field Hos- 
355 had opened up one of the buildings and was then 
caring for about three hundred patients, with a force of 
thirty nurses and sixty enlisted men. Almost immediately 
the officer in charge sought an interview and said he had 
been notified that our organization was to relieve him. He 
told us someting we did not know before, which was that 
we were also expected to take over a contagious hospital 
then being operated by another mobile unit. This hospital 
was about a half mile distant and had three hundred and 
fifty patients suffering with diseases which ranged all the 
way from mumps and measles to meningitis 
I he officer was very insistent that we assume charge at 
once, but as according to our instructions, we had left all 
our equipment at Autun and as we feared his organization 
would take everything with it when it left, we insisted on 
being given time to look over the ground and make the 150 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
necessary arrangements to safeguard the proper care of 
the patients. 
We had been told confidentially that this officer had 
orders to remain until he was satisfied we were in a position 
to handle the situation, but the assurance given us by this in- 
formation was unfounded, because he left suddenly taking 
all equipment with him. This included hospital supplies, 
drugs and dressings, cooking utensils and even the kitchen 
stove. 
Major Nelson and several other officers were put in 
charge of the professional care of the patients in the east 
building and Captain Fravel, with the necessary number of 
assistants, was assigned to the contagious hospital. For a 
day or two it was not a question of meals, but simply some- 
thing to eat. Complete equipment was requisitioned, but 
nothing was immediately available, and officers, men and 
patients had to be fed out of such mess kits as could be 
collected with food cooked in dishes and pans bought from 
the scanty stock of the merchants in Toul. Everybody made 
the best of it, nobody really suffered and in a day or two 
we were on our feet. 
Urgent telegrams began to come from official head- 
quarters directing us to set up every available bed and get 
ready to care for at least 2,300 patients at the earliest pos- 
sible day. Rumors were in the air of a big push which was 
expected in a few days. Fortunately for us it did not come 
off for nearly three weeks, or to be more accurate on Sep- 
tember 12th. 
The first plan of the general arragement of the hospital 
was afterwards refined, but not materially altered. The 
east building was to be for medical and gassed patients, 
the west building for surgical patients and the central 
building for the overflow from either of the first two. The 
executive officers of the hospital were to occupy the first 
floor of the central building. T he officers were to be 
quartered in the infirmary, the nurses on the fourth floor of The Hospital in Action 
151 
the east building, and the enlisted men on the fourth floor 
of the central building. 
The first thing done was to assign space for the offices 
of the commanding officer, the adjutant, the registrar, the 
quartermaster, the mess officer, the detachment commander 
and the chief nurse; also to designate quarters for the 
operating room, X-ray room, laboratory, dental clinic, eye, 
ear and throat clinic and receiving office. When this was 
finally accomplished in a way to facilitate and correlate the 
work as a whole, the various heads of the different depart- 
ments were told to take the enlisted men previously assigned 
to the work of their offices and to clean and furnish the 
space allotted to them. The outcome will be described in 
detail later, but it may now be said in a general statement 
that a rivalry developed as to who should lead in speed and 
excellence that gave magnificent results. Windows were 
washed, floors and woodwork were scrubbed, shelves and 
partitions were built, and stools, chairs, desks and tables 
were either manufactured, salvaged, stolen or bought. In 
a few' days the offices were adequately furnished and in 
operation. 
While this was going on a large detail of men under 
Captain Geisinger, assisted by Lieutenant Carrington Wil- 
liams, was at work on the wards preparing them for the 
reception of patients. These wards, as a rule, contained 
twenty-four low, narrow, black iron beds with wooden slats 
for springs. Felt mattresses to fit them and curious round 
pillows were found packed in storerooms on each floor. 
Everything was covered with cob-webs, and dust, and as 
buckets, brooms and mops were very scarce, the job of 
house cleaning was difficult. It was really work that needed 
women to supervise it, but our Richmond nurses had not 
come and those we had inherited from the field hospital 
were busy with the care of patients. Geisinger and Wil- 
liams, while inexperienced, went at their task with enthusi- 
asm. Bedsteads were taken down and the wards had their 152 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
walls wiped down, windows washed and floor scrubbed. 
Then the beds were put in position, the mattresses and pil- 
lows placed on them and the sheets and blankets spread. 
Each night a report would be made of the work of the day 
and each morning a telegram would be sent to the chief 
surgeon telling him how many beds were ready. In one 
week's time the required number of 2,300 was reached. 
Two or three days before the ward cleaning and bed- 
making was finished a lieutenant of the engineering corps 
drifted into headquarters. He said his name was Jackson 
and he was located in Toul, where he had charge of the 
laundry, the ice factory, the gas plant and the electric light 
works. He said he was not busy and he came up to see if 
there was anything he could do for us. He was asked what 
he thought he could do. He said, "How would you like 
to have electric lights?'' "What will it cost?'' He laughed 
and replied, "That is a question never asked in the army." 
"How long will it take?" "Oh, about ten days." "Will 
any authority have to be secured or any obligation incurred 
in order to have the work done?" "No, indeed. It is a 
small matter. I will be here tomorrow with my men." 
The work done was one of the greatest evidences of 
efficiency imaginable. The men wore the uniform of private 
soldiers, but they were evidently all skilled mechanics. 
They swarmed through the buildings, climbed over the 
roofs, hung out of the windows, and wires dangled every- 
where in coils and loops. In ten days the job was completed 
and we had light not only from Toul, but also from a sepa- 
rate generating plant on our own grounds to be used when 
the main current was cut off during air raids. 
And Jackson went off whistling without asking for a 
receipt or waiting to be thanked. It is said the French 
think he is a crazy man because up in the trenches he found 
a circular saw and salvaging the shaft and gears of an old 
mill he rigged up a combination by which he sawed wood 
with the power obtained from a truck whose rear wheels The Hospital in Action 
153 
he jacked oh the ground. He was a true representative of 
American ingenuity and resourcefulness. 
On August 29th just as we were about getting things 
straight Lieutenant-Colonel H. C. Maddux, of the regular 
army medical corps, arrived. He called at headquarters 
and said he had been sent as the commanding officer of the 
group. He was evidently an old campaigner and soon estab- 
lished himself in offices of his own in the south end of the 
west building. At that time in addition to Base Hospital 
No. 45, there were also here Evacuation Hospital No. 3 
and Evacuation Hospital No. 14. We had all been so 
busy that the officers of the different organizations had 
scarcely had opportunity to meet each other. Base Hos- 
pital No. 51 was soon to come and Base Hospital Nos. 55, 
78, 82, 87 and 210 were shortly to follow. 
Colonel Maddux was a Virginian, but had been a long 
time in the army. He was a hard driving, rough talking, 
but kind-hearted man, and an officer whose fairness and ef- 
ficiency in time won our respect and admiration. He had 
seen service in the Philippines and more recently had charge 
of a hospital center in France. He was sent to get the 
Justice Hospital Group ready for the St. Mihiel campaign. 
He did it! He said when he left that he had expected 
Base Hospital No. 45 to give him more trouble than any 
other organization in the group, but he was frank to admit 
that the unit was his mainstay and he always counted on it 
to help him whenever he got in trouble. But if he enter- 
tained this notion during the early days he carefully camou- 
flaged it, and he was free with his criticisms when things 
went wrong, although the fault was as often his as it 
was ours. 
At the first meeting of the commanding officers at Col- 
onel Maddux's office there were present representatives from 
Base Hospital No. 45 and Evacuation Hospitals Nos. 3 and 
14. We were told that "Hell would break loose in about 
three days," and asked what we most needed. Base Hos- 154 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
pital No. 45 replied, "Nurses and equipment." It was 
stated that we only had the thirty nurses found here on 
our arrival, and that our equipment consisted simply of 
beds and bedding and a lot of antiquated junk left over 
by the French. We had requisitioned for hospital supplies, 
but nothing had yet come through. It was further said that 
we had a corps of one hundred nurses and six civilian em- 
ployes which was on its way from America, or possibly 
already in France, and that we also had a complete and 
elaborate equipment furnished by the Red Cross chapter 
of Richmond which had been shipped to us and was then 
in transit. Colonel Maddux entered on the task of supply- 
ing our needs with energy and enthusiasm. His knowledge 
of local men and methods made him able to do much more 
than had been done before. He talked to every influential 
officer from a distance who visited his office, and he tele- 
phoned, telegraphed and wrote to various departments and 
headquarters telling of our necessities, detailing the im- 
portance of the work ahead of us, and urging assistance. 
As a result supplies began to come through, but best of all, 
we received the assurrance that as soon as our nursing corps 
reached France it would be sent to us intact and without 
delay. 
On the morning of September 9th the nurses arrived. 
The battle of St. Mihiel, which was to begin three days 
later, had apparently been delayed for our special benefit, 
for we would have been swamped with the work that re- 
sulted if it had occurred before they got here. 
Early on the morning of Thursday, September 12th, we 
were roused from sleep by the sound and the concussion 
of a barrage, the intensity of which it is impossible to de- 
scribe. We knew the time for which we had been preparing 
had come, and we went to our various stations to await the 
advent of the wounded. The sights we saw and the work 
we did in the long days and nights that followed do not 
constitute a part of this story, which deals simplv with the The Hospital in Action 
155 
organization and equipment of the hospital, but it is per- 
tinent to say that Base Hospital No. 45 proved equal to 
the occasion. Ambulances were promptly unloaded, patients 
were undressed and put to bed, surgical operations were 
performed and medical treatments were carried out. Those 
able to be transported were evacuated, and those who died 
were buried. The kitchens furnished satisfactory food, the 
latrines were kept clean, and the grounds and buildings were 
maintained in a sanitary condition. Even amid scenes of 
horror and suffering that followed some of us found time 
to pause and watch with pride the machine we had created 
do its work. 
About this time a letter was received from a govern- 
ment official which stated that our equipment had arrived 
and was then at St. Nazaire, but owing to the exigencies 
of the situation and to the fact that our needs had already 
been satisfied, it had been determined to turn the property 
over to the department of general medical supplies for dis- 
tribution among other hospitals. The letter concluded with 
the statement that it was realized the equipment had been 
collected and paid for by friends of the organization and 
therefore if there were any special articles which were de- 
sired for personal or sentimental reasons an effort would 
be made to deliver them to us. 
After consultation with Colonel Maddux a reply was 
written urgently protesting against the diversion of the 
property and earnestly insisting we needed every item of it. 
In conclusion, we said if our request for the entire equip- 
ment could not be granted we at least asked for the boxes 
indicated by the shipping numbers on the attached list. As 
may be supposed there was not much of value in the equip- 
ment that was not contained in the boxes designated. 
Lieutenant Charles Phillips was selected for the diplo- 
matic task of personally presenting this letter and making 
an appeal for the property. How well he succeeded in his 
mission was told by a telegram from him in which he said 156 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
he had secured authority to take over all the equipment he 
could locate, and he was on his way to St. Nazaire to take 
possession and convoy it to Toul. On September 21st he 
returned dirty, tired, but happy. By employing women as 
laborers he had loaded the property on a long line of French 
freight cars and in spite of an embargo had finally gotten 
it through to us. The entire motor equipment was missing, 
but otherwise the supplies were practically intact. That 
night and for many nights afterwards big army trucks were 
busy hauling the boxes from the station to our grounds. 
They made a stack as large as a house, and we were so 
glad to see them that we wanted to pat every one on its 
green corners. 
We had furnished and equipped our hospital once, now 
we had to take practically everything out and replace the 
old stuff with the new. It would have been a hard job at 
best, and was rendered doubly difficult by the fact that every 
bed in the hospital contained a patient, but we undertook it 
gladly because we thought we were a wonderfully lucky 
bunch. Lucky to be in France! Lucky to be so near the 
front! Lucky to have lost none of our personnel or ma- 
terial, but to have officers, nurses, men and equipment all 
united at Caserne La Marche! 
A detailed description of the hospital and all its acces- 
sories would involve too much technicality and consume too 
much space. In a way the plant was a little world to itself. 
The volume of administrative work was very large. Sepa- 
rate offices had to be set apart for the commanding officer, 
the adjutant, the sergeant-major, the registrar, the quarter- 
master, the chief nurse, the personnel officer, the detach- 
ment commander, the medical supply officer, the mess of- 
ficer, the chaplain, the chief of the medical service, and the 
chief of the surgical service. There were three operating 
rooms, and separate quarters for the X-ray department, the 
dental clinic, the eye, ear and throat clinic, the laboratory, 
and the dispensary. There were also a morgue, a steriliz- The Hospital in Action 
157 
ing plant for delousing clothes, an incinerator, a laundry, 
an animal house for the laboratory, a guardhouse, a barber 
shop, a tailor shop, a butcher shop, one large and several 
small kitchens, a postoffice, a post exchange, rest rooms, a 
circulating library, a Masonic club room, and several ware- 
houses containing subsistence, medical supplies, and quarter- 
master stores. 
The rest rooms were very popular. Separate rooms 
were arranged for the officers, the nurses, and the detach- 
ment. In addition, there was in the central building a com- 
bination library and sitting-room which had been used by 
the French officers who preceded us at the barracks. This 
room and its contents did not come to us with the buildings, 
but by special agreement between the commanding officer of 
the base hospital and the colonel of the French regiment 
we were permitted to use them. Subsequently the room 
became a favorite meeting place for officers, nurses, and 
patients, and was also used for receptions, bridge parties, 
lectures, and medical meetings. 
The officers' quarters were located in the dispensary 
building. The rooms accommodated from one to eight 
beds. The building was in good repair and was both com- 
fortable and convenient for the purpose to which it was 
devoted. It had more space than was needed, hence one 
large room was used as a smoking-room and another re- 
served for visiting officers. 
The nurses' quarters were on the fourth floor of the east 
building. The steps were an objection, but the location had 
the advantage of privacy, quiet, fresh air and a beautiful 
view of the surrounding country. The nurses slept on cots 
covered with floss silk pads and were each given an adequate 
amount of space in the large wards. There was a sitting- 
room for them on the same floor furnished by the Amer- 
ican Red Cross. 
The men's quarters were on the fourth floor of the 
central building. At first they slept on cots, but later by 158 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
army regulations they were put in double tier wooden bunks, 
each stack accommodating four men. They were given 
French felt mattresses and an abundant supply of blankets. 
They were very comfortable except for overcrowding, but 
this condition was overcome by allowing some of the bunks 
to be left unoccupied. Many hospitals had to put their men 
in stables or in tents, and the fact that our enlisted personnel 
were warm and dry was a great satisfaction to those re- 
sponsible for their health and welfare. 
While there was no plumbing in the hospital buildings 
proper, water was piped to various portions of the grounds. 
It was pumped from the Moselle river, was not always in 
sufficient quantities and was not safe for drinking purposes 
until it was chlorinated. The Lister bags in which it was 
sterilized soon became a familiar sight, and we got ac- 
customed to the chemical taste that was given to it. The 
bathing facilities of the hospital were unusually good for 
France. There were tubs with hot and cold water in the 
dispensary building for the officers, a special bathhouse in 
the rear of the east building for the nurses, two bathhouses 
with showers for the men, and a newly constructed bath- 
house for patients containing twelve white enamel tile 
showers. Truth compels the statement that sometimes 
owing to the lack of water or lack of fuel and sometimes 
on cold, raw days, owing to lack of courage, all of us were 
not always as clean physically as the description of bathing 
facilities might lead one to expect. 
Latrine is a French word used to designate the French 
agent for collecting and disposing of human excreta. The 
subject is not a pleasant one to consider and those who do 
not approve of its discussion will kindly skip this paragraph. 
It is included because it presented one of the most vital and 
difficult problems we had to face and this history would not 
be complete without it. In France it is contrary to both 
public policy and statute law to dispose of feces by burning 
it, by burying it, or by emptying it in streams. Except in The Hospital in A c t i o n 
159 
certain large cities it must be collected and used as fertilizer 
for agricultural purposes. To accomplish this end iron 
cans are used as receptacles with seats above them. The 
cans are in compartments, the floor of which is at or above 
the level of the ground and this necessitates the seats being 
at such an elevation that they have to be reached by steps. 
The latrines at Caserne La Marche were built of iron and 
concrete. They were located at various points against the 
boundary wall so that the compartments could be emptied 
by wagons from the outside. As they had been designed 
to care for a large body of soldiers they proved adequate in 
number, and owing to their height they formed a con- 
spicuous feature in the sky line. 
When it is remembered that sometimes as many as three 
thousand people lived within our enclosure the importance 
of keeping these latrines clean and empty from the stand- 
points of both decency and health will be appreciated. At 
first there was constant cause for complaint and an interview 
was finally had through an interpreter with the head of the 
French company who had the contract to care for them. 
He was a very old, dirty and stupid man. After a long talk 
it was learned that he received no pay other than the com- 
mercial value of the product for his work, and that owing 
to the lack of demand for fertilizer because of the interrup- 
tion to farming operations he was losing money and hence 
had lost interest in his business. An agreement was finally 
reached to pay him 75 centimes for each can he emptied 
and disinfected, and that his work would be checked up by a 
non-commissioned officer before the bills were paid. From 
that time on we had no more trouble. 
For the hundreds of patients too sick to go outdoors or 
even to leave their beds special provision had to be made 
in the wards. With no running water this introduced one 
of the most serious problems in sanitation we had to face; 
much more difficult to solve than that involving the outside 
latrines. After much deliberation we finally devised a sys- 160 
U.S. Army Base Hospital N o. 4 5 
tern which, though crude, was effective, thanks to the co- 
operation of our enlisted men. 
The wards of the hospital averaged about twenty-two 
feet in width and fifty-five feet in length. They extended 
completely across the building and were lighted and venti- 
lated by windows in both ends. As there were no corridors 
running the length of the building it was necessary to pass 
through one ward to reach another by doors which opened 
at the center of the dividing walls. Each ward was fur- 
nished with twenty white or gray iron beds equipped with 
wire springs and good hair mattresses. In emergency, fold- 
ing canvas cots were put up temporarily to give capacity 
for a greater number of patients. Some of the wards had 
white iron bedside tables, others had wooden tables and 
still others had boxes or chairs as substitutes. There was an 
abundant supply of soft, warm blankets, but bed linen fre- 
quently ran short because of the difficulty in getting the re- 
turn of clean laundry from Nancy which was twelve miles 
distant. 
At one end of the ward was the nurses' desk for charts 
and records, and at the other end was a press for medicines 
and shelves for nursing supplies. The latter were excellent 
in quality and sufficient in quantity owing to the liberal 
equipment provided for us by our Richmond friends. Each 
ward was heated by a stove placed as near its center as 
possible without blocking the traffic that had to cross it. 
I he small hall rooms, four on each floor, were used as 
latrines and washrooms, and accessory wards. 
Owing to the fact that a soldier does not own the clothes 
he wears, but that they are the property of the government, 
it was the practice when a patient was admitted to undress 
him and put him in pajamas either in the receiving office or 
at the baths, and to turn his shoes, equipment and wearing 
apparel over to the quartermasters' department. When he 
was discharged to duty he was given an entire new outfit. 
This prevented the wards of the hospital being encumbered The Hospital in Action 
161 
with patients' effects and enabled the nurses and ward- 
masters to keep them in an orderly condition. 
A competition developed and was encouraged between 
different wards, different floors and different buildings as 
to which should present the best appearance, and the rat- 
ings given at the regular Saturday morning inspections were 
watched with keen interest. All in all, the wards of Base 
Hospital No. 45 would compare favorably in neatness, 
cleanliness and good order with the wards of any of the 
cantonment hospitals at home. 
The mess for officers and nurses occupied one section 
of the first floor of the central building. It consisted of two 
large connecting rooms, the officers eating in one and the 
nurses in the other. Breakfast was at 7 A. M., dinner at 
12:30 and supper at 5:30 P. M. French women civilian 
employes acted as waitresses. The kitchen for this mess 
was on the same floor only twenty or thirty yards distant. 
It was equipped with two army ranges and their acces- 
sories. This kitchen was badly overworked, as it was small 
and had to cook for approximately two hundred people, 
and despite the faithful efforts of a competent staff, the 
food often was not what might have been desired. The 
Saturday night dances, which became so popular, were held 
in these rooms. 
d'he mess for detachment men and walking patients was 
located at the northeast corner of the grounds in a one- 
story building formerly used as a storehouse. The quarters 
at first looked very unpromising, but when the rubbish and 
racks had been removed, one end partitioned off for a 
kitchen and the other end for a dish-washing room, and the 
inside woodwork painted, we had a conveniently located 
and comfortable room capable of seating 400 men. The 
kitchen was equipped with two army ranges and several 
large cauldrons. Food was issued directly through win- 
dows between the kitchen and mess hall to orderlies who 
served it to the tables. When the men finished a meal they 162 
U. S. Army Base Hospital N o. 4 5 
filed out through the dish-washing room carrying their 
plates, cups, knives and forks which they deposited to be 
washed. The tables were immediately reset and a second 
installment of men fed. Sometimes there were as many 
as 1,200 at a meal. The food was hot and well prepared 
and the men had no cause for dissatisfaction. 
The diet kitchen, as it is known in the army, cooked for 
the patients who were confined to the hospital wards. It 
was located in a detached building formerly used by the 
French as the main kitchen for the caserne. Here was 
installed the equipment selected for the organization by 
Mr. Burbank, of Richmond. Everything was as complete 
as in a first-class modern hotel. There were a twenty-four- 
foot French steel range, cereal and vegetable cookers and 
soup pots operated by steam; a battery of coffee and tea 
urns, plate warmers, bread cutters, ice cream freezers, 
potato peelers and dishwashers driven by electric power. 
At fixed hours the wardmasters reported at this kitchen with 
proper containers to convey the food to their patients. Each 
had a written order for a definite number of meals and as 
they filed through the kitchen they were given the proper 
amount of each dish as they passed the various serving 
tables. They carried the food back to the nurses in charge 
of their wards, who supervised its distribution to the 
patients. Owing to the distances to be traveled it was dif- 
ficult in some cases to keep the food warm, but taking it all 
in all, the system worked well. To give an idea of the 
wholesale scale on which provisions had to be provided the 
fact is cited that turkey was donated by the Red Cross for 
Thanksgiving Day dinner and that the single dish for one 
meal cost twelve thousand francs. 
The dietitian's kitchen was located on the second floor of 
the central building. Here under the personal supervision 
of Miss Chappell were made broths, cocoa and other liquid 
and light nourishments that were served to very sick pa- 
tients. The Hospital in Action 
163 
The morgue was located in a detached building in the 
southeast corner of the grounds. Bodies were held there 
until released for burial. Post-mortems were done on about 
two-thirds of those who died. It was a grewsome place, 
but everything was done decently and in good order. 
The post exchange carried a large assortment of articles 
which were sold to officers, nurses and men. There was 
commonly a long line of customers and it was hard to keep 
up the stock. Usually there could be bought tobacco, cigars 
and cigarettes; candy, nuts and grapes; sewing materials, 
toilet articles, matches, shoestrings and the like. 
The postoffice was a very popular place and on the day 
mail came in it was the center of interest in the hospital. 
The officers and nurses had mail delivered to them, but the 
enlisted men had to wait in line until they reached the win- 
dow and asked for theirs. It was a study in physiognomy 
to watch the expression of pleasure or disappointment on 
the faces of the men as they heard the answer to the ques- 
tion, "Is there anything for me?" To the credit of those 
at home there usually was something for most of them. 
And they deserved it, for no braver or more unselfish lot 
of boys ever lived. 
Stuart McGuire. THE PLANT The Caserne La Marche was a huge barracks con- 
sisting of three large four-story main buildings and 
numerous smaller outbuildings, all enclosed within a 
high wall. The grounds were quite spacious, the main 
buildings forming three of the sides of a quadrangle 
used for the maneuvering of the infantry who had 
previously occupied the place. 
Here, almost empty handed, we began, while we 
worked over the sick men around us, to build our home 
and our hospital. When zve were done we had within 
those walls a little world to itself. The volume of ad- 
ministrative work was very large. Separate offices had 
to be set apart for the heads of many departments. 
There were three operating rooms and separate quarters 
for the X-ray service, the dental clinic, the eye, ear 
and throat clinic, the laboratory and the dispensary. 
There were also a morque, a sterilizing plant for de- 
lousing clothes, an incinerator, a laundry, an animal 
house for the laboratory, a guard house, a barber shop, 
a tailor shop, a butcher shop, one large and several 
small kitchens, a postoffice, a post-exchange, sleeping 
quarters, mess halls, rest rooms, a circulating library, 
a Masonic Club room, bath houses, and several large 
warehouses containing subsistence, medical supplies, and 
quartermaster stores. And then as the axis of the 
whole establishment, the wards occupying nearly eight 
full floors. We had electric lights but no other modern 
conveniences-no elevators, no heating system, no zvater 
system, no sewerage system. General View of Base Hospital No. 45 at Tout. View Across Court, With Line of Ambulances-Gate in Distance. Red Cross in Court-Base Hospital No. 210 in Distance. Section of Typical Ward, Showing Details, Including Heating System. Chief Operating Room With Conspicuous Mural Decoration. Pathological Laboratory. X-Ray Department-Machiites. X-Ray Department-Plate Racks and Illuminating Boxes. Another Operating Room. 
Nose and Throat Department. The Laundry. 
Entrances to Headquarters and Receiving Ward. Building Containing Laboratory, Dispensary, Baths, and Officers' Quarters. 
Nurses' Rest Room. Shower Bath Room. 
Men's Kitchen. Men's Mess Hall. The Canteen. Diet Kitchen. Headquarters of Justice Hospital Group in West Building. Nurses' Quarters. Hospital (Adjoining) for Gassed Patients. The Patient 
would have to compete with the best of 
character writers to describe the many sides 
i °f ^e thousands of soldiers who passed 
1 ® through our base hospital during its stay 
W*n 
"^"£■^="^1 The army was a great moulding plant, 
where North, East, South and West met on common 
ground and where friendships and characters developed 
that time will not blot out. And there we learned many 
things, but chief of all this-that men are not very different, 
that the sons of the rich and the sons of the poor American 
as well as the sons of those of foreign birth, carried with 
them the same spirit-that of Liberty-and gave their lives 
freely for a common purpose. 
The spirit of America and of its soldiers was never 
questioned, especially after the "dough boys" got in," yet I 
dare say no one in the A. E. F. had the opportunity of 
seeing the boys as they really were except those connected 
with base hospital work. We saw them when they were 
sick and wounded and dying; and this is the greate test, for 
mankind shows his real self then. All the whines and 
whims come out at that time-the little suppressed criticisms 
break through the surface, as it were. But if one American 
soldier showed his yellow, I failed to see it. They came into 
the hospital wet, muddy, wounded, with arms and legs blown 
off, with bullet holes in their heads and bodies, but always 
smiling, smoking cigarettes, "cussing" the Huns and be- 
moaning their luck to have gotten shot and thereby trans- 
ferred from "the outfit" to the hospital. They always were 
thinking and worrying about the "buddy" who got "knocked 
off," and asking when they would be able to get back with 166 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
the boys; and this though many of them were desperately, 
often fatally, wounded. 
Little bragging was heard from the boys themselves ex- 
cept about their officers-what a "swell fellow he was," 
"how he had cared for the boys," "how he had led the 
charge up the hill or ravine," showing the kind of bravery 
that spells success in battle, but all too frequently the loss 
of the leader's life. The officers, in turn, were praising the 
men, how they had fought, how the Hun had been pushed 
back inch by inch at times-but always towards the Rhine. 
These utterances were constant so that one cannot help but 
know that both officers and men were really what the Eng- 
lish call "full out." 
We had the opportunity of seeing the boys, and officers, 
too, at their best, during the St. Mihiel drive-several surg- 
ical teams having been sent from our unit to an evacuation 
hospital (about one hundred yards from our back door) 
where the wounded came directly from the field or the 
dressing station. They were full of excitement, eyes bright 
and snappy, talking all the time except when a Red Cross 
chaplain stopped them with cigarettes, or the "Rose of No 
Man's Land" (the Red Cross nurse) filled them with 
coffee or chocolate. They entered through the triage, then 
went to the pre-operative tent and to the X-ray room, when 
the wards were full, lay in halls and yards until the surgeons 
could take them. They were then carried to one of the 
operating tents, anaesthetized, operated upon, dressed and 
removed to bed. The next day most of them were on a long 
train getting back to the rear-making room for other 
wounded. The wonderful part of this to me is that no mat- 
ter what was done, none of them ever questioned. They 
must have had a "don't care" spirit, or else trusted the 
doctors farther than is usual with people-for in civil prac- 
tice the doctor's advice is sought and then often all the argu- 
ments in the world are used to keep from carrying it out. 
These boys did not ask, "Is an operation necessary?" The Hospital in Action 
167 
"Will you take off my arm?" "Will I get well or home 
someday?" "Will tomorrow do ?"-not these boys. They 
went to the operating table as they had gone to battle, like 
American soldiers, like men. 
The war was a big lesson, and showed that there can 
be placed in humanity a confidence that will not be misused, 
for every effort was employed, day and night, to preserve 
life and mitigate suffering, and in every way to get the best 
results possible for the wounded. 
The boys themselves did so much to aid. They worked 
for the sicker ones, helping to keep the wards clean, and 
really at times making a hospital possible. 
Real humanity is refreshing to see anywhere, and during 
war is not expected, yet amongst our officers and men it was 
not rare. The following instance seems well worth record- 
ing: A line of sick and wounded crowded the receiving 
ward. A man wounded and worn out lay in the corner for 
a long time awaiting his turn to be admitted. Finally some 
one gave him a gentle kick and said: "Here, get in line, 
buddy." He got in line, and finally to the desk, where his 
name, age, organization and rank were asked. When it 
came to his rank, he said calmly, "Colonel." He was 
typical of the American officers who had really been in the 
big show at the front. They loved their men as Marshal 
[offre loved the French poilu, and it was not unusual to see 
them take their turn with the men, and satisfied with what 
the men got. One lieutenant with a small wound, in the 
rush of things got into a ward with the enlisted men, and 
in a few days was ordered out by the sergeant for work on 
an outside detail. He went, did the work with the other 
men, and would have kept at it if we had not discovered that 
he was an officer. He then asked to stay in the ward with 
the men, and for the remainder of his period in the hos- 
pital was permitted to do so. 
One would not create the impression that all the men 
were perfect patients and soldiers, for there were grumblers 168 
U. S. Army Base Hos pi t a l N o. 4 5 
and trouble-makers, but we judge by the majority, and the 
squealer was the exception. 
If the same spirit prevails throughout life with these 
men, and if these A. E. F. millions can and will impart it to 
the rest of America, surely the war will be a big lesson to us. 
American ideals will change, and success in life will not be 
measured so much by the number of dollars we make, as by 
the cheer we carry and the good to mankind we render. 
Though the hospital was filled with sick and wounded, 
and housed much misery and pain, it was not without its 
humor, for the patients were full of good stories. Men 
from various divisions vied with one another, and men in 
various branches of the service teased one another, and all 
this helped to pass away the long days of confinement. One 
often heard expressions which went something like this: 
"Mother, take down the service flag, I'm not in the army, 
just in the medical department!" 
The negro afforded, as usual, the bulk of amusement. 
One patient was a negro from Texas, who was well edu- 
cated, though he had not been on a train before he was 
drafted and sent to camp. He knew that Uncle Sam was 
President of the United States, and had sent him across to 
France to kill the Kaiser. He was at times very homesick 
and would have much rather been home in jail than with 
the army in Europe. When asked what was the best thing 
that had happened to him since being "requested" to join 
the army, Duke would say: "Mumps and the horsepitle!" 
Now, when a Southern captain finds in the army a black, 
ignorant "nigger" from away down South, he usually adopts 
him, and Duke was adopted. 
We saw some of the Alabama boys, now famous for 
their fighting, who licked almost as many M. P.'s as Ger- 
mans. These boys showed utter disregard for life and 
limb, yet they had good hearts and kindly spirits. The 
stories about them constitute some of the real humor of our 
hospital life. In a nearby town, an order was issued re- The Hospital in Action 
169 
quiring all soldiers to wear their coats when on leave in the 
village. Now it was just like waving a red flag in a bull's 
face to tell the Alabama boys how they should dress. They 
took off their coats-so many as had them on-and started 
into the town. An M. P. stopped them and shouted to 
them, "Here, you fellows, where are your coats?" "Out 
in No Man's Land, you loafer, where you ain't never been," 
came the reply as they calmly went on. 
At another town, a fight occurred between them and the 
M. P.'s, for fight these fellows would; Germans first, but 
amongst themselves if need be. The officer in charge of 
the Military Police in this district reported the frequent 
scraps to the colonel, and asked why he didn't stop his men 
from fighting. His reply was, "The Germans can't stop 
them, how do you expect me to." 
Turning to the more serious aspect of hospital life, I 
record the following to further illustrate the type of man 
our patients were: 
A captain was very ill, bleeding from ulcer of the 
stomach. He needed transfusion and operation very badly. 
His type of blood was such that few other persons could be 
found whose blood would properly mix. After examina- 
tions of many volunteers, and I might say there were as 
many volunteers as there were men who knew what was 
going on, a lieutenant was found whose blood would be 
just right. I he transfusion was done, and in a few days 
had to be repeated. The lieutenant came back and said, 
"Take all you want, all the captain needs, for I surely do 
want to see him get well." Now these men were strangers 
to each other. There was, of course, no monetary con- 
sideration and no chance of "write-ups" in the morning 
papers as is so disgustingly frequent in civil life. This was 
done close up to the front, where the roar of cannonading 
could be heard, and the smoke of battle could be seen. The 
captain got entirely well, which added to the joy of us all. 
Appreciation is always refreshing, and adds to the satis- 170 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
faction of work, and our patients did not lack it. They had 
needed medical attention, good warm beds, food, and the 
kindly services of the Red Cross nurses and workers-all 
of which meant more to them, thousands of miles away 
from home, than the people who actually did it can imagine. 
And these boys showed the kind of appreciation that makes 
hard work light. I would not dare intimate that they should 
not be grateful, for who sacrificed more-except the dough- 
boys themselves-than the women who left comfortable 
homes in the States, braved an infested sea and came to the 
land of battle, facing horrors many of them did not know 
existed-and did it all cheerfully. 
And then, there were other patients of whom I would 
say a reverent word, hoping some time someone will take 
it up fully and give it the justice it deserves-the ones who 
died. 
Up the road from us, the distance of half a dozen city 
blocks, was an American cemetery, where many of our boys 
are resting, and I want to bear witness that they died like 
they did everything else, like Americans. 
A few mentioned wives and children, most whispered of 
their mothers, and "Went West,'' giving their all without 
comment. How different from the talk we hear from so 
many of us who only did our bit! 
Many of these boys died from disease, and how dis- 
appointed they were not to have been up on the front, and, 
if death was necessary, not to have died on the field of bat- 
tle! This is to me the saddest part of our hospital work. 
When I think of the many graves, and of such things as in- 
fluenza and pneumonia, and then picture the waving of flags 
and the playing of bands in all the American cities, I can 
fancy an old father or mother peeping through the cheer- 
ing crowd with tears in their eyes and their thoughts on a 
spot in France we know so well. 
But after all the world goes on, and there are often 
worse things than dying-especially for one's country, and The Hospital in Action 
171 
even though our boys saw little sunshine in Northern 
France, it shines somewhere. Our hope is that those who 
died are in the sunshine of the great beyond, and that the 
remainder may for many years enjoy the sunshine of 
America. 
Roy C. Fravel. The Doctor 
I now being 8 A. M. the surgeon, duly as- 
signed to a group of wards, begins his daily 
routine with a smile regardless of his feel- 
ings* 
yflgmr 1 he duties of ward surgeons are numer- 
*>'■^**>***^"1 ous and ever changing. Besides being re- 
sponsible for the treatment of the patients and everything 
else necessary for their care and comfort, we have the 
general management of our wards, and we frequently find 
ourselves functioning as commanding officer, registrar, re- 
ceiving officer, operating surgeon, quartermaster, sanitary 
officer and medical supply officer. With the latter we have 
many disputes as to the question of responsibility and ac- 
countability of property. Fortunately, we soon learn not to 
worry about this. As ward surgeons, we are both account- 
able and responsible since we put ourselves at the head of 
any department represented within our sphere and console 
ourselves over the loss of any property by special order 
G. H. Q. relieving any officer of accountability and re- 
sponsibility of property in the A. E. F., after having given 
good reason why the property had not been better cared for, 
sometimes calling for a perfunctory survey; more often, 
however, the delightful little clause "lost in action" being 
sufficient. 
After having equipped our wards with everything avail- 
able from our quartermaster department, from our medical 
supply department, by borrowing from our fellow-officers 
during their absence, etc., it is agreed by our C. O. that wTe 
are ready for patients. Then the influx of sick and wounded The Hospital in Action 
173 
begins, and when we enter our wards at 8 A. M. (or fifteen 
minutes earlier in case we were prompt for breakfast), we 
find every bed taken. Then we realize that we face an 
opportunity to exercise our ability as the head of each de- 
partment mentioned above. 
After having gotten a summary of the general situation 
of the wards under our service we then have a short con- 
sultation with our head nurse, who tells us of her numerous 
difficulties. Possibly the sergeant in charge of our ward- 
masters, or someone less in authority, has taken away every 
wardmaster who had been especially trained for the duties 
assigned to him and put him on some oytside detail, and 
substituted for the batch a class B duty patient of Polish 
descent, with flat foot, bilateral complete, and so much so 
that his entire footprint is shown on a dusty floor. Before 
he could get between the beds for the purpose of giving aid 
to a sick man it would be necessary to disarrange the entire 
ward, which adds to the attractiveness of things for the 
9 A. M. inspection by our commanding officer. He is 
usually led around by some sergeant with a Broncho Bill 
voice shouting attention just before entering the wards. 
Or perhaps three doughboys had gone A. W. O. L. the 
night before. Maybe Sergeant John Doe has refused 
to eat soup with a fork, and is doubtful about using the com- 
munity drinking cup, having read in the Saturday Evening 
Post of its dangers. After all of the general complaints are 
sifted out, we then inquire as to the condition of patients, 
special attention being paid to any ill cases of the day before, 
and to admissions through the night, their whereabouts, 
urgency as to treatment, etc. Frequently this leads to 
numerous examinations, consultations and possibly opera- 
tions before the day is over. 
Then your nurse will request a number of prescriptions 
written, requisitions for supplies from the quartermaster de- 
partment, medical supply department, pharmacy and numer- 
ous other things necessitating the signing of your name so 174 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
many times that it reminds you of the signing of checks 
on the fifteenth of the month at home. 
Then comes our usual morning report of the number of 
patients remaining in the wards and the beds available for 
others, to be followed later in the day by another report of 
the number of evacuables, post-operative litters and sitters, 
non-operative litters and sitters, the walking litters, what 
number are unable to return to duty in two weeks, and all 
class C and D cases for the disability board's attention, and 
report to the chief of the surgical service of the number of 
seriously ill. After we have made what seems to be a very 
thorough and complete report, the chief of the surgical ser- 
vice will send his sergeant around with Memo. 299 request- 
ing the number of wounded on the entire floor. Now we 
have to stop everything and question each man as to whether 
he has a good reason for being wounded; or why he shot 
himself in the right hand instead of the left, or some less 
important member of his body, further classifying him as 
to whether he was accidentally wounded, a battle casualty 
or the victim of self-inflicted wounds, and for every self- 
inflicted wound a poster bearing S. I. W. must be placed 
above the bed on the wall conspicuously. 
Our early morning routine being pretty well completed, 
and seeing that everything is in good condition for the day, 
we go to the operating room to do a number of cases which 
would take the entire morning under the very best condi- 
tions without any handicap. Being in the midst of an ap- 
pendectomy, or removing a piece of shrapnel from the de- 
scending ramus of the ischium, the sergeant from the C. S. S. 
office enters again and reads Memo. 330 over your shoulder 
requesting information about a German prisoner operated 
on three months ago, when you thought you had done credit 
to yourself, having done your bit; but remembering his con- 
dition on completion of the operation (and the patient being 
evacuated early the next A. M. before you had an oppor- 
tunity to see him again) you did not altogether wonder why The Hospital in Action 
175 
the next ward surgeon from a more quiet sector would in- 
quire just why Fritz hadn't done better. Remembering as 
little as possible, however, you refer the sergeant to the 
operating scribe or floor sergeant for further information. 
The operative work is still going on and the second case well 
under ether when your assistant is suddenly taken from you 
and assigned to some work foreign to the medical profes- 
sion. The operation continues with the assistance of the 
sponge nurse or one of the corps men who does not know 
what hands surgically clean mean. However, we manage 
to complete our schedule by 12 :3c P. M. and fall in line for 
chow, where we are served pomme de terre, natural, rump 
steaks and chicory, dessert being pudding du pomme or 
pudding au riz. Our appetites being now completely satis- 
fied we go to the oflicer's call at 1 P. M., where we have 
all rumors of home-going settled, all new orders from 
G. H. Q. read, or anything else that has a tendency to take 
the joy out of life. Immediately following this is a short 
meeting of the floor chiefs in the office of the chief of the 
surgical service, where we discuss numerous points of in- 
terest about our work in general and just why the receiving 
officer persists in sending the genito-urinary, or eye, ear, 
nose and throat cases into our general surgical wards, read 
all old and new orders to keep us refreshed with unpleasant 
things and finally exchange jokes with various members of 
the staff. The meeting standing adjourned, we disband and 
return to our wards, where we begin dressing wounds, hav- 
ing something like fifty or seventy-five to do, and get our 
men generally comfortable for another twenty-four hours. 
In the midst of a very tedious dressing one of our dough- 
boys is brought in after having had a terrible fall from the 
water wagon, and having gotten through the receiving of- 
ficers with a diagnosis of possible fracture of the skull, which 
is more often relieved by a shot in the arm, a good night's 
rest and a canteen full of water the next morning. We lose 
an hour's time discussing with our consultant whether the 176 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
patient was badly wounded, or whether his condition was 
entirely due to vinegar blink, and then the bugler calls for 
supper, with our work only half finished. It is now dark 
and all the corps men and nurses are tired and the ward 
surgeon himself is pretty well used up. We have supper (a 
duty never to complain of) and resume dressings imme- 
diately afterward. While rushing along making every ef- 
fort to complete the job before 7 P. M. we are confronted 
by a memo, from the registrar's office stating that no report 
of the patients evacuated this morning has reached his of- 
fice. Number 2. Was Giovanivia Macukini wounded in 
line of duty or not, understanding that he went over the top 
the morning of September 12th, was wounded in the left leg 
three and one-half inches above the ankle, on external lateral 
aspect, and it had not been shown clearly on form 52 
whether he was wounded as result of playing with captured 
Leugar pistol producing S. I. W., or wounded in action. 
All ward surgeons are required to keep their records up, 
with a history of the present disease, recording daily any 
new developments in a given case, and signing one's name 
to a diagnosis which isn't always quite correct, but is in- 
tended to represent the best you can do under trying cir- 
cumstances. A difficult case usually requires time and skill 
on the part of someone, frequently going to the laboratory, 
or the X-ray department, with numerous consultations from 
chiefs of each service, the neurologist and the head of the 
eye, ear, nose and throat department, finally resolving itself 
naturally to the ward surgeon's original opinion of the con- 
dition. Furthermore we have to show on our ward books 
the record of all patients, their admission date, diagnosis, 
complications, treatment and disposition, whether trans- 
ferred, evacuated or died. The matter of disposition is not 
always a simple one, especially when we are called on to 
evacuate a large number to the hospital train at 8 :iq A. M., 
so many sitters and so many litters, all litters loaded thirty 
minutes earlv, and are then notified that the train is two The Hospital in Action 
177 
hours late. Often after completely up-turning our wards 
and getting everything clear, with all beds freshly prepared 
and the place presentable again, sixteen more or less of our 
patients are returned because some sergeant (promoted six 
days previously from K. P.) thinks them too sick to travel. 
The train having gone in the meantime, nothing is left to do 
but readmit the patients. 
The week's work completed up to i P. M. Friday, we 
are notified by our commanding officer that he will hold 
the regular Saturday morning inspection at 9 A. M. Usually 
he comes accompanied by the sanitary inspector, the quarter- 
master, the chief nurse, the ward surgeon and a sergeant 
from his office to make any notes necessary. The sergeant 
is more often rather busy and occasionally hears something 
like "fair," "good," "very good," seldom "excellent." 
His chief function, however, is to call to attention in our 
wards, as our C. O. likes everybody in the erect position, 
heels together and toes not more than six inches apart, 
hands sharply to the sides. This performance being well 
staged the sanitary officer proceeds to give "at rest," and 
then the quartette will proceed to see how many faults they 
can find with the wards, latrines, diet kitchen, corridors, etc. 
Before we have gotten our wits together we may be hearing 
comments not always relished in civil life. At the same 
time the chief nurse is having a pointed consultation with 
your head nurse about some patient who has two mattresses, 
producing an irregular appearance in your ward. After 
careful inspection the floor nurse finds a mattress of regula- 
tion length, width and thickness and for an instant cannot 
imagine why she had made such a mistake, finally discover- 
ing, however, that the patient occupying this bed had simply 
tucked under his mattress his clothing roll, extra suit of 
clothes, underwear, overcoat, etc., attempting to score a 
high mark for his ward. 
And so they go-the critical entourage-from ward to 
ward, from floor to floor, from building to building, out- 178 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
spoken, overlooking nothing, leaving in their wake a stimu- 
lating flurry that shapes itself into the weekly effort toward 
improvements here and there. Back at his headquarters the 
C. O., stern and unforgiving on his rounds, relaxes and 
allows a smile to sit beside his cigar. The full sweep of 
the plant is still before his vision and he cannot suppress a 
little thrill at the magnitude of the machine he has erected, 
with all its cogs spinning in their grooves, each in its place 
and at its proper task-and not the least among them, per- 
haps, that doctor of whom we write. 
Alvah L. Herring. THE STAFF "W het her or not we did our bit worthily the records 
will have to show. All that we undertake to say for 
ourselves is that we did the best we could, earnestly, 
conscientiously, not only with willingness, but with 
pride in the opportunity to render service in such a 
cause. It will perhaps be permitted to us to note that 
the commanding officer of the group, at first harsh and 
unsparing in the words with which he drove us on to 
almost superhuman efforts in the great push, soon 
adopted us as a model for the group and officially com- 
mended our work." Staff Assembled at Main Extrance of Hospital at Toul-Officers Absent When This Group Was Taken Will 
Be Found Among Pictures Which Follow. The Adjutant, Lieutenant T. C. Boushall, at His Desk. Lieutenant Jenson, Quartermaster, in His Office. 
The Three Chiefs 
Major Peple of Surgical Service 
Major Nelson of Medical Service 
Captain Hopkins of Laboratory Service The Dental Staff at Domremy. 
The Registrar, Captain Greer Baughman, and His Office Force. The Nurse 
UME RIC ALLY the nurses formed a very 
small proportion of the base hospital, but 
IIS L& A TtSTfS the need of them was so great, and they 
Proved themselves so equal to the emer- 
gencies that arose, that they were conceded 
■ ^**^1 to be a decidedly important factor in the 
success and efficiency of the unit, and, being the only trace 
of femininity in that vast sea of men, they probably un- 
consciously exercised a greater influence than would ordi- 
narily have been the case. 
There were a hundred of them all told, most of them 
Southerners, but still from many different parts of the coun- 
try, and from a great variety of training schools. These 
two facts had their advantages and disadvantages. It gave 
more character and versatility to the staff, but the diversity 
of methods of working and the difference in manner and 
customs made it at times difficult to obtain complete har- 
mony of viewpoints, and all the more credit then is due for 
the manner in which they managed to adjust themselves, and 
for the general splendid spirit of co-operation that mani- 
fested itself. 
The enrolling of the full quota of nurses took almost a 
year. Time and again the required number would be ob- 
tained only to have illness or domestic complications-or 
more often matrimony-upset the calculations, so that the 
final personnel was quite different from the original enlist- 
ment. There were quantities of red tape and endless details 
to be gone through with and we were all so new to the 
game, so full of surmise and so ignorant of what was really 
expected of us, that possibly we gave ourselves more work 
and worry than was necessary. 180 
L. S. Army Bas f. H o s p i r a l N o. 4 5 
1 n November, 1917, the first call came for nurses to go to 
the cantonment hospitals for temporary duty. There was little 
difficulty in securing volunteers for the number required. 
Five went to Camp Lee, Va., viz.: Miss Ruth Atkins, Miss 
Pattie Hargrave, Miss Hallie V. Inge, Miss Anna L. Jer- 
done and Miss Lucy W. Jeffrey. Four went to Camp 
Green, N. C., viz.: Miss Anne Campbell, Miss Bessie M. 
Chapman, Miss Martha Sue Pigg and Miss Ethlyr.de E. 
Smith. The cantonment hospitals were still in the process 
of being built, the equipment not fully in place, the accom- 
modations for the nurses poor, the heating arrangements by 
no means adequate, and, as will be remembered, the winter 
of 1917-18 was unusually severe. The experiences they went 
through with were truly those of pioneer nurses, and they 
had their first taste of war conditions long before they came 
overseas. Later on orders came at intervals for other 
groups of nurses, until finally all had been assigned to tem- 
porary duty at the various camps. In this way they were 
in a measure broken into army life and the routine work of 
an army hospital before going abroad, so that, although 
conditions in the cantonment hospitals in America were very 
different from what they found overseas, the experience was 
of the greatest help and value to them. 
One of the hardest parts of the life in camp was possibly 
the unsettled state due to the uncertainy of the future. Most 
of the nurses went with the idea that they would be there 
only a few weeks, and when those weeks lengthened into 
months and still no word came,'and other units were called, 
and persistent rumors placed No. 45 as one of those saved 
for home duty, it was impossible to obtain a state of tran- 
quility of mind, and the strain was hard to bear. There 
was general rejoicing, therefore, when early in July the 
orders finally came which mobilized them at the Holley 
Hotel, New York City. They had to come from fourteen 
different camps, scattered from Texas to New York, so that 
it took them several days to assemble, and, until they all The Hospital in Action 
181 
arrived, there was an atmosphere of the greatest excitement 
in the lobby of that staid old hostelry as one group after 
another was eagerly greeted and welcomed by those who 
had preceded them. 
1 he Holley Hotel was the general mobilization station 
for nurses going overseas, and for months there had been 
a steady flow, in and out, of hundreds of energetic, enthusi- 
astic young women, which was doubtless most upsetting to 
the dignified equilibrium of the place. One could not help 
but wonder sometimes what the old building must think of 
the sudden change from the quiet of former days, when its 
guests were largely confined to decorous old bachelors and 
spinster ladies. The manager, at least, looked quite a 
nervous wreck. 
Before we reached New York I think we all had rather 
a hazy idea we would have time to do many pleasant per- 
sonal things there, but the five weeks turned out to be as 
busy as any we ever had in our lives. There were so many 
things to be attended to, uniforms to be made, passports to 
be secured, shopping to be done, Red Cross equipment to 
be received, immunity treatments to be taken, insurance and 
allotment papers to be completed, and so forth and so on; 
as quickly as one thing was completed another loomed large 
ahead of us, and with it all was the feeling that we must 
hurry, hurry, hurry, lest orders come and find us unprepared. 
In addition to everything else we had an hour's military 
drill in the armory of the Seventy-first Infantry each morn- 
ing, a fifteen minutes' drill in singing, and three times a week 
an hour of b rench. The first few mornings of drill were not 
what could be termed a success by even the most biased ob- 
server. In the first place, none of us knew anything about 
drill, in the second, the building is so huge that it was almost 
impossible to catch the instructions or the orders, especially 
when one was quite unfamiliar with them, so we found our- 
selves frantically endeavoring to do something we didn't 
understand, and the result was so bad that Lieutenant Dale, 182 
U. S. Army Base H o s pita l No. 45 
our instructor, almost gave us up in despair. A feeling of 
pride, however, made us determined not to be beaten by the 
other units which had mobilized at the same time and were 
drilling on the same floor. We had made up our minds at 
the outset that as far as lay with us Base Hospital No. 45 
should be surpassed by none. Pride and ambition are two 
great incentives, so in spite of the intense heat we marched 
and marched, drilled and drilled, until one fairly did squads 
right and squads left in one's dreams, and eventually it was 
mastered sufficiently for the various movements to be done 
with some degree of smoothness. Some of the success was 
probably due to our drill sergeant, Sergeant Plum, w'ho for 
some reason seemed to feel a personal responsibility in our 
success and labored over us diligently. He was a man of 
few words, and our initial attempts had been so pathetically 
bad, that we felt we had received commendation of real 
worth when we heard he had said that "Base Hospital No. 
45 was his pet outfit." 
When it came to singing though, our efforts were not 
crowned with as much success. We did our best, but though 
Lieutenant Reed, our singing master, tried to encourage us 
by saying that "we sang like birds," we felt they were words 
of futile flattery, and trusted that the future would not de- 
mand of us an exhibition of our powers. Fortunately it 
did not. 
One of the events that stand out in our memories of 
those weeks is the ceremony that attended the dedication ol 
our flag. Most of us I think will always remember that 
early morning service when we met at St. Paul's and 
brought our flag up the aisle of the dim, dignified old church 
to the altar to be blessed, and the communion service which 
followed, so simple and yet so beautiful. In all the turmoil 
and rush that we associate with our days in New York 
we have that, at least, as one memory of quiet peace, com- 
fort, and strength. 
It will readily be seen that there was little or no oppor- T he Hospital in Action 
183 
tunity to be idle, and with it all there was the terrible over- 
powering heat that drained one of every particle of super- 
fluous energy. At the end of the five weeks we were a very 
weary lot of people, and our sailing orders were as enthusi- 
astically received as were the ones which called us from 
camp. 
The voyage over, and the journey from Liverpool to 
foul will be dealt with in other chapters so there is no nee, 
to more than mention them. It was a wonderful voyage, 
full of interesting events and people, and as we hear other 
units tell of the trying experiences they passed through we 
realize more and more how exceedingly fortunate we were 
in our accommodations, the people we met, and the speed 
with which our transportation was handled. 
Almost two months had elapsed from the time we left 
camp until we entered the gates of Caserne La Marche, 
which, as far as we knew, was to be our home for an in- 
definite period. We had passed through many adventures, 
had been shifted from one place to another, and had lived 
so long in our suit cases that the one thought uppermost in 
our minds was one of intense relief that we had at last 
reached a permanent station. The accommodations were 
crude, the discomforts ahead of us, it was easy to see, were 
many, but the welcome from our men who had preceded us 
was a very hearty and sincere one, and for the time being, 
at least, we felt we had a little bit of "home" with us 
again; the present was accepted and the future faced in a 
philosophically cheerful spirit. 
I shall never forget my feelings that first day as I made 
rounds with the commanding officer and saw the size of 
the place, the meagreness of the equipment with which we 
had to manage until our own came to hand, the lack of the 
many conveniences which we had come to regard as absolute 
necessities in a modern hospital, and realized how much was 
expected of us in spite of these handicaps. 
In addition to everything else, within a couple of days 184 
U. S. Army Bas e H os pi t a l No. 45 
twenty-five of our nurses were detached from us for duty in 
other hospitals in the neighborhood which were even less 
well equipped than ours, and six others were sent out on 
operating teams during the big drive, so that, although when 
we first organized we had wondered how we were going to 
manage a thousand-bed hospital with only a hundred nurses, 
we found that we were expected to run a hospital twice that 
size with less than seventy. 
Seventy nurses is not many to stretch over a day and night 
service, an operating-room force, a canteen service, and the 
administration work, and it would have meant hard work 
even had the surroundings and facilities been of the best, but 
as it was there was so little to work with. For instance, 
there was no running water; all water, both hot and cold, 
had to be carried from the kitchens, which were situated in 
separate buildings, and not only the time taken up in going 
that distance had to be considered, but the physical effort 
entailed in carrying it up two, three or four flights of steep 
stairs. This work was done, of course, as much as possible 
by the corps boys, but there was a shortage there at first as 
well as everywhere else; then, too, they were continually 
being needed in carrying litter patients either coming in or 
going out, so that it was frequently necessary for the nurses 
to take this work upon themselves. There was no sewerage, 
practically no way of heating or sterilizing anything in the 
wards, so few of the ordinary utensils, such as basins, 
buckets, pitchers, cooking and eating utensils, that it was 
pitiable, and as for such things as hypodermics and ther- 
mometers the nurses had to rely largely on what they had 
brought with them. I asked one nurse what equipment she 
had and she replied: "I have 192 patients, 2 basins, 2 ther- 
mometers, and 30 mess kits." That, perhaps, was a little 
worse than in some other parts of the hospital, but it was 
not so unusual as to stand out as a surprising statement. 
The problem of feeding the patients was one of the 
hardest to be solved. The meals were more or less a con- The Hospital in Action 
185 
tinuous affair lasting all day long owing to the fact that 
there were so few dishes in which to put the food that only 
one small group could be served at a time, then the dishes 
were washed and the next group had its turn. 
Instead of hospital beds there were cots or low French 
beds, there were few bedside tables or chairs, and practically 
no screens, no medicine chests, and scarcely any presses in 
which to lock things up. This all resulted in the develop- 
ment of unexpected talent in various directions. It was 
wonderful what a little ingenuity could do in taking the most 
unpromising things and making them answer purposes for 
which they were never originally intended, and a salvage 
heap which at home would have been regarded as a pile of 
trash was looked upon as a veritable gold mine, the eye of 
necessity finding latent possibilities in things to which ordi- 
narily one would not have given a second glance. 
In spite of all these difficulties, though, the nurses man- 
aged to get the patients washed, fed, and made comfort- 
able, ready for their journey on evacuation trains back to a 
more stable base, even though the finer points of nursing 
had of necessity to be largely overlooked. Our equipment 
arrived before long and was installed, the work gradually 
became systematized, and finally the day came when one 
made rounds with a feeling of pride in this sure-enough 
hospital of ours. The hardest part was back of us. None 
of us would willingly go through with it again, unless a like 
necessity arose, but there was a feeling of satisfaction in 
knowing that as a body we had met a crisis and proved 
equal to the emergency. 
This little sketch is scarcely complete without one word 
of mention of our Christmas celebrations. We had looked 
forward with dread to the holidays, feeling sure that for all 
of us they would be dreary days of homesickness. But the 
house was full of convalescing patients, many of them ex- 
prisoners from Germany, and many boys who had been 
through hard weeks and months in the trenches, and it 186 
U. S. A r m y Bas e Hos pi t a l No. 45. 
seemed as though something must be done to give them a 
real celebration. Starting from a small thing it grew and 
grew until the whole place fairly bubbled over with the 
Christmas spirit. The nurses supervised, directed, en- 
couraged, and admired, and the boys devised decorations, 
worked, whistled, and sang. Every ward had its tree. 
Sixteen hundred pairs of socks were filled and distributed, 
and banquets, impromptu concerts, and general merry-mak- 
ings were without number. When it was over the nursing 
staff was more or less a wreck, for the combination role of 
nurse, chairman of an entertainment and decoration com- 
mittee, general hostess and social supervisor of one, two, 
or even three wards is quite a nerve-racking undertaking. 
But they all agreed that the result was more than worth the 
fatigue, and that it was one of the very happiest Christ- 
mases they had ever spent. 
I do not wish to close either without a word of appre- 
ciation of the six attached to us who were termed in army 
parlance "civilian employes," but who were as much a part 
of our little family as any registered nurse amongst us. 
They lived under the same conditions, rules and regula- 
tions, and though their work was of a different nature-one 
being our dietitian, another the supervisor of the nurses' 
quarters, and the other four stenographers-it was faith- 
fully and well done, and they contributed as effectively as 
any to the success of the organization. 
In considering the nurses and the work which they ac- 
complished in this war one should never forget they formed 
one part of the army that w'as absolutely voluntary. There 
was no law that could force them; the sacrifices entailed 
were really greater than those most men were called upon to 
make; war is and has always been a man's job, not a wo- 
man's, and yet, when the call of duty and patriotism came, 
those women by the hundreds and thousands offered their 
services. By some strange kink in the mind of the nation, 
however, it was taken as the most natural and matter of The Hospital in Action 
187 
fact thing that they should go, and, while every man that 
donned a uniform was acclaimed a hero and nothing too 
much could be done for him, little thought was given to the 
band of women who had given up so much and were so 
willingly and cheerfully accepting the dangers and uncer- 
tainty of the future. No rank was given them and their 
status was a very undefined thing. They were neither of- 
ficers nor privates, and this one point caused difficulties, 
problems and embarrassing situations which no one can 
properly appreciate but a nurse who has passed through the 
experience. Their restrictions were many, their privileges 
few, and their uniforms most unbecoming-this last is a 
minor incident, tis true, but most trying to a feminine heart. 
They slipped quietly out of their community, and out of the 
country, and as quietly did their work abroad. Little notice 
has been given to what they accomplished. One hears little 
of the long hours, the hard work, the trying nerve-strain, 
the discomforts and privations which they have undergone. 
Only the doughboys who have passed through their hands, 
or the doctors and wardmen with whom they have worked, 
shoulder to shoulder, will tell you what good soldiers they 
proved themselves to be, and how many boys are back home 
today because of the fact that the nurses were there to care 
for them. 
. The nurses of Base Hospital No. 45 were fortunate in 
being spared many discomforts. The work at times was 
very hard and conditions were very discouraging, but dif- 
ficulties were overcome, apparent impossibilities accom- 
plished, and with it all the general atmosphere of the house 
was one of cheerfulness and happiness, so that one could 
not help but feel proud of their spirit, and the way they so 
bravely played their part undoubtedly had its share in plac- 
ing our unit in the high position which it earned as one of 
the very best base hospitals in France. 
Ruth I. Robertson 
(Mrs. Stuart McGuire). THE NURSES "As men, we shall alzvays pay a respectful tribute 
of admiration and devotion to the women who stood 
so loyally by us. Earnest, tireless, unafraid, swiftly 
efficient, they faced a great ordeal in a way that is 
beyond the power of simple words to express. It was 
no place for women, and yet what would have happened 
to us without them we shudder to think. With bound- 
less grit, unsparing self-sacrifice, loyalty that never 
swerved, they went with us wherever the way led- 
into the depths and out again-always at their posts, 
ready for anything, real comrades upon zvhom we came 
to lean heavily and zvith assurance.'' Chief Nurse and Her Assistants 
In Center-Miss Ruth I. Robertson (Mrs. Stuart McGuire) ; on Her Right-Miss Celia Brian; on Her Left 
Miss Juliet Montgomery (Mrs. H. J. Winans'). Miss Mary Broaddus, in Charge of Operating Rooms. 
Our "Civilian Employes" 
Left to Right-Misses Hobson, Scorgie, Watkins, Gray, and Jones. "Platoon" No. i. 
''Platoon" No. 2. '"Platoon" No. 3. 
"Platoon" No. 4, in Battle Array. "Platoon" No. 5, With Commander-in-Chief. Off for a Ride. The Wardmaster 
HEN one thinks of the medical department, 
* he thinks neither of officer nor storeroom, 
°f cierk nor typist-but, rather, there comes 
in his mind the picture of a lad, sick, gassed 
or wounded, far from home, taken to a 
hospital behind the lines, to be cared for, 
nursed and strengthened back to health, so that another 
small cog in the machinery of war may be again in condi- 
tion to battle for the nation's honor. 
And in the picture, who is there to nurse, to encourage 
and to strengthen the health and spirit of this boy? There 
are three persons under whose care he comes-the doctor, 
the nurse and the wardmaster, and the wardman must have 
in part, the ability of the physician, the resourcefulness 
and tenderness of the nurse, the love and affection of a 
brother. The medical officer has been a doctor for many 
years; he has administered medicines thousands of times, 
or as a surgeon has operated in many instances. The nurse 
has been carefully trained to nurse. She has attended many 
patients, has seen them recover or die. These two factors 
work as a profession and they have saved the lives of many. 
Their work overseas with us is a symbol of unfailing 
loyalty and painstaking service, but they have many patients 
and they have not the time or opportunity for special atten- 
tion to everyone. To the wardmaster, then, to him who is 
taking up a strange wrork and playing a new game, falls the 
duty of being this "3 in 1" and a good wardmaster does 
not betray his trust. He is a doctor, nurse and brother. 
It has been at times very discouraging to the wardman 
that his work and endeavors have been frowned upon by 190 
U. S. Ar my Base Hospital No. 45 
those on the outside who do not know the real part he 
played in this hospital of ours. I wish more recognition 
could have been given him-more authority, more credit, 
a higher rank. In truth, the father of thirty or more 
patients, their benefactor and commander, he does not re- 
ceive the respect or admiration of the outside world as does 
the sergeant at the desk, who has never seen the interior of 
a ward, nor nursed and restored to health, nor carried out 
the chief reason for and the one duty of a hospital. If 
the folks at home can be awakened to that fact-the re- 
sponsibility and work of a wardmaster, his attention to 
duty, his untiring efforts in behalf of their sons-and if they 
give thanks and praise to him, he will feel that these men 
who handled 18,000 patients in less than five months' time 
have been in some small way elevated to the place in which 
they belong. 
The day of the wardmaster is long and hard. There 
is plenty of work-mean, disagreeable, difficult-and 
though he labors from twelve to fourteen hours a day, he 
must keep his mind alert, his eyes open, and, above all, 
his cheerfulness apparent. Have you ever considered w'hat 
a cheerful environment means to a sick man; how his own 
resistance can be strengthened or shattered by the air of 
faith and trust, or of sullenness and sorrow which he 
breathes? And that is the wardmaster's most difficult and 
dangerous work-to encourage, to give hope, to strengthen 
faith and to make the sick and suffering atmosphere of a 
hospital ward seem happy and free to the boy in bed. It is 
hard because during those hours many disagreeable things 
occur-most of them small things to be sure, but disagree- 
able none the less-a late dinner, a bed inspection, or merely 
a day when everything seems to go wrong. But enough of 
that, for you do know, don't you, just how difficult it is to 
smile when your heart aches, to pity though you feel as if 
you are the one to be pitied, to cheer and comfort when The Hospital in Action 
191 
your whole person is nauseated with the horrors and dis- 
ease around? 
In the early morning the patients' hands and faces must 
be washed, the breakfast gotten from the regular and diet 
kitchens and served, dishes washed and the ward put in 
order. This latter means the mopping of the floors, sweep- 
ing, dusting, etc. A good wardman would make any good 
wife jealous during this hour of housework. Rounds are 
made with the medical officer, as the wardmaster does a 
great deal in the doctor's stead. Why, I have had to dress a 
wound, bandage many an arm and stand watch for ten 
minutes over a man to see that he wiggled his toes to cure 
his flat feet. I believe that latter duty was the hardest I 
had to perform. Dinner-time comes and he has to serve 
the meal, often missing his own when he has to go back 
for the officer's tray. One of his most trying times comes 
always in the "run in" with that most independent man in 
our Uncle's army-the cook, though this trouble was not 
apparent when we were overseas and had our own mess. 
So the day runs on and every other moment there will come 
an interruption to do this or that, to administer medicine, 
to take a temperature, to count the laundry, to carry the 
dirty and bring back the clean clothes, to give baths, to 
joke, and always to smile and give a pat on the back, just 
to make Tom, or Dick, or Harry believe he is the prince 
of good fellows and will soon be back with his company or 
at home with his dear ones. 
Recreation and pleasures-there are few, except in 
listening to the tales as told by "his" boys, in the eyes, too, 
of "his" and "your" boys, those eyes which gleam their 
thanks and show their gratitude, and in one's own heart 
that feeling of ease and contentment, of joy and freeness, 
that comes from duty done and faithfulness to a trust. 
And, oh, yes, sometimes "nursie" will make cocoa, choco- 
late, or punch, and the wardmaster comes in for his share- U. S. Army Base H os pi t al No. 45 
192 
after he has looked after his patients-but a good one 
never allows himself to be caught in the act. 
While the other members of the detachment are out 
throwing baseball, the wardman is usually engaged in 
breaking up a "hob-nail" barrage. At night, after he is 
relieved, he bids all good night-there is, perhaps time 
only for a letter home, but there is no complaint-another 
day has been given in the service of humanity. It would be 
unfair if I did not add here that in our organization there 
existed such friendships and associations, such understand- 
ing between officer and enlisted man, such examples of 
trust and confidence that much of the monotony and tense- 
ness was relieved. 
However, in our days overseas there was indeed a 
larger responsibility on the wardman. Our force was small, 
nurses and doctors were very few, but many patients were 
sent in to us-over 8,000, I believe, in September when 
American history was being made at St. Mihiel. They 
stayed a short while and were evacuated to the rear. It is a 
matter of great pride and lasting memory to me, that a 
handful of doctors could so efficiently examine, diagnose 
and treat so large a number. All were cared for as quickly 
and expertly as possible; the surgeons were naturally busiest 
with the emergency operations, and to the wardmaster fell 
much of the responsibility of the milder cases. It appears 
very remarkable that one small hospital force could so well 
handle this number of patients in one month, for as many 
were evacuated as were admitted. There always had to be 
beds enough for the next morning's advance, and the price 
that advance would cost! We must remember also that the 
nights were long and Fritz's aeroplane would not allow the 
showing of any lights. 
Besides the knowledge of honest endeavors, the lesson 
the wardmaster learns is the lesson of human life. There 
comes into his ward banker and butcher, farmer and citv The Hospital in Action 
193 
sport, bootblack and financier-men of all creeds and na- 
tionalities-whites and blacks, Gentile and Jew, French, 
American, British, Italian soldiers, united for the good of 
the world. There is the man of family and the man of 
affairs, men you wish to call your friends and men who 
seem a drag on society, but, all soldiers in the common 
cause and all his patients. Three months in a ward is an 
education. 
This is not intended to be a plea for praise or applause, 
but I will be permitted to remark of the duty all of us 
performed-each in his or her own way for the service of 
all. A glance at the results accomplished by intelligent 
work will show the closest co-operation between every de- 
partment and rank of our unit. But I do ask that when 
the history of this splendid hospital of ours comes to be 
written and credit is given to those to whom it is due-when 
you and I begin to praise, do not forget the man who so 
faithfully performed his duties, who nursed to health and 
strength many a mother's son-Mister Wardmaster, 
Private, First-Class, Medical Department, U. S. A. 
Adrian L. Bendheim. The Chaplain 
T is hard to know just what to write about 
the chaplain's work, because so much of it 
is made up in the hospital of personal con- 
tacts, sometimes very simple, sometimes 
very intimate, with the sick men, the con- 
valescent men, and the dying men in the 
wards. Such things cannot well be told about in a general 
narrative. 
As probably every one knows, the first fifty base hos- 
pitals-ours being one of them-were organized under the 
auspices of the Red Cross, and afterward taken over by the 
army. The doctors were commissioned in the medical re- 
serve corps, but there was much vagueness as to the status 
of the chaplains. The whole matter of the expansion of 
the chaplain service to meet the new demands of the war 
had not been worked out in Washington, and remained un- 
settled for a long time. However, more than twenty of 
the first fifty hospitals had sailed for Europe at the time 
when "45" was mobilized at Camp Lee, and the chaplains 
had gone with their units without difficulty. In May, how- 
ever, chaplains of the hospitals began to be stopped at the 
ports with the announcement that because the status of the 
chaplains had not been officially verified they would not be 
transported. As soon as I heard of this I began, by per- 
sonal visits to Washington and otherwise, to try to get the 
matter straightened out, and thought I had done so when 
Lieutenant-Colonel Williams received a telegram from the 
surgeon-general directing him to carry the chaplain with the 
rest of the organization to the embarkation port. But at The EI o s p i t a l in Action 
195 
Newport News the embarkation officer declared that he had 
no authorization to provide space on the transport for the 
chaplain, and so, in the good army phrase, the chaplain 
"was out of luck." What I did then was to go at once to 
Washington and ask that arrangements be made by the Red 
Cross to send me overseas independently, with the hope of 
being re-attached to Base 45 wrhen I actually got across. 
I was able to sail finally on the 7th of August, and after 
some delay in Paris and a very short term of service with 
Evacuation Hospital No. 9, at Vaubecourt, south of Verdun, 
I arrived at Toul and got "home" with "45" on the 10th 
of September. 
Two nights after that the thunder of the guns from 
beyond the hills told us that the St. Mihiel drive was on, 
and the next day the wounded began to pour in. In those 
times when the nurses and the men of the detachment all 
had their hands full, there was a special chance for the 
chaplain to help in the receiving ward by having bouillon, 
etc., made and kept hot for the men who came in from the 
front hungry and cold and many of them wet from lying 
on the ground in the rain in the nights preceding the drive. 
But, of course, it wras in the wards where the wounded were 
carried that I spent most of my time. None of us I think 
will ever be likely to forget those wards as they were then, 
with their tragic and glorious mingling of agony and 
heroism and magnificent patience-men with faces white 
from the torture of amputations, men who struggled for 
breath with great wounds in their lungs, and downstairs in 
the wards next the operating room the floors filled with 
men on stretchers-a pool in the unceasing river of pain 
that seemed to flow in at one end from the ambulances as 
fast as it flowed out at the other through the doors to the 
operating tables where the tireless surgeons worked. All 
the wounded were pathetically grateful for whatever I or 
anyone else could do for them, whether it were some simple 196 
U. S. A R M Y B A S E HoSPI T A L N O. 4 5 
thing like writing a letter home, or the ministry to a man 
whose life was obviously slipping away. 
The pressure of surgical cases from the St. Mihiel drive 
was hardly over before the influenza epidemic had de- 
veloped to its maximum seriousness, and then it was in the 
east building rather than the west that the wards were full 
of desperately ill and dying men, and though the great size 
of the hospital made the work very scattered and imperfect. 
I tried to keep in touch with those men and let them know 
that whatever I could do to help them, I was there to do. 
On September 21st Lieutenant-Colonel Maddux asked 
me to be the chaplain in general charge of the whole group 
of hospitals, in addition to my particular responsibility at 
"45." There was at that time only one other chaplain 
among all the other hospitals, and so I began to visit at 
intervals in the wards of these others, particularly No. 87, 
No. 78, and the contagious. As group chaplain I was re- 
sponsible also for the conduct, or for arranging for the con- 
duct, of all burials-and once I buried eighty bodies in three 
days. For the first month I was at the cemetery practically 
every day, sometimes for as much as two hours. Later it 
was arranged that the chaplains in the group should take the 
services week by week in rotation. 
On each Sunday I have held at our own hospital a short 
early morning service before breakfast, and a longer one 
with a sermon at night. But in addition to these, and in 
some respects almost more important, are the services in 
the wards. The hospital is so huge that I have never been 
able to hold a service in every ward on any one Sunday. 
By standing in the doorway between two connecting wards 
and thus reaching two wards with one service, I could 
cover-as on one Sunday when I had seventeen services- 
about half the hospital. Sometimes also I would have 
services on weekdays in our wards; and I have held many, 
both on Sundays and weekdays, in the wards of the other The Hospita l in Action 
197 
hospitals. All these services of course were short. Gen- 
erally I would begin by reading a hymn, and a passage out 
of the New Testament, or one of the psalms; then I would 
talk to the men for a little while on what I had read, and 
end with a prayer. 
But the service which most of us have shared in, and 
which I for one will always remember best, is the service 
Sunday nights. At first I had it in what later became one 
of the receiving wards, but soon we moved it to the men's 
mess hall. In its general appearance one would have had 
to admit that our ''church" fell a bit short of looking 
churchly. A long, low room with concrete floor and bare 
walls, the tables of the enlisted men's supper cleared away 
and piled back in the corner, all the benches arranged to 
focus on a little open space; add one table, one piano with- 
out much tune, and one preacher without any surplice, and 
the occasional smoke and sizzling of inevitable night cook- 
ing for the hospital which went on in the kitchen the other 
side of a partition-and these were the visible ingredients 
of the service and the appearance of our pro-tem cathedral. 
But with Miss Robertson to make the old piano with its 
stubborn, sticky keys to ring with real music, and Siegelman 
to add his violin, and everybody to sing, the spirit of the 
service grew warm and big and glorious, and hearts were 
lifted up to God. 
By Lieutenant-Colonel McGuire's appointment, I was 
chairman of a committee on entertainment and recreation, 
but the real work was done by the sub-committees which the 
central committee appointed. Each month there was a com- 
mittee of officers and nurses to arrange for dances on Satur- 
day nights, and with enthusiasm and ingenuity these commit- 
tees got up entertainments, and decorated the mess hall 
where the dances were held. The special Christmas com- 
mittee carried through the big enterprise of filling stockings 
with candy and nuts and oranges and cakes and toys for 198 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
every single one of the more than sixteen hundred patients 
in the hospital Christmas Day, and there the stockings were 
hung at the foot of their beds Christmas Eve, just as if they 
were children at home and Santa Claus had really come! 
The co-operation of the nurses and wardmen made possible 
also the decoration of all the wards, and the picture, de- 
scribed more fully in other pages, was one we will never 
forget. 
My position as group chaplain made me responsible to 
arrange such entertainments as were possible for all the 
hospitals here at the centre. Up to the time of the armistice, 
troupes of entertainers were sent out to us through the 
kindness of the Y. M. C. A., and performances held in the 
tent at Base No. 87, or in the theatre of Base No. 78 (these 
being the best available assembly places), once or twice a 
week. Later it was more difficult to secure troupes of per- 
formers in this part of France; but some came to us at "45" 
to sing in the wards, where they were vastly welcome. 
At the minute when I came to this point in writing this 
account, the big thing happened which will take out of 
everybody's thought any lack or disappointment of the 
other days, which makes everybody forget whatever has 
been hard to live through, in the overwhelming, exuberant 
rejoicing of the news that we are going home! The tele- 
gram has just come! Evacuation Hospital No. 20 has 
been ordered here to take our place, and we are to start 
away. The pandemonium of laughter and yells and shouts 
could almost send its echo clear to Richmond now! 
So-as the last word-I want to set down what I was 
just going on to say when the news came. The privilege of 
being a part of Base Hospital No. 45 has been a growing 
experience with fine things. As the organizer of the hos- 
pital and as the director of the work in France, Dr. Mc- 
Guire has given day by day and unflaggingly the example 
of a determined industry, a cheerful courage and high pur- 
pose which have made the hospital into a living fellowship The Hospital in Action 
199 
proud of itself and of its chance for service. My own work, 
taking me into all parts of the hospital and all the wards, 
has shown me a staff of doctors who have given to the men 
of the army brought here to be our patients such unsparing 
devotion of time and energy as money could never have 
paid for; it has shown me nurses swiftly efficient, gentle, 
and strong for all tasks through their great self-forgetful- 
ness; and it has shown me one other thing which I think of 
as perhaps even more notable still. I have watched the 
wardmen in their work-a work for which they had never 
been trained before and which they will not expect to follow 
hereafter, a work which was hard and menial. And I have 
seen them again and again do that work with a fine sim- 
plicity, and a kind of brotherly tenderness, which has been 
beyond all praise and beyond all price to the men they were 
helping. Some, of course, have risen higher than others; 
but the spirit of the organization has stood for faithful 
service. I, whose part it has been from time to time to 
preach sermons, have seen more and better sermons 
preached in the quiet witness of the women and men of this 
hospital who day by day were walking on those ways of 
duty and of kindness which are the truest ways of God. 
W. R. Bowie. THE DETACHMENT "The majority of these boys came from homes of 
refinement, were well educated, and were accustomed in 
varying, sometimes notable, degrees to the luxuries of 
life. Now their individualities were submerged; they 
enjoyed but few of the necessities and none of the 
luxuries of former days; they were subject to brusque, 
often ill-considered, orders which they dared not ques- 
tion; when they traveled they were herded up like 
cattle; when they worked they encountered quite fre- 
quently a duty so menial that it stung their pride and 
shocked their sensibilities. All the more to their credit 
then that they balked nowhere, and gave not only the 
service which law required of them, but a hearty and 
cheerful co-operation which comes only from stout and 
loyal hearts." Detachment Groups No. i. Detachment Groups No. 2. Detachment Groups No. j Chow Line on a Rainy Day. X-Ray Force. 
In Quartermaster's Service. Platoon in Competitive Drill. 
Marching in Platoons. Wheelbarrow Race (Nantes). 
Three-Legged Race (Nantes'). 100-Vard Dash (Nantes). 
Finish of 220-Yard Dash (Nantes). Baseball Team and Rooters (Nantes). 
Baseball Game-Liggan Sliding (Nantes). Detachment as it Appeared Just Before Sailing for Home. The Administration 
pqg work of so large an institution as Base 
Hospital No. 45 necessitated a good-sized 
staff of doctors, nurses and corps men to 
carry on the purely professional work, but 
these were ineffective for an army hospital 
without an administrative staff to co- 
ordinate and systematize the whole. 
Army hospitals differ widely from civilian hospitals in 
function, methods and management and in nothing is this 
difference more clearly shown than in what is often called 
red tape, but more properly, "paper work." This means 
that many persons must be engaged alone in purely clerical 
duties. The prevailing record system, though complete for 
each department, was co-ordinated through interwoven re- 
ports to the commanding officer's headquarters. The com- 
manding officer had thus, through his adjutant's office, a 
close detailed check on the administrative departmental 
heads, their assistants and all the work in really running 
the hospital. 
f'he administration of our base hospital was carried on 
by the commanding officer; his well-informed and efficient 
adjutant who in turn was seconded by the sergeant-major's 
office with its clerical force; the registrar's office, which was 
chiefly concerned with data of various kinds about the pa- 
tients; the quartermaster's office, which was attached to the 
hospital to look after many kinds of supplies, such as quar- 
ters, food, clothing for patients and the hospital corps; 
the medical supply office, which was responsible for medical 
supplies, such as beds, bedding, medicines and surgical in- 202 
U. S. Army Base Hospital N o. 4 5 
struments; the personnel office, which was responsible for 
recording certain data about the hospital corps men and for 
making up their payroll; the mess office, which was re- 
sponsible for food and the cooking for the entire hospital; 
the detachment commander's office, responsible for detailed 
administration of affairs concerning the hospital corps 
men, such as conduct, discipline and welfare; the chief 
nurse's office, responsible for records, welfare and admin- 
istration of nurses and nursing service of the hospital. In 
order that all this may be more fully understood these de- 
partments will be taken up in order and some detail. 
Our first commanding officer was Major Alexander W. 
Williams, who joined us at Camp Lee and whose immediate 
responsibility was to see that this new unit of recent civil- 
ians be converted as fast as possible into a real 500-bed 
base hospital as outlined in the army tables of organiza- 
tion. His work included drill, discipline, records, instruc- 
tion of officers and men in their duties, assignments of of- 
ficers to duty in various departments, procuring as far as 
possible the full quota of officers and men, and trying to 
build up an esprit de corps, as well as seeing to the equip- 
ment of the whole. Major Williams did his organizing 
thoroughly in true army technic and methods and at the 
expense of his own health. 
In early July, 1918, orders came to entrain for Newport 
News for extended field service. This meant strenuous 
work for the commanding officer, the adjutant, the detach- 
ment commander, the quartermaster and the personnel of- 
ficer. The medical supplies which had been so amply given 
by the Richmond chapter of the Red Cross and assembled 
at the State fair grounds in Richmond, had in the mean- 
time been moved to the port of embarkation, and Major, 
now Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, tried to get assurance 
that this property would accompany or at least belong to 
us in France. The life of a commanding officer in those T h e Hospital in Action 
203 
days was no bed of roses, and Lieutenant-Colonel Williams 
was exceedingly conscientious to perform his duty as he saw 
it. Finally on the morning of July 10th the main body of 
the unit marched down to the Aeolus and embarked for 
nobody knew where. On the way across, paper work kept 
the commanding officer and adjutant busy. 
On July 21st we landed at Brest, France, and marched 
out to camp near Pontanazen barracks. Here new duties 
and orders gave the commanding officer more trouble in 
addition to that furnished by flies, mud, passes and quar- 
ters. In a week orders came to entrain for "somewhere 
in France." The commanding officer alone knew the 
destination of his command. In several days' travel we 
reached the little town of Autun and getting out marched 
to our new home, the "Caserne Billard." This building, 
formerly a monastery, was assigned as our place to build 
up a base hospital and the commanding officer quickly made 
his own assignments to duty so that no time might be lost 
getting ready to function. While at Autun Lieutenant- 
Colonel Williams' health gave way and he was sent to a 
hospital at Dijon. Major McGuire was made acting and 
then later full commanding officer. Autun proved imprac- 
ticable as a permanent site for a regular base hospital, and 
so in a few weeks Base Hospital No. 45 was ordered to 
Toul, which was its real home while in France. 
Although a distinguished surgeon, the new command- 
ing officer while in France did but little real surgery, for it 
was his lot to serve as executive and administrative officer. 
Things were badly disorganized or rather unorganized when 
his unit reached Toul which was not so many miles from the 
front line trenches, and a tremendous lot of work fell on his 
shoulders immediately. Commanding Officer McGuire had 
no previous experience to guide him in putting into im- 
mediate function a base hospital of the sort demanded by 
an urgent need but somehow by hard work he and his as- 204 
U. S. Ar m y Bas e Hospital N o. 4 5 
sistants got things ready for the patients that must soon 
come in large numbers. Lieutenant-Colonel Maddux, com- 
manding officer of the hospital group forming at Toul, 
knew many of Base Hospital No. 45 personally and was a 
good friend to Major McGuire and his command, although 
at times it seemed otherwise, when orders apparently con- 
flicting came thick and fast. Where lack of experience in 
army routine caused Major McGuire to use common sense 
in getting results in organizing, Lieutenant-Colonel Maddux 
would apparently be too rough in insisting upon proper 
procedure. All this was very trying, but was put up with 
for "the good of the service." Lieutenant-Colonel Wil- 
liams' assignments of his various officers to duty were 
largely left intact by Major McGuire. The morale of the 
whole unit rose to support the commanding officer and a 
large part of the success achieved by Base Hospital No. 45 
was due to the co-operation he received and the very de- 
finite sense of personal attachment each member of the unit 
had for him. Major McGuire was fortunate in having 
with him as officers, men of wisdom and judgment who had 
assimilated a fair amount of the army spirit and routine. 
Lieutenant Boushall proved to be a very efficient adjutant. 
Gradually the commanding officer found that he could leave 
much of the mere routine to his adjutant and his staff of 
assistants and devote his time to things more properly the 
function of a commanding officer of a large base hospital. 
Although far from effectively equipped, the adminis- 
tration of Base Hospital No. 45 was told to prepare im- 
mediately to receive a large but unknown number of 
wounded men. The St. Mihiel drive started on September 
1 2th and pretty soon these patients began to come in. The 
beds available were quickly filled up and yet the wounded 
came in ambulance-fuls. Finally Lieutenant-Colonel 
Maddux really saw that "45" was full to overflowing and 
ordered the ambulances to go elsewhere. He had been told The Hospital in Action 
205 
this several times but did not seem to comprehend or care. 
Such things as this made the early administration of Base 
Hospital No. 45 a difficult one, but these experiences made 
the staff wise in several ways at once. 
Medical supplies were urgently needed and could not 
be obtained locally in sufficient quantity. All that fine Rich- 
mond Red Cross equipment had never shown up. Besides, 
this was only intended for a 500-bed base hospital while 
45" was housed in buildings that could accommodate sev- 
eral times that number and the group commanding officer 
saw to it that every available space was used. Major Mc- 
Guire had recently been notified that the "original equip- 
ment" was to be pooled into a central supply depot and 
issued on requisition only, but that he might try to save 
some of it if he chose. This he did and sent Lieutenant 
Phillips away in search of it and any more that he could get 
hold of. No hospital could run without supplies and this 
the commanding officer knew only too well. 
The food problem was difficult to handle also. For- 
tunately Captain James knew all army routine and his as- 
signment as mess officer saved the commanding officer much 
worry, for if food was to be had Captain James would get 
part of it at least. The same was true of Lieutenant 
Jenson as quartermaster, for he knew how to "go get it" 
when there was apparently no "it" to be gotten. The unit 
was fortunate in having assigned to it these two men. 
Gradually the novelty of its new function wore off and 
Base Hospital No. 45 settled down under its administra- 
tion into a routine which lasted for six months. 
Medical supplies began finally to come in and especially 
when Lieutenant Phillips came back with his freight train 
of green-cornered boxes labeled "Property of U. S. Army 
Base Hospital No. 45." About this time, too, the motor 
transport corps put more transport at the disposal of the 
group and "45" got its limited share. By the middle of 206 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
October the hospital was responsible for 2,000 or more beds, 
all full and pretty well cared for in spite of handicaps of 
many kinds. The administration was by this time well on to 
its job and things were running fairly smoothly with co- 
ordinated departments, each working to capacity, but not 
complaining. The group commanding officer kept Base 
Hospital No. 45 functioning as an evacuation hospital, al- 
though known as a base hospital. This, of course, brought 
its troubles, particularly to the registrar, nurses, chiefs of 
service and property officers, as well as trouble to every- 
body to keep pace with the movement. The group com- 
manding officer finally established the group triage in the 
yard of "45" and this made conflicts of authority, par- 
ticularly at first. Major McGuire was promoted to be 
lieutenant-colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel Maddux was fol- 
lowed as group commanding officer by Colonel Thorn- 
burgh, while Lieutenant-Colonel Goodall recently com- 
manding officer at the gas hospital next door was made 
assistant group commanding officer. The group, with sev- 
eral other hospitals added, was organized up to a capacity 
of nearly 15,000 patients. Second Army headquarters 
moved into Toul and the area was filled with things mili- 
tary. As the administration got the whole hospital so well 
organized and co-ordinated, daily routine became somewhat 
less burdensome. 
The armistice cut off hostilities, but for a month or more 
Base Hospital No. 45 continued to take in and evacuate 
large numbers of patients. Gradually, however, these 
dwindled in number though at Christmas of that year there 
were still 1,960 there. Group headquarters had relieved 
"45" of the 300 beds at the contagious hospital and so 
the capacity rating was lowered to about 1,900. Another 
and new duty came to the administration with Christmas 
approaching and the commanding officer appointed a joint 
committee of officers and nurses as a Santa Claus commit- The Hospital in Action 
207 
tee to prepare some sort of Christmas celebration for the 
patients. He let them have several thousand francs from 
a Red Cross fund given him in Richmond for such needs 
and this was supplemented by a fund given the nurses on 
board ship by some troops of the Eighty-seventh Division. 
Another problem that had a most touching human aspect 
was what to do about that large and increasing number of 
Russian ex-prisoners who hung about the gates wanting 
food, clothing and shelter. Many of these poor unfor- 
tunates were helped in many wrays at "45," but the ad- 
ministration had to keep carefully within orders in so doing. 
After Christmas nearly all the unit became restless and 
as work became lighter and as one by one orders for home 
came to different ones thereabouts this restlessness grew 
hard to bear. Then Lieutenant-Colonel McGuire was or- 
dered home and his place was taken as commanding officer 
by Major, later Lieutenant-Colonel, Nelson. Next came 
orders relieving Base Hospital No. 45 from duty at Toul 
and bringing in Base Hospital No. 82 to replace it. The 
property officers and their assistants worked night and day 
trying to get ready for the transfer which finally was made 
just before orders came to entrain for a port of embarka- 
tion. Lieutenant Boushall, who was to stay in Europe for 
business reasons, was relieved from duty as adjutant and 
Lieutenant Phillips, who had made his transfer of property 
to "82,'' was appointed adjutant. About one-half of the 
nurses stayed in France for further duty. Early in Febru- 
ary what remained of "45" left Toul for the coast, the 
officers and men stopping at Nantes while the nurses went 
to La Baule, awaiting embarkation for home. The ad- 
ministration of Base Hospital No. 45 was now largely con- 
tracted down to a commanding officer, his adjutant and the 
necessary clerical staff for daily routine, but these stayed on 
the job until the last. Many officers were detached and 
the nurses came home on a separate order, sailing from 208 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
Brest early in March, 1919. The rest of the unit stayed 
under Lieutenant-Colonel Nelson, who now had Major J. B. 
Williams as adjutant, at Nantes for some time until sailing 
orders came. They embarked at St. Nazaire and arrived in 
the United States in April. Demobilization soon followed 
with Lieutenant-Colonel Nelson as last commanding of- 
ficer and Major Williams as last adjutant. 
If in the original assembling of the nucleus of the base 
hospital there was an adjutant in function it was Captain 
Geisinger. Later Captain Smith served in the same official 
capacity. Finally the war department appointed a 
permanent adjutant in the person of Lieutenant T. C. 
Boushall, S. C. Lieutenant Boushall's equipment for this 
important position was his native ability, plus business 
experience, plus a few months of active duty inspecting 
gas masks in New York. He knew nothing of the 
technical requirements of an adjutant, but in spite of 
this made an excellent one by dint of hard work, patient 
learning, obedience, courtesy and rigid attention to his 
duties. An adjutant is a sort of glorified combination of 
chief clerk, encyclopedia of army regulations, private secre- 
tary and general manager, and he must know all about 
everything. He gives technical advice to the commanding 
officer, answers many questions of different sorts by many 
people in a day, sees that daily routine reports are made 
and on time, keeps up with and handles all new orders con- 
cerning the hospital and its personnel, knows what every- 
body should or must do, stands between his commanding 
officer and many outside bothers, sees after headquarters 
mail, signs headquarters orders, issues passes of various 
kinds, receives visiting officers and delegations, and 
through and in all this and more, he must be respectful and The H o s p i r a l in Ac t i o n 
209 
respectable, punctilious in habits and discipline, decent and 
human. 
The organization of the adjutant's office really began at 
Camp Lee when Lieutenant Boushall was selected to head 
it and then the commanding officer and he finished the per- 
sonnel by adding "Ed" Barlow as sergeant-major and sev- 
eral other clerical workers as assistants. Their instructor 
was the commanding officer, their text-books were army 
regulations, the manual of the medical department and the 
large batch of orders and regulations constantly changing 
and modifying these. This office personnel remained to- 
gether practically complete until the release of "45" from 
active duty at Tout in February, 1919. In France it was 
strengthened by having Miss Watkins, Miss Hobson and 
several corps men added to it. Together these workers 
mastered the details of their duties unusually well and the 
adjutant's and sergeant-major's offices together were one 
of the largest elements in the successful administration of 
"45." Many duties that helped to co-ordinate the work 
of so large and busy a hospital were performed quietly and 
without complaint. Physical difficulties, such as inadequate 
supplies and office space, insufficient number of typewriters 
and a large bulk of uninteresting and tiresome clerical work 
were handicaps overcome without show. Although this part 
of the administration was not directly concerned in profes- 
sional work it had its long hours and hard times, too. 
The writer late in the life of the base hospital was 
called upon to serve a while as adjutant following Lieu- 
tenant Boushall, and so became more intimate with the 
details of the office and its duties. He wishes to take this 
opportunity to pay his tribute to Adjutant Boushall, Ser- 
geant-Major Barlow, Misses Watkins and Hobson and their 
associates for their long, patient and inconspicuous service, 
performed cheerfully, faithfully and efficiently, which so 
greatly helped to give our hospital its splendid rating. I 210 
U. S. Army Base Hos pita l No. 4 5 
regard this department of work as the most effective section 
of the administration and want to honor it and its former 
personnel by giving full credit for its unusual performance. 
The registrar's office is a very important part of the 
general administration of a military hospital, for it is here 
that actual detailed records of its patients, their effects, 
their admission and discharge are made and kept. Under 
army regulations then in force, it seemed as if these records 
were quite as important as the patients themselves and in the 
ratings of hospitals the records of the registrar's office were 
given large value. The receiving ward made initial entry 
of each patient for this office and thereafter daily entries 
were made on the individual patient's record by those in 
charge of him. His clothing and property must be cared 
for and recorded, his former pedigree and present status 
determined, medical and surgical treatment and changes in 
condition must be recorded, orders respecting his status as 
officer or soldier must be recorded, and finally his "dis- 
position," must be recorded. Certain other data must ac- 
company him when he leaves the hospital. All these and 
more must the registrar supervise without the least error 
or deviation from exacting regulations. Indeed a difficult 
and tiresome task! Base Hospital No. 45 had but one 
registrar, Captain Baughman, who was selected by Com- 
manding Officer Williams. Captain Baughman was a 
prominent physician in Richmond and special tools of his 
trade were included in the "original equipment," but never 
used by him. Besides being good natured and an inveterate 
optimist, he had ability and was a good soldier and Major 
Williams chose wisely in this instance also, although depriv- 
ing the army of well-trained professional services and Cap- 
tain Baughman of all medical experience save a short period 
with Major McGuire up behind the lines in July, 1918. I HE H O S P I T A L IN ACTIO N 
211 
Sergeant May, Sergeants Walter V. Moore and Henry G. 
Warinner, Corporals Adrian L. Bendheim, D. Q. Eggles- 
ton, R. S. Ellis and Magnus Lewis, Privates Thomas Geddy 
and Harry Siegelman and others faithfully and efficiently 
seconded their chief's efforts and together they carried out a 
good piece of work. There was much drudgery and unin- 
teresting labor in this portion of the administration, but it 
was done quietly and effectively and much credit is due the 
registrar and his assistants. Out of duty hours Captain 
Baughman did his best to see Trance and its highways and 
hedges, but it is doubtful if he ever kept up with Lieu- 
tenant McKinney, or found out where the Edict of Nantes 
was signed. 
rhe quartermaster department was one of the two large 
supply departments of the hospital. Its supply tables in- 
cluded such things as food and clothing for patients and 
hospital corps men, furniture, kitchen and office supplies, 
laundry and pay for the hospital corps, patients and nurses. 
This arm of the service was carefully organized and had 
its own methods of doing things and men to do them. A 
base hospital had attached to it an officer from the quarter- 
master's corps to serve as quartermaster and carry out the 
special duties arising from this assignment. The war de- 
partment attached Second Lieutenant Jenson to Base Hos- 
pital No. 45 while it was organizing at Camp Lee. He 
immediately gave evidence of his Q. M. ways of efficiency 
by "going and getting" many things hard to get. Ser- 
geants Geddy and Jolliff were his chief assistants, but 
others were added later on when duties became heavier. 
There are many things needed in an army hospital besides 
food and clothes, but these at least must be had and be- 
tween Lieutenant Jenson as quartermaster and Captain 
James as mess officer these necessities were never lacking, 
for what this pair could not get between them could not 212 
U. S. Army Base Hos pit a l N o. 4 5 
be gotten. It was in France that Lieutenant Jenson best 
showed his ability and when any real lack developed the 
commanding officer would talk it over with him and before 
long somehow and from somewhere something came to fill 
the need. The only thing he and his staff failed to get was 
an automobile for his regular use. The M. T. C. stood 
in the way of this, but sometimes even the headquarter's 
assistant commanding officer found out that members of 
"45" could and did use cars besides himself for "official 
duty." The effective handling of this quartermaster work 
by Lieutenant Jenson and his assistants eased many a worry 
of our commanding officer and speeded up the hospital work. 
1'he medical supply office is the second of the supply 
departments for army hospitals. Under its supervision 
came such things as beds and bedding, stretchers, nursing 
supplies, medicines, surgical instruments and supplies, and 
equipment for the X-ray and laboratory departments, and 
certain equipment for the hospital corps personnel. These 
are essential to the life of any hospital and must be had for 
establishment and maintenance. Under regulations then 
existing an officer of the hospital was designated by the 
commanding officer as medical supply officer and made re- 
sponsible and accountable for all material of this character 
used there. This could not be bought but obtained only 
from designated supply depots. Careful detailed records 
must be made on suitable forms for all that comes in and 
goes out, for the officer in charge is personally accountable 
for it. 
When the unit was being organized in Richmond in 
1917, the tables of organization for base hospitals gave 
detailed instructions for their equipment and on a basis of 
500 beds. The generosity of the Red Cross made it pos- 
sible to procure within this limit the best available material The Hospital in Action 
213 
and all this was packed and stored at the fair grounds in 
Richmond until needed. When the unit reached Newport 
News for embarkation overseas they saw these boxes with 
their green corners and labels in the freight warehouses 
there. The commanding officer was told in apparent good 
faith that this property of the hospital would follow him 
across and belong to his command there. In France at 
Autun he found out otherwise. No trace of this original 
equipment was found until about the time the unit moved 
to Toul. There an acute shortage of medical supplies was 
met. Some things were gotten from different sources, but 
in limited amount and variety. The need was urgent for 
the reason already given and the ingenuity of Lieutenant 
Jenson, then acting medical supply officer, was greatly taxed 
to get what he did. When Commanding Officer McGuire 
found out that there might be a chance of saving some 
of the original equipment he acted quickly and sent an 
officer down to Chaumont, Paris and Tours to see what 
could be done to get supplies right away. Lieutenant Phil- 
lips was given this job. At Tours he was successful in 
pleading the need and by good fortune finally saw Brigadier- 
General Kean, a Virginian and a gentleman, who added 
his personal word in behalf of the Virginia unit in distress. 
Shortly at St. Nazaire things were arranged by ingenuity, 
honest use of French francs to hire labor, personal in- 
fluence and sympathetic co-operation of friendly officers, 
and that American habit of doing things "toute suite," so 
that practically all the green cornered boxes were loaded 
on about fifty freight cars and routed out of the yards 
toward foul. Lieutenant Phillips convoyed most of this 
all the way, sleeping under a hastily rigged tarpaulin in an 
open-topped gondola car three days and nights, until the 
train pulled into the yards at Toul. Of course, a 500-bed 
equipment could not suffice for 2,300 patients, so this was 214 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
supplemented by additions from other sources until finally 
"45" was remarkably well equipped in nearly every respect 
and particularly so in kitchens, X-ray and dental depart- 
ments and operating rooms and in nursing supplies. 
Lieutenant Phillips was made medical supply officer, re- 
lieving Lieutenant Jenson, and assumed the duties of this 
office right away. Sergeants Kimbrough, Maynard and 
Stainback with other assistants ably supported him. 
Gradually this "original equipment," and other added, 
replaced make-shifts and French equipment, and by some 
time late in October medical supplies at Base Hospital 
No. 45 were not particularly disturbing. The chief dif- 
ficulty encountered by this section of the general adminis- 
tration was keeping track of its supplies. The hospital was 
rated and known as a base hospital but functioned as an 
evacuation hospital and this meant a rapid change of pa- 
tients all the time. The "pajama episode" will simply 
illustrate this whole problem. New patients were given 
pajamas when put to bed. If later these same patients 
were evacuated on stretchers the pajamas went out, of 
course, on them and were never seen or heard of again, for 
many of these patients left for unknown destinations. 
Under regulations the medical supply officer was ac- 
countable for pajamas as medical property, but how could 
he keep track of this kind of property scattered all over 
the A. E. F. ? Gradually new pajamas had to be obtained 
for more patients. When later at headquarters S. O. S. 
the medical supply officer was making his final checking in 
of accountability, the narrow-minded, regulation-fed, old 
army crowd insisted upon having strict accounting for these 
pajamas. This obvious impossibility was later settled by a 
"survey," but what will not an army "survey" settle! In 
January and lAbruary, 1919, Base Hospital No. 82 took 
over from Base Hospital No. 45 its place and Lieutenant The Hospital in Action 
215 
Phillips finally transferred his property accounts to the new 
medical supply officer. May he have rested in peace! 
That section of the administration presided over by 
the mess officer is important in more ways than one. Major 
Williams appointed Captain James of the sanitary corps 
to this duty while at Camp Lee and he remained as such 
until "45" broke up at Toul. None of us knew Captain 
James beforehand for he was assigned by the war depart- 
ment in May, 1918, coming to "45" from Camp Meade. 
He was not a doctor, but had been in the medical depart- 
ment from time immemorial; indeed it is said that he is 
the man who invented army paper work as well as that 
bit of impedimenta known as the "Belt, web, medical.'' 
Our records did not show how long his service had been 
but experience did show that there was nothing about army 
routine life that he did not know, and especially how to 
get rations. His duties kept him closely in association with 
the quartermaster and from the standpoint of former army 
experience the enlisted personnel of the base hospital were 
well clothed and well fed. Former civilian experience did 
not match these ideals, but "you're in the army now boys." 
Regulations made other provision for the feeding of of- 
ficers and nurses in hospitals than from ration allowances. 
At Toul there were heard from these sources complaints 
of too much "gold fish," "inside mustard plasters," and a 
monotonous sameness to their food, but nobody starved 
and generally there was enough of its kind. Base Hospital 
No. 45 had in its enlisted personnel excellent cooks, thanks 
to Red Cross generosity, but these were hardly used to 
advantage under the army system. It was not always easy 
to feed the staff and patients at "45" and Mess Officer 
James, Mess Sergeant Levy and their cooks and assistants 
had their troubles and were frequently blamed when the 216 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
fault was not wholly theirs. Under the administration of 
Captain James the hospital fund accumulated to a large 
figure, this being later expended perforce on the enlisted 
personnel, to their sweetening advantage. When Base 
Hospital No. 45 was relieved from duty in February, 1919, 
Captain James being in the regular army was ordered else- 
where for duty and practically lost sight of by us. T hough 
simple and quiet in his tastes and habits and a reticent nature 
preventing his being generally well known, Captain James 
was a very useful officer in the administration of "45." 
One of his most valuable and inconspicuous services was his 
accurate advice and counsel to other sections of the admin- 
istration on matters of army routine, procedure and paper 
work. 
Up until May, 1918, there was no such officer in the 
army as the personnel officer. The war department created 
then this new position and gave its occupants the duties of 
collecting and keeping on file data about the qualifications 
of the enlisted personnel of the command, and making up the 
monthly payroll. There were a few other duties added 
from time to time. At Camp Lee Major Williams ap- 
pointed Lieutenant Phillips personnel officer of Base Hos- 
pital No. 45 and as nobody had ever heard of such an 
office before he had the unique duty of almost creating his 
own office within regulations. Sergeant White was assigned 
as the sergeant in the personnel office and he and Lieutenant 
Phillips carried on this work almost alone. Lieutenant 
Phillips was moved in and out of this office intermittently, 
as the physician would say about medicines, "p. r. n." (as 
occasion demands). Lieutenant Boushall served a while 
here, too, like Lieutenant Phillips, "in addition to his other 
duties.'' This portion of the administration was incon- 
spicuous but regarded as necessary by the war department. The Hospital in Action 
217 
It was no easy job making up payrolls of enlisted men and 
nurses each month for of necessity this part of the hospital 
personnel was moved about considerably. The quarter- 
master did the actual paying in cash but the rolls were 
brought to him in shape and he used them as records. 
The personnel officer was required to witness the paying 
and see to it that nobody was left out. 
While not actually considered by some a part of the 
administration proper, the office of the detachment com- 
mander and that of the chief nurse were so co-ordinated 
into the general scheme that no little part of the general 
administrative success was attributable to them. The chief 
nurse, Miss Robertson, and the detachment commander, 
Captain W. B. Hopkins, had their work so well systema- 
tized and their assistants were so familiar with routine 
duties that these offices were practically automatic sections 
so far as the commanding officer was concerned. While in- 
dividual assignments to duty were made by the heads of 
these respective departments, the commanding officer and 
his adjutant were constantly in touch with the personnel and 
their duties through the report system in use. 
Such is a more or less sketchy description of the admin- 
istration, its personnel and duties. As said before the army 
system made all this complicated arrangement necessary, 
but Base Hospital No. 45 worked it out rather successfully. 
Just how far this success went is told elsewhere. 
Charles Phillips. V. The Work We Did- 
We did our best. 
From the records a few facts might be cited. During 
our stay of five months in Toul we handled 17,438 
patients. Nearly half the total came through in one 
month-that never to be forgotten September when an 
American army wiped out the St. Mihiel salient. 
Official maps, of which we reproduce one, show with- 
out the need of comment, the relationship of Toul to 
the zone of the advance. When we arrived, the fight- 
ing line was a little less than a dozen miles away. For 
a brief period we were the most advanced base hos- 
pital in France and always as advanced as any other. 
We were known by name as a base hospital; but by 
actual function as an evacuation hospital. 
A comprehension of the size of the plant may be 
gathered from the fact that the capacity of one floor 
zttas greater than the entire capacity of any single 
hospital in Richmond; and the total capacity greater 
than the total capacity of all the hospitals in Richmond 
put together. Associated with the little band of doctors 
earing for this army of patients were nurses and ward- 
men whose unconquerable spirit and boundless devo- 
tion to their duty overthrew obstacles seemingly insur- 
mountable. The co-operation was perfect. The re- 
sults will have to speak for themselves. 
The maze of administrative detail detached many 
sorely needed elsewhere-but it was necessary. Here 
again we zvere led by that lucky star which had already 
given us much, including this location where real deeds 
were doing. Capable minds were in all the adminis- 
trative offices and the adjutant's accomplished hand 
steered us safely through many a narrow channel. 
Over it all presided the genius of the commanding 
officer-and since he has no hand in this writing it is 
permissible to say that the popular abbreznation of the 
name of U. S. A. Base Hospital No. 45 into "The 
McGuire Unit" is correct. It was his unit. 
The work we did-it taught us many things, but in 
this application one stands out in particular, that the 
seemingly full days of our ordinary lives are false 
criteria. If a man wishes to know hozv much he can 
actually do and with what little he can do it when 
backed against the wall and faced by an imperative 
emergency, he can learn in an evacuation hospital be- 
hind an advancing army. Told In Figures 
r^85***^*^ ' C RI NG the operation of Base Hospital No. 
j 45 a great mass of statistics was gotten to- 
iN gether by the registrar's office. It seems 
sl better to print only those facts that might 
'^"**^J* be of general interest to the members of the 
hospital as a whole. 
There can be no doubt for instance of the interest of 
such a table as this: 
Death Rate 
1918. 
Admissions. 
Deaths. 
Per Thousand. 
August 
.... 1,029 
4 
3.887 
September 
.... 8,652 
142 
16.412 
October 
.... 2,883 
131 
45438 
November 
2,427 
4i 
16.893 
December 
.... 1,611 
21 
G3.O35 
1919. 
January 
836 
11 
I3.I57 
Grand total. . 
....17,438 
350 
20.073 
I he greatest number of patients in the hospital on any 
one day was September 24, 1918, when we had 2,185- 
1,544 at the base and 641 at the annex. 
It might be interesting to redistribute the figures as 
follows: 
Surgical admissions, 5,241. Deaths, 75. Rate per 
thousand, 14.3. 
Gassed admissions, 1,379. Deaths, 2*. Rate per 
thousand, 1.4. 
'"Deaths of gassed cases developing pneumonia are recorded as due 
to pneumonia. 222 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
Medical admissions, 10,818. Deaths, 273. Rate per 
thousand, 25.2. 
Cause of Death 
Received in action-Gas 2 
Received in action-Gunshot wounds 30 
Surgical 
Accidental 14 
General surgical 7 
Empyema 24 
Medical 
Meningitis 6 
Enteritis 1 
Dysentery 1 
Diphtheria 1 
Typhoid fever 1 
Myocarditis 1 
Myocarditis and endocarditis I 
Streptococcic endocarditis 1 
Nephritis 1 
Malformation of ureter 1 
Tuberculosis 4 
Pneumonia 254 
Total 350 
The number of allied soldiers that were cared for at 
the hospital was considerable, particularly after the armis- 
tice, when the prisoners of war were pouring through Toul. 
Many of those that were sick or wounded found their way 
into one of the group of hospitals. Who will ever forget 
the night after the St. Mihiel drive when a squad of Ger- 
man prisoners arrived! 
The table that follows does not represent the numerous The Work We Did 
223 
French civilians and soldiers that were treated without 
record having been made: 
Allies and Prisoners of War Admissions 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Total. 
British . . . . 
.... o 
o 
o 
52 
i 
o 
53 
French . . .. 
. . . . 2 
5 
5 
o 
2 
o 
14 
Italian . . . . 
.... O 
i 
3 
3i 
I 
o 
36 
Russian . . . 
. . . . o 
o 
o 
22 
16 
6 
44 
Belgian . . . 
. .. . o 
o 
o 
2 
o 
o 
2 
German . . . 
. . .. o 
43 
12 
4 
o 
3 
62 
Certain diseases have been selected from the admission 
cards because it seemed that a table of this sort would give 
a better idea of the character of the work done by Base 
Hospital No. 45. The diagnosis of many of these cases 
was changed as the cases developed. This was notably true 
of the pulmonary group, where so many of the cases event- 
ually developed into empyemas. The gassed cases really 
belong in the eye group, because all of them were treated 
intensively by the eye men. It might be interesting to note 
that no case of blindness developed from that group. 
Diseases on Admission 
Bronchitis 796 
Broncho-pneumonia 95 
Empyema 11 
Influenza 4,004 
Pleurisy 119 
Pneumonia - 146 
Pneumonia lobar 158 
Pneumonia suspect 24 
Pulmonary tuberculosis 25 
Pulmonary tuberculosis suspect 55 
Tonsilitis 235 224 
U. S. A r m y Bas e Hospi t a l 
Mastoiditis 6 
Mastoid operation 30 
Otitis media 90 
Gassed 1,379 
Malaria 21 
Diphtheria 76 
Measles 30 
Meningitis 38 
Meningitis carriers 15 
MumPs 535 
Scarlet fever 11 
French fever 4 
Typhoid fever 14 
Arthritis 29 
Rheumatism 274 
Rheumatism gonorrheal 11 
Rheumatic fever 47 
Exhaustion 13 
Diarrhoea 275 
Dysentery 330 
Enteritis 182 
Entero-colitis 87 
Gastritis 116 
Gastro-enteritis 147 
Scabies 211 
Abscess 88 
Appendicitis 291 
Appendicitis suspects 14 
Burns 65 
Conjunctivitis 136 
Contusions 144 
Flat feet 173 
Gonorrhea 293 
Gunshot wound 1,044 
Hemorrhoids 358 
Hernia 277 The Work We Did 
225 
Infections 166 
Injuries 95 
Lacerations 69 
Sprains 228 
War injuries, face and jaw 87 
Ambulatory Cases 
Refraction of eyes 900 
Sinusitis 1,000 
Ambulatory Dental Clinic 
General dental work 3,000 
X-Ray Department 
Number of cases fluoroscoped more than. . 1,500 
Number of cases upon which plates were 
made more than 2,000 
Laboratory 
Total number of examinations of various 
sorts 8,075 
The above figures cover the five-months period during 
which the base hospital was operating at Toul. 
Greer Baughman. The Surgical Service 
O get a comprehensive idea of the surgical 
service, one must briefly trace all the steps 
*n *ts development. The mobilization at 
-■ Camp Lee. The long period of waiting for 
orders. The sudden summons, entraining, 
the journey to the sea, the arrival at Camp 
Hill. Basking in the sunshine on the headland overlooking 
Hampton Roads. Betting as to which of the fleet of ships 
riding easily in the roadstead would bear us across the ocean. 
Wondering if luck, or fate, or Providence would let us 
pass in peace, or, if on some dark night the dull thud of a 
torpedo under the waterline would end the whole project 
e'er ever we set eyes on France. The march through the 
silent streets of Newport News, just between sunrise and 
moonset. The crowded transport, the many new friends 
and old ones, too, into whom we stumbled when we went 
aboard the big ship. The long days and longer nights, on 
the ocean, and finally the first glimpse of France. The 
debarkation at Brest. The march to Pontanazen Barracks, 
rhe strange sights and quaint costumes of Brittany. The 
camp in the mud. Days of waiting in utter weariness to 
be on our way and at our work. To be settled somewhere, 
anywhere, to be dry and warm once more. 
The telegram in the night, breaking camp, the long 
march through the country along roads blocked with mov- 
ing troops, on through the slumbering city of Brest, and 
then the French troop train. Visions of France, sunshine 
and warmth, wonderful fields and gardens; a beautiful 
panorama of hills and valleys, towns, villages and hamlets. 
On through the land of vineyards where wine for all the The Work We Did 
227 
world is made. Through forests, over rivers, skirting 
wonderful canals for miles and miles. Through big cities, 
on many of which the track looked down from a great 
height. Throngs of people cheering, troops of little children 
waving flags and crying "au succour, vive les Americaines." 
Nights and days of crowded discomfort, hours and hours 
on sidings and finally the arrival at Autun, there to be over- 
whelmed by the waiting seventeen who had gone on the 
famous "Hwah-Jah," whom we feared were lost to us for 
the rest of our stay in France. Through the quaint streets 
with pleasant welcoming people, and happy throngs of 
children, through the great gateway of "Caserne Billard." 
Someone else will tell of this age-old monastery, of late 
years used as military barracks, of its pleasant garden with 
flowers blooming and with fruit trees nailed flat against the 
walls like the sticks of a fan, or trained like vines into an 
arbor or made to bend and turn in a score of fantastic 
shapes. It was a restful place with mountains, streams and 
valleys, clear and dry so that one never tired of the won- 
derful view that stretched away to the hill-bound horizon. 
But, as a hospital, the famous old abbey looked quite im- 
possible. A camp hospital had occupied it and had made a 
little operating room upstairs and fixed up some beds, but 
it was hard to really view the place as a hospital. On first 
glance it would have seemed an ideal place to raise pigeons 
or bats, but not to care for the sick. However, we fell to 
work with a will. We organized our staff, consisting of 
the following officers: 
Major William L. Peple, Chief of the Surgical Service. 
Captain Joseph F. Geisinger, First Assistant. 
Captain Roy C. Fravel, Second Assistant. 
Captain Alvah L. Herring. 
Captain Raymond Voisinet. 
C aptain L. F. Barrier. 228 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
Lieutenant Beverley F. Eckles. 
Lieutenant Frank C. Pratt. 
Lieutenant Frank G. Scharmann. 
Lieutenant Quintus H. Barney. 
Lieutenant Cornelius J. Corcoran. 
Lieutenant Carrington Williams. 
Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Department. 
Captain Robert H. Wright. 
Captain W. B. Hopkins. 
X-Ray Department. 
Captain Fred M. Hodges. 
Lieutenant Joseph T. McKinney. 
Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery. 
Captain Guy R. Harrison. 
Captain John B. Williams. 
There was an engineer there whose name I do not re- 
call. He was a second lieutenant with lots to do and 
little to say. He had a wonderful faculty for getting things 
done, and a positive genius for making a thing that was 
designed for one purpose serve in another, never dreamed 
of by its maker. 
We chose a large room with a tiled floor for an operat- 
ing room, and he soon had electric lights dangling above 
five operating tables. Running water came through strange 
looking pipes and left by queer looking aqueducts of tin and 
galvanized iron. We had requisitioned for supplies of all 
kinds. We bought up all the cotton cloth in town and as 
the supplies came in all hands set to work at making dress- 
ings. All the officers, medical as well as surgical, were put The Work We Did 
229 
to work. Some were detailed to show a large group of 
enlisted men downstairs how the work was to be done and 
with this large force we made rapid progress. Cut, fold, 
wrap and pin, all were at it and the piles of dressings grew 
and grew, the sterilizer running night and day to keep up 
with us. They were good, carefree days, those first weeks 
at Autun. We sat and cut and wrapped and folded and 
sang like negroes in a stemmery, and order grew out of 
chaos. In a large room next to the operating room was 
the chapel and a small congregation still came to worship 
there. The Mother Superior let us have our office here 
and allowed us to put up shelves to store our dressings. 
We strung a wire across the room and hung sheets up, thus 
shutting off the altar, leaving it in a separate room. 
Supplies now began to arrive, a few trucks turned over 
somewhere near by and broke some arms and legs. A case 
or two of appendicitis developed and we began to be a real 
hospital, and to take a pride in our handiwork. And then 
came the end. The order read: "You will proceed to 
with nothing but your personal belongings." One could 
not help but recall a similar order, over 1900 years ago 
to "Eat with your loins girded and your staffs in your hand." 
It had become our home, our pride, and we must leave it- 
leave it, with all the work we had bestowed upon it, with 
all the little touchings, fixings and fitments, which we had 
so cunningly devised, leave it to go where? 
Troop trains again, more cities, villages, rivers, canals 
and forests, more waiting on sidings. A new sight, the 
passing hospital trains with the French wounded. More 
waiting on sidings, night in a freight yard, new railroads, 
new camps, construction gangs of all the motley nations of 
the four corners of the earth. Aeroplane fields, acres of 
big green hangars with flocks of planes circling everywhere. 
Trains of flat cars loaded with guns, field kitchens, and all 
the appurtenances of war. More weary hours, until finally 230 
U. S. A r m y Base Hos p i t a l No. 4 5 
we rolled into Toul and made our way to Caserne 
LaMarche, an old military barracks, and there turned in and 
forgot the world. The next few days were spent in going 
over our new possessions with a view to selecting the best 
place for our operating rooms, sterilizing rooms, X-ray de- 
partment, dental and eye, ear, nose and throat clinics. There 
was neither light, heat, nor running w'ater and the accessi- 
bility of all these must be carefully considered before a 
choice was made. We settled on the west building for the 
surgical department. This had been occupied by the French 
as a gas hospital. They had fitted it up with great care 
and were loath to leave it. We knew just how they felt. 
It was Autun over again, only this time we were in the 
right pan of the scale. 
The medicin chef was a wonderfully courteous little man 
who wore bright scarlet trousers and did it gracefully. In 
fact, he got away with them. He showed us everything 
and said it was all ours as soon as the necessary papers 
could be drawn up making it over to us. There were piles 
and piles of dressings, gauze, bandages, sponges, cotton, 
everything for such an emergency as we knew to be im- 
minent. The instruments were old and many were quite 
impossible, but until others could come we looked upon them 
as a god-send. 
In the meantime we were growing rapidly as a medical 
institution. The other buildings were being filled with all 
sorts of medical cases. In addition to other legacies left 
us by the outgoing organization which had occupied the 
east building, we had inherited a contagious hospital, well 
filled. To this and the medical side, before we could or- 
ganize and get our bearings, the surgical staff was drafted. 
By ones, twos and threes, they went, dentists, specialists, 
X-ray men and all. until only Captain Geisinger and 1 were 
left to try as best we could to make ready our plans for a 
time that was surely coming. The Work We Did 
231 
Captain Geisinger collected a group of French women 
and, with a nurse or two left by the retiring organization, 
set to work to accumulate a big store of dressings. He 
cleared storage rooms, grouped supplies and set things 
going at a good brisk pace. We had established friendly 
relations with Evacuation Hospital No. 3 which was quite 
close by, and they kindly sterilized for us a small moun- 
tain of dressings and supplies; meantime, and in the very 
midst of things, there came an order for the following 
named officers to proceed to Evacuation Hospital No. 1 at 
Sebastopol as observers for a week: Major W. L. Peple, 
Captain Joseph F. Geisinger, Captain Alvah L. Herring 
and Lieutenant Frank C. Pratt. It was only a matter of 
a few miles, so dropping everything we got into an ambu- 
lance and rolled away to Sebastopol. Evacuation No. 1 was 
a sort of model hospital, located in the newer type, one- 
story French barracks. To it from all parts of France 
men were sent to watch the methods of modern war surgery 
conducted by men of skill and experience. It was within 
easy ambulance distance from our lines and the "reciprocal 
bombardments" and "moderately severe artillery duels," as 
the papers at home describe such things, furnished a won- 
derful clinic, fed to it regularly day by day, without rush 
or turmoil. We watched these men at their work and 
watched the dressing of the ugly wounds day after day 
until we had absorbed the ideas and noted the many little 
practical points that had been developed in this new line 
of work. 
It was early September and cold and crisp. The hos- 
pital lay back of a forest that we knew was a perfect nest 
of ammunition dumps. There was a big red cross on the 
roof and a huge black one, made of coal, in the yard to 
let the aviators know that it was a hospital. Behind us 
lay an aviation camp. To our right arose Mount Bruley 
with its crest bristling with anti-air craft guns. In sharp 232 
U. S. A r m y Bas e H o s p i t a l N o. 4 5 
contrast, or shall I say as a corollary, close to the woods 
and in plain view of Fort Bruley, lay a peaceful little 
graveyard. They were all newly made graves, each with 
its little wooden cross above it. There were many aviators 
here, for the great sweep of plain was a famous fighting 
ground for the air men. Among others, we recognized the 
names of young Thaw and Lufberry. Some one had set 
up a large propeller of some great bomber. It made quite 
a picturesque cross and seemed a fitting emblem to mark 
the last resting place of our fliers. 
Air raids were frequent, though every one had grown 
accustomed to them. The Germans could have bombed 
the place at any time they wished, but they never did. I 
dare say that behind the hills that we could plainly see, 
back of the line, marked by the two rows of big sausage- 
shaped balloons, there was a similar hospital, that was 
quite comfortable as it was. The Germans, in my opinion, 
were prudent rather than magnanimous. 
We made some interesting trips while here-one to a 
field hospital some seven or eight miles up. It was a neat, 
trim, well ordered place, empty save for a few gassed pa- 
tients. But it was all ready for the great event, when our 
army should come out of the ground, take Mont Sec and 
obliterate the St. Mihiel salient. Far over to the right 
was a peaceful little village almost under the shoulder of 
the hills, that marked the deadline. Here was the dress- 
ing station, where the ambulance companies collected their 
poor wrecked passengers, brought them from the aid sta- 
tions in or near the trenches themselves. Here one could 
reconstruct the whole scheme of caring for the wounded- 
the bursting shell, the wounded men, the litter bearers 
finding their way back to the aid station, then back to the 
dressing stations. At night the ambulances could even move 
up closer than this point for their loads but not by daylight. 
At the dressing station thev are given food and hot The Work We Did 
233 
drinks. Dressings are adjusted and then the patient is sent 
on to the field hospital. Here splints and dressings are 
gone over and needed changes are made. Emergency treat- 
ment, such as checking of hemorrhages, is done. Tetanus 
antitoxin is given, if it has not already been administered 
on the field. Everything done is noted on the man's field 
medical card, which is attached to him and accompanies him 
throughout his entire journey. Those too seriously ill to 
travel are held and the others go by ambulance on back to 
the evacuation hospital. Men are not taken from their 
litters to make the various stops and changes. Often a 
man is operated on lying on the same litter on which he 
was first placed when picked up on the field. There is a 
litter, blanket and splint exchange between the hospitals and 
ambulances and evacuation trains. The empty ambulance 
carries back an equal number of these articles so that the 
wounded man will not be disturbed and yet the supply of 
these necessary things will be constantly maintained at the 
front. 
The evacuation hospital is the operating centre. All 
needed operations are done here and the patients are sent 
away as fast as trains can be secured. The trains take them 
back to the base hospitals out of the danger zone. Here they 
remain until well and go back to duty again, or are sent 
on to base ports to take ship for home. This is the chain, 
forged to utilize human material to the utmost, to con- 
serve it, to use it, to nurse it and finally to salvage what is 
left. We were following it link by link from end to end. 
It was a good week well spent and we all returned feel- 
ing surer of ourselves, surer of our ability to meet the many 
new conditions that confronted us. When we reached home 
we set to work again and were getting things into pretty 
good shape when we wrere ordered to send the following 
three operating teams to Evacuation Hospital No. 3 for 
duty: 234 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
Team No. i. 
Operator-Major William L. Peple. 
Assistant-Lieutenant Beverley F. Eckles. 
Anaesthetist-Miss Agnes T. McD. Lynch. 
Nurse-Miss Madge Driver. 
Orderly-Private A. B. Luck. 
Orderly-Private H. G. Smith. 
Team No. 2. 
Operator-Captain Joseph F. Geisinger. 
Assistant-Lieutenant Carrington Williams. 
Anaesthetist-Miss Adah Corpening. 
Nurse-Miss Esther M. Cameron. 
Orderly-Private O. R. Hodgen. 
Orderly-Private G. H. Hester. 
Team No. 3. 
Operator-Captain Roy C. Fravel. 
Assistant-Lieutenant Frank C. Pratt. 
Anaesthetist-Miss Julia Loretta Dougher. 
Nurse-Miss Alberta Reed. 
Orderly-Private L. S. Liggan. 
Orderly-Private N. T. Crossley. 
I'he news had leaked out that the long expected battle 
was about to start. The guns had been roaring the night 
before, beginning promptly at midnight. The sky was full 
of flashes all along the horizon to the north and the far 
away thunder was ceaseless. We knew what the sad sequel 
of this would be and were not surprised when our orders 
came. Evacuation No. 3 was also located in one of the 
many French barracks that abound around this part of 
France. It was ideally located with a rail head close to 
the buildings so that the wounded could be rapidly evacuated The Work We Did 
235 
when the surgeon's work should be completed. It was an 
admirably conducted place. Major DeForest was in com- 
mand and Captain Cutler was chief of the surgical service. 
These officers were experienced in this work and it was 
wonderful to see how smoothly everything was done. The 
buildings had been supplemented by tents to accommodate 
the large numbers that were expected. There was room 
in the operating room and operating tent adjoining it for 
ten teams to work at once. Each team had two tables so 
that one patient could be prepared while the other was 
being operated on. We went on in twelve-hour shifts, but 
our first shift began at 3 P. M. and did not end until 7 A. M. 
next day. 
It was grim work, but I shall never forget it, nor shall 
I lose the admiration that I conceived for the men who 
ran this big machine so smoothly. I think our first im- 
pression of the wounded as they arrived was one that will 
never leave us. In they came in ambulances, and in trucks 
piled two rows deep-a long, tired, bloody stream of them. 
It was a wonderful moment. Our men had gone over and 
done their job in a perfectly workmanlike manner. The 
thing had been a big success. American troops with short 
training periods could do what British, French or Germans 
could do, and do it well. That was all. The spirit of the 
men was wonderful. They were quiet, reserved, not loud, 
never boastful. The less seriously wounded sat about in 
groups and smoked and chatted, while the severer cases 
were carried through the triage or sorting station. There 
was no impatience, no hurrying, no slipping in out of turn, 
no question as to whose turn came next. They just sat or 
sprawled about, a muddy blood-stained crowd, and talked 
in hushed voices of the great events of the day as each had 
seen them. There was a rugged dignity about them that 
made us proud to be their fellow-countrymen, that made us 
feel that nothing that we could do, or endure, would be too 236 
U. S. Army Bas e H o s p i t a l N o. 4 5 
good, or even half good enough for men who had gone 
where they had gone and seen the things that they had seen. 
After three or four days, or rather nights, of this we 
returned to "45," feeling that all the long months of train- 
ing in camps and cantonments, all the weariness of more 
than a year of waiting, at last had met its compensation. 
We had known what the nurses would do. They can al- 
ways outwork men. But the way the enlisted men attached 
to the teams went at their task was a veritable joy to our 
hearts. 
When we reached home again we found that "45," which 
was supposed to be all medical at this time, had caught the 
overflow. Our gate was the nearest on the road and into it 
they had come. Captain Herring organized his team with 
Lieutenant Barney, Lieutenant Corcoran and Lieutenant 
Willis, Captain Voisinet taking care of fractures and help- 
ing with the surgery. Miss Mary Broaddus was running the 
operating room. These men, in addition to working night 
and day, had medical wards to run and evacuations to as- 
sist in. It was, indeed, a trying time and all of us were 
glad enough to see the work slacken and begin to wane. 
But just then Evacuation No. 3 was ordered to close 
and follow the army. All the cases too ill for an evacua- 
tion and many others were sent over to us. We were full 
to overflowing. It was just at this juncture that our wonder- 
ful equipment from home arrived, and as our hospital would 
not hold another soul, our gates were closed and we were 
granted a respite from new cases to get our house in order. 
Such a tearing at boxes was never seen before. Carload 
after carload was unpacked and distributed over the 
building. 
Before this could be finished another drive was on. The 
gates were opened. We were again an evacuation hospital 
for surgical as well as medical cases and away we went 
back to our tasks-day and night, night and day. To The Work We Did 
237 
briefly review the situation, let it be remembered that with 
the personnel of a base hospital of 1,000 beds we were 
suddenly called on to function as an evacuation hospital of 
approximately 2,000 beds. The medical side which all had 
expected to be small had twice as many patients to care for 
as the surgeons. The surgical service was curtailed by hav- 
ing to send men to the medical service and to perform other 
necessary military duties. We had calculated on just such 
a possibility, however, and when the emergency arose we 
did our best to meet it. 
We had four full operating teams with Captain Voisinet 
acting as a splint team and caring for the fractures and 
orthopedic cases. This, however, took every man of the 
staff and when teams worked on a twelve-hour operating 
shift there was still all the ward work, dressings and evacua- 
tions to be attended to. It meant a change of scene rather 
than a period of rest when a team left the operating table. 
Fortunately drives do not last long and we fought along 
until this one spent itself. We were glad, indeed, when the 
two armies were safely burrowed in the ground once more. 
Our position so near the fighting line made our experiences 
and work valuable to others and numerous officers were 
sent to us from time to time for "observation." We 
established many new acquaintanceships and some warm 
friendships in this way. Others came also, either as neigh- 
bors or chance visitors. Among the most welcome faces 
in our quarters was that of Major B. R. Kennon, a Vir- 
ginian and an old friend, whom we were soon regarding 
as one of ourselves. 
When acting as an evacuation hospital, the whole lower 
floor of the west building was turned into a pre-operative 
ward where the wounded were received. This was an ad- 
mirable arrangement, as it adjoined the X-ray department 
which in turn was next to the operating room. But it con- 
tained only too beds and when a drive is on, and the ambu- 238 
U. S. A r m v Bas e Hos pi ra l N o. 4 5 
lance men are on their mettle too beds is a small matter as 
we soon found out. To better understand the task before 
us it might be well to tell just what happens to a wounded 
man when he comes into the hospital grounds. He is taken 
out of the ambulance at the receiving ward on the same 
litter on which he came. There are racks like wood horses 
made to fit the litters so the men are practically in little 
beds and the litter bearers are spared two lifts. Here his 
name, number, rank and organization are taken and a brief 
examination is made to verify the cause of admission. He 
is then assigned to a ward. Next he goes to the dressing 
room, where all his clothes and equipment are taken from 
him and thrown into the salvage dump. Next he gets a hot 
shower and clean pajamas and a dressing gown, is wrapped 
in a blanket and taken to his ward and put to bed-at least 
that is the theory of the thing. That is how it is managed 
in quiet times and it works nicely and smoothly. 
But when a rush is on, when every rack in the receiving 
ward has its litter, when the floors are full, when the halls 
are full, and filled ambulances are lined up outside with im- 
patient motors roaring to be gone, the problem changes. 
Wounded men cannot be stripped and marched about and 
showered. Splintered limbs, shell-torn chests, bleeding 
heads, broken jaws, shattered thighs and gaping flesh 
wounds, have to be gotten at quickly. This throng must 
come to the pre-operative ward, be undressed, their mud- 
caked garments often cut from them, their wounds examined 
and noted, the most urgent cases selected from the others 
and designated for the X-ray rooms. For all wounded must 
go through the X-ray department. A large proportion, prob- 
ably eighty-five per cent, of the wounds are made by shell 
fragments. It is not shrapnel as is so commonly believed 
but high explosive. The shells burst into thousands of 
jagged pieces of all shapes and sizes, and they are most 
effective. One would scarcely credit the damage that one The Work We Did 
239 
of these tiny bits of metal can accomplish. A modest little 
hole may cover a shattered thigh and a pulpified mass of 
destroyed muscles, torn vessels and severed nerves. It is 
the task of the X-ray operator to find each of these bits of 
metal, to state its size and shape and its relation to the 
wound or to certain indelible marks which he puts upon the 
skin to indicate to the surgeon the exact location and the 
best method of approach for its removal. 
The X-ray department had been well placed and admir- 
ably equipped through the indefatigable energy of Captain 
Hodges. Here he and Lieutenant McKinney worked like 
beavers day and night, night and day. The place looked 
like some weird alchemist's shop with its pale green phos- 
phorescent glow and the crackle of the sparker, and the 
tiny glow of the wires shimmering in the utter darkness. 
All of this work is done with the fluoroscope. Few plates 
are made. The operator makes his estimates and calls them 
out to a clerk who sits behind a screened light and takes them 
down, much as a tailor takes your measure for a suit. When 
the localization is done, the patient is ready for the surgeon. 
He goes directly to the operating room or back to a ward 
of completed cases ready for call. To choose the most 
urgent, to get them undressed and put through the X-ray, 
to care for the new cases that are surging in, and to supply 
the operating room with a steady flow of patients is no 
small task. This work was done by Lieutenant Eckles and 
Lieutenant Scharmann and was most efficiently carried out. 
Remember that all movements of patients had to be 
made with litters. There were no elevators. There was no 
hall running lengthwise of the building. To go from end 
to end of a building the litter bearers had to pass through 
every intervening ward and four cross halls that led to the 
stairways. Remember that outside the buildings every- 
thing was in pitch black darkness. No glimmer of light 
was permitted. It was not allowable to smoke, strike a 240 
U. S. A r m v Bas e H o s p i t a l N o. 4 5 
match, or use a flashlight. All windows were screened, all 
doors kept closed, and the hallways dark lest we attract the 
attention of some night bomber. 
Just follow the patient for a little while and see what 
the litter bearers must do. From the ambulance to the 
receiving ward. From the receiving ward to the pre- 
operative ward. From the pre-operative ward to the X-ray 
room, from the X-ray room back to the pre-operative ward. 
From the pre-operative ward to the operating room. From 
the operating room to a bed in a ward somewhere in this 
or another building. The buildings have patients on all 
three floors. They are nearly one hundred yards long. The 
yard and halls are dark. 
No story would be complete without a tribute to the 
litter bearers who toiled and strained and carried through 
those long days and nights. When flesh and blood could 
stand no more a call for volunteers always brought a fresh 
group, convalescent patients, ward masters, X-ray and 
laboratory men, clerks, men who had worked all day gave 
up their hard earned rest to trudge and lift and carry all 
through the long, long nights. 
The operating room is the very heart of an evacuation 
hospital and though we were classified as a base hospital, 
we were constantly functioning as an evacuation hospital 
with only the personnel of a base hospital. We had good 
warm rooms and, thanks to the engineers, we had good 
electric lights and had actually gotten running water into 
the room itself. 
The operation most frequently called for in battle 
wounds was new to us. It is called by the French debride- 
ment. It consists of opening a wound and removing all 
foreign material, such as dirt, clothes, bits of bone and 
metal, and of paring away all the destroyed tissue, that if 
left will slough and cause trouble. Often one can clip out 
the dead muscle and skin and leave a wound that can be The Work We Did 
241 
stitched at once. As a rule, however, the wound is kept 
open and treated with antiseptic solutions (usually Dakin's 
solution) until a bacteriological examination shows it to be 
free of germs when it is closed like a new wound. In this 
way days and weeks and months are saved in the healing 
of wounds and extensive scars of the deep tissues are 
avoided. It must be remembered that these wounded who 
are being operated on tonight may be hurried aboard a 
train next morning going back to some base. An evacuation 
hospital with full beds is about as useful as a field gun with- 
out ammunition. Its duty is to tend, then speed the parting 
guest. To paraphrase a well-known poem: 
" 'Tis but a tent where takes his one night's rest 
The wounded to some safer base addressed. 
The base train whistles and the tireless workers 
Strike and prepare it for another guest." 
Again the cases grew less and less until only a small 
steady stream came trickling in, the kind produced by the 
"moderately severe artillery duels." The teams were re- 
lieved one by one and the operating room was put on a 
base hospital basis, with one operator designated for each 
day in the week and one for night duty for a week at a 
time. The operating rooms were in charge of Miss Broad- 
dus and Sergeant McFall. Each of the three captains was 
in charge of a floor with a lieutenant for assistant and 
things began to approach a comfortable, normal trend. 
Then the Germans gassed a new division. The medical side 
was filled, and they soon ran over into the surgical side 
and filled every crevice. It was mostly mustard gas and 
some of the burns were miserable. The eye men were now 
the overworked contingent. Day and night they were at it 
easing and soothing the smarting, burning eyes. I think I 
would know a gassed ward blind-folded from the constant 
barking, brassy coughs that rise from scores of irritated 242 
U. S. Ar m y Bas e IIos pi t a l No. 4 5 
kings. For putting men out of the running, if one discards 
all the moral and human aspects of the case (and Kultured 
ones can do this), gas is wonderfully efficient. 
Then came influenza. Again the surgical side became 
medical and we all found ourselves doctors of medicine once 
more. During all this time the casual wounds of battle, 
the accidents incident to tremendous traffic movements, and 
all the acute surgical conditions that one meets with in civil 
life were with us all the time. Throughout it all there were 
the evacuations to convalescent hospitals, to evacuation 
trains, and recovered men to be sent back to duty. For 
each class a different equipment had to be secured and all 
necessary papers executed and all must be done on time with 
short notice. There was always the imminence of another 
drive and an evacuation hospital organization with every 
member with his designated place and duties mapped out 
had to be kept in readiness. For, should we decide to strike 
hard again, a complete change of plan and personnel would 
be instantly necessary. One may have a beautiful plan that 
will fall like a house of cards unless those entrusted with 
the details are capable and conscientious. 
Of our nurses we will have more elsewhere; they had 
been tried at home and no one had a moment's fear of 
their not meeting any emergency. But there are a myriad 
of things to do-to put all this mass of humanity to bed, 
keep it in order, clean, and clothe it, dress it, equip it, and 
send it on its way to make room for another human flood. 
Then there was the office work with a multitude of lists of 
every kind to be made, reports covering every conceivable 
condition, classifications of patients for duty, evacuation, all 
called for in haste and needed immediately. Then there 
was the management of all the ward masters who were con- 
stantly being changed and shifted. 
Let me pause to pay a merited tribute to the intelligence 
and earnest devotion to duty on the part of our non-com- The Work We Did 
243 
missioned officers and enlisted men who made the accom- 
plishment of all this myriad of tasks possible. Without 
Sergeant Elwang, who was in charge of the west building; 
Sergeant Reed, who labored over books, lists and reports 
early and late; Sergeant Poindexter, and Smith, White and 
Poulson, I often wonder what we would have done. With- 
out Sergeant McFall and the ever-ready "Happy" Jones, 
what would we have done in the time of greatest stress in 
the operating room? I wish time and space allowed the 
mention of every one concerned in the work, for after all, 
they made what success we may have achieved possible. 
The work now moved along smoothly until the day ot 
the armistice. The morning of November iith the Second 
Army went over. It was a sad sight to see them coming in. 
Many had gotten their wounds hours after the armistice 
had been actually signed and some just an hour before the 
firing ceased. 
It may be well here to correct an impression that has 
been perpetuated in history and fiction, that military hos- 
pitals are like great charnel houses in which the air is rent 
with the shrieks and groans of the wounded and dying. 
This is not so. It is more like a big busy work room. One 
rarely hears groans. The men, on the contrary, are usually 
filled with a sense of relief that the tension and strain arc 
over. Rarely is a question asked as to the severity of an 
injury or what the consequences are likely to be. There is 
no haste or impatience. The men have a sublime confidence 
in those to whom their care has been entrusted. They just 
want to be dry and warm and quiet, and to be let alone and 
allowed to sleep. It was a common sight to see them on 
the operating table sound asleep awaiting their turn while 
to right and left the most ghastly operations were going on. 
They discuss their wounds casually, often jocularly. They do 
not regard them as pieces of hard luck, but rather as 
natural consequences of the dangerous work in which they 244 
U. S. A R M Y B A S E HOS Pl T A L No. 45 
have been engaged. Men complain and grouch and "crab" 
when they feel good. It is a mental exercise that does them 
little harm. But a hard hit man is quiet. 
The nearest I ever heard to a complaint or reproach 
against fate was from a soldier named William Skidmore. 
He was caught close to a high explosive shell. His right 
thigh and leg were badly torn in ten or more places. The 
shaft of the thigh was shattered just above the knee. Gas 
gangrene had developed and was slowly filtering through 
the muscles. A big piece of metal had torn through the 
left ankle joint and lay buried in the tissues of his leg. A 
large piece had lodged in his temple and taken away the 
sight of his left eye. Somewhere in his journey his watch, 
money and valuables, together with a picture of his wife 
and children, had all been lost. He hung for days between 
life and death, but finally began to mend. In making my 
rounds one day I asked him how he felt. I shall never for- 
get his face as he turned his head slowly and said, "Major, 
I am a young man. I have a wife and two little children at 
home, and here I am just a wreck, broken all to pieces. This 
war business," he said. "This war business. There is just 
nothing to it." Then he closed his eyes and lay still. I 
could but wonder if William of Hohenzollern had lain thus 
with shattered limbs and sightless eye, away from his home, 
his wife and his children, with three thousand miles of sea 
between him and all he loved, all his hopes, all his ambi- 
tions, with all the countless billows of all those countless 
miles beating, beating, beating, crippled, broken, maimed, 
crippled, broken, maimed-I wonder if William of Hohen- 
zollern would not have exclaimed even as William of Skid- 
more, "This war business, this war business, there is just 
nothing to it!" 
William Lowndes Peple. THE DAY'S WORK Two thousand or more people within a brick wall, 
most of them sick and under the care of the few who 
were not. An ever shifting population-long lines of 
those within being hurried out and on to make room 
for long lines of others knocking at the gates. Two 
thousand meals to be furnished three times a day; two 
thousand beds to be made. No elevators. Water, fuel, 
litters to be carried by hand. Endless rounds of ex- 
aminations, treatments, dressings, operations. Bales of 
records to be kept. Mountainous dumps of salvaged 
clothes to be sorted and reissued. Grounds and build- 
ings to be kept scrupulously clean. Sudden upheavals 
to meet new emergencies. Everything uncertain. Al- 
ways a bit more to do than time or endurance per- 
mitted. 
The day's work can be better imagined than de- 
scribed. Commanding Officer and Property Officer Leaving Gate. 
Busy Flour in Receiving Ward. Unloading at Triage. 
Ambulances Arriving With Patients. Evacuation of Patients. 
Roll Call Before Evacuation. Evacuation of Litter Cases. 
Evacuation Train Waiting to Be Filled. Evacuation Train Ready to Move. 
Seeing Patients Off. One of Hospital Trucks. 
Hospital Motorcycle Messenger. At Work in Registrar's Office. 
Corner in Quartermaster Warehouse. In Sergeant-Major's Office. 
Photographer Stimson Taking These Pictures. In the Dispensary. 
Dental Clinic in Action. At Work in Laboratory. 
At Work in Main Operating Room. In the Nose and Throat Clinic. 
Medical Supply Headquarters. Red Cross Worker and Train of Ambulances. 
hi Rest Room, Showing Nurses' Flag. Russian Refugees at Base Hospital No. 45. 
German Prisoners at Base Hospital No. 45. e 
15 
5 
© 
$ 
e 
s 
© 
^© 
-*a 
^c 
"© 
© 
G 
1$ 
|l 
£ § 
£ 
© 
G © The Medical Service 
HE arrival of the base hospital at Toul, with 
®CQW taking over of Caserne LaMarche and 
the contagious annex marked the beginning 
of any real work done by the medical de- 
partment. For, although we spent three 
weeks at Autun, our work there was entirely 
preparatory and amounted to very little, consisting of a con- 
ference or two daily together with the frequent enumera- 
tions of beds, blankets, linen and what other property we 
had. The rest of the time we spent taking long walks or 
sightseeing. These were trying days. We were all most 
anxious to get to work and felt that there was not much 
chance of being able to put over at Autun what we hoped 
we were capable of, nor fulfilling the purpose that influenced 
us when we joined the service. 
Fortunately for us preparations were being made early 
in September for the drive on the Toul sector and the need 
of hospitalization for the sick and wounded back of the 
American line became very acute. The Justice hospital group 
was planned and we were ordered up as one of the com- 
ponent units. On our arrival we found two field hospitals 
awaiting us, under orders to move as soon as we could 
relieve them. Our hopes of getting into close touch with 
the war with enough work to try our mettle were imme- 
diately fulfilled. 
About 600 patients were left by the organizations mov- 
ing out, consisting of mustard gas burns of greater or lesser 
severity and contagious diseases, about 300 being in the 
east building and a similar number at the contagious hos- 
pital, or base hospital annex, as it was then called. We 246 
U. S. Army Bas e H o s p i t a l N o. 4 5 
took over the care of these soldiers with, as I look back on 
it now, a surprising lack of fear or trepidation, especially 
surprising when we remember that we had practically no 
equipment, cooking utensils, eating utensils, etc., and prac- 
tically no food, nor did we know exactly where anything was 
to be obtained. 
This was especially true of the annex. The field hos- 
pital in charge there remained for a few days longer than 
the one in charge of the east building and when they did 
move out took everything that was not screwed or nailed 
down. During these few days the number of patients had 
increased to over five hundred. Captain Travel was ordered 
to take charge with six specialists from departments that 
had not yet opened-Captains Hodges, Voisinet and Wil- 
liams, and Lieutenants Hopkins, Scharmann and McKinney. 
They carried with them fifteen nurses and fifty enlisted men. 
At 9 o'clock on the morning of their taking over the 
annex a hurried inventory of their responsibilities and prop- 
erty showed certain buildings containing over five hundred 
patients; food, absolutely none; stoves or ranges, one old 
field range; cooking utensils, absolutely none; eating utensils, 
absolutely none except a few mess kits; drugs, none; ward 
supplies, hypodermic syringes, thermometers, etc., none; 
records, incomplete or entirely wanting; transportation, 
none. 
However, the whole organization was very keen about 
its efficiency, and determined to work early and late in its 
efforts to get the best possible results, and it was not many 
days before we were going smoothly enough, all things con- 
sidered. Five officers, fifteen nurses and sixty casuals had 
been left behind by the field hospitals, and proved to be of 
immense assistance. These officers were Lieutenants Artz, 
Bondi, Bryant, Clough and Doherty, and, though I did not 
know it at the time, had had as their original assignment 
the contagious hospital. The Work We Did 
247 
The organization of the medical department was at 
first very complicated and cumbersome, leading to a great 
waste of man power. All the patients in the east building 
were on the lower three floors and a portion of the fourth, 
the remainder of the space being used by the fifteen nurses, 
or reserved for our own nurses in the event of their ever 
coming. 
In the beginning the work on these three floors was put 
under three chiefs-the chief of the medical service on the 
first floor, Captain James H. Smith on the second, and Cap- 
tain Roy C. Fravel on the third. The wards on the several 
floors were divided into several groups under the floor 
chiefs. It is impossible to give any accurate account of the 
assignments and duties of the members of our staff during 
these early days, so manifold did they seem to be and so 
often were they changed. The original staff at work was 
composed of Captains Smith, Porter and Anderson, and 
Lieutenants Willis and Van Camp regularly belonging to 
the medical department; Captains Fravel, Voisinet, Barrier 
and Herring, and Lieutenants Eckles, Pratt, Scharmann and 
Corcoran of the surgical department; Captain Hodges and 
Lieutenant McKinney of the X-ray department; Captain 
Wright and Lieutenant Hopkins of the eye, ear, nose and 
throat department; Captain Williams of the dental depart- 
ment; Lieutenant Manheims of the laboratory, and the five 
attached officers, a total of twenty-five officers counting the 
chief. Doubtless we would have included the registrar, the 
detachment commander, the adjutant, the mess officer, the 
quartermaster and the rest of the surgical staff except for 
the fact that with everybody used up running the medical 
department the hospital would not have run at all. And 
the strange part of it all is that we were all as busy as bees, 
and thought we had more work than we could do. Captain 
Williams and Lieutenant Eckles were in my office, and the 248 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
three of us working very hard seemed never to get our 
day's duties done. 
No one who has not lived through the formative period 
of the development of a base hospital that has nothing in 
it except several hundred very sick patients can realize the 
immense amount of work. Such simple things as the orien- 
tation of one's self in regard to the physical geography of 
the buildings, the location of wards, diet kitchen, and 
latrines take hours of meditation and diagram drawing. 
Then, too, the division of a very limited number of cups, 
plates, spoons, buckets, mops, brooms and other articles, 
that might be called the proximate principles of house- 
keeping, so as to make them go as far as possible, is a man- 
sized job. Also the office has to learn as rapidly as pos- 
sible to get out all sorts of reports, and be able to answer 
promptly questions which may pop into the head of an ad- 
jutant or registrar and to gratify the curiosity of a group 
commander. Lieutenant Eckles tackled the housekeeping 
with a will, and Captain Williams the paper work, or both 
together on the same problem, getting more than satis- 
factory results. 
It is impossible to pass by this part of our work with- 
out alluding to the transient medical officer, temporarily 
attached. With rare exceptions he is a nuisance, and this 
through no fault of his. He or they, one or fifteen, arrive 
unheralded and are assigned to a department and put to 
work and, of course, know nothing of what really makes 
the wheels go round. Being very willing they presently 
learn, and then disappear as suddenly as they arrived. 
With the kindest personal feelings in the world it must be 
said that their visits do not make for the efficiency of any 
organization. 
This period of confusion gradually passed, and order 
came out of chaos. Captain Fravel with Captains Wil- 
liams, Hodges and Voisinet, and Lieutenants Hopkins, The Work We Did 
249 
Scharmann and McKinney were recalled from the annex. 
Captain Barrier took charge then with Lieutenants Artz, 
Bondi, Bryant, Clough and Doherty, and the annex became 
a separate hospital. A great load was thus lifted from 
the shoulders of the medical department. 
Early in September, several days before the St. Mihiel 
drive, the field and evacuation hospitals up along the line 
began to empty themselves back on us, increasing our num- 
ber of patients so rapidly that we soon had the east building 
full and ran over into the central, filling this very rapidly, 
and the problem of evacuating as many as possible each day 
became conspicuous. In our first evacuations we were very 
strictly limited as to what classes of patients we sent back 
and quadruplicate lists giving name, number, company, rank 
and organization of all evacuations carefully prepared, with 
field medical cards completely written up were required. But 
on or about September 8th Lieutenant-Colonel Maddux, our 
group commander, gave orders to move everything except 
contagious diseases, and those whose lives would be jeopard- 
ized by travel. Paper work therefore had to be done as well 
as circumstances permitted, its completeness being entirely 
secondary to the necessity for providing vacant beds for the 
steady rush of patients, over and over again 600 or 700 
daily. By this time some of our men on the surgical teams 
had been sent to Evacuation Hospital No. 1 or other hos- 
pitals, and the X-ray, dental, eye, ear, nose and throat, 
laboratory, surgical and other departments had troubles of 
their own compelling them to withdraw from the medical 
department the officers properly belonging to them. 
Captain Williams and Lieutenant Eckles had disap- 
peared from my office and the floor chiefs, Captain Smith 
and Captain Fravel, had ceased to be such, the latter going 
on a surgical team, and the former helping in my office, 
doing consultations, and running several wards. Fortunately 
the officers from the other departments had been able to U. S. A k m y B a s e H o s p 1 r al No. 45 
250 
stay long enough for us to smooth out the rough places, 
our nurses and equipment had come, and we were as ready 
as we could expect to be. The final shaping up left Lieu- 
tenant Willis, Captain Porter and Lieutenant Corcoran run- 
ning the three floors of the east building with Captain Smith 
and Lieutenant Scharmann running the two floors in the 
central, each having a capacity under crowded conditions 
of over 200 patients. The contrast between this personnel 
of medical officers taking care of from a thousand to four- 
teen hundred patients and the officers we began with taking 
care of three or four hundred is very striking, and I am 
convinced that due to the tireless vigilance, energy and 
conscientiousness of these five officers no patients suffered 
from lack of attention. They managed in some way to 
see each soldier as often as was necessary, find out what 
was the matter with him, and see that he got whatever 
he needed. 
Of course, hundreds and hundreds of the medical pa- 
tients who passed through our hospital had very little the 
matter with them. They were hungry, so weary that they 
could scarcely stand, and had some trifling ailment, a slight 
cold or something of the sort, enough to make them useless 
as fighting men, but not enough to make them need much 
attention in a hospital. What they needed was exactly what 
they got, a bath, a warm, clean bed, some hot food and 
twenty-four or forty-eight hours' rest. Then, although they 
were not yet ready for the trenches, they could be moved 
further back without danger of becoming seriously ill. To 
my mind this is the really great work that the medical de- 
partment of Base Hospital No. 45 did, and resulted in sav- 
ing hundreds of lives. Another twenty-four hours in the 
rain and mud, or a forty or fifty kilometer longer ride in an 
ambulance, still without food, after being without it for two 
or three days, wet, cold, exhausted and half sick, and num- The Work We Did 
251 
bers and numbers of boys who are now well and strong 
would undoubtedly have died. 
Besides looking after this great mass of only prospec- 
tively ill patients, scrupulous care was taken to see that no 
contagious disease got by, and that all those who were 
really ill were stopped in wards set aside for this purpose. 
The whole of the second floor of the east building and wards 
of twenty to forty beds on each of the other floors were 
reserved for pneumonias, typhoids, severe dysenteries, and 
other patients who needed definitive treatment here, and, 
although the rest of the hospital was run as an evacuation, 
this portion was run as a base. Complete clinical records 
with full histories were kept and the hearty co-operation of 
Captains E. G. Hopkins and Hodges enabled us to do most 
satisfactory and illuminating laboratory and X-ray work. 
Although this more definite clinical work did not con- 
stitute the bulk of what we had to do, still it fitted in with 
our experience in civilian life, as well as our training in the 
bases in the States, and our preconceived ideas of what we 
would do before we came over, giving us an excellent op- 
portunity to improve ourselves as clinicians, and furnishing 
an ever-varying field of intense interest. Numbers of the 
boys in these wards of the hospital were so desperately ill 
when they came in and the mortality was so high that look- 
ing after them was almost demoralizingly depressing. 
Probably the worst conditions we encountered on the 
medical wards were those resulting from gas, chiefly mus- 
tard and phosgene, and the influenzas, which were so often 
complicated by pneumonia, or empyema. 
The mustard gas burns, especially those about the face 
and eyes, the mouth, throat and upper air passages were 
very horrible. Their suffering was intense and the amount 
of treatment they needed and got with astonishing regu- 
larity called on our limited staff for the utmost courage and 
physical endurance. 252 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
This continuous and detailed attention was not so imper- 
ative with the phosgene cases. The only thing that really 
worried us about them was that men who looked and felt 
perfectly well would now and then drop dead. Our people 
who worked on the second floor in the central building will 
recall the two men who were dying in adjacent beds, having 
gotten some phosgene about a week before. One of them 
turned over and tried to reach something that was on a 
little table by his bed and immediately collapsed, but did 
not die. The other sat up in bed to call the nurse and 
dropped dead. 
The influenza, or "flu" cases were the worst of all. 
Men in apparently splendid health and perfect physical 
condition were suddenly desperately ill, and many of them 
dead in less than forty-eight hours. One week in October, 
1918, there was a series of nearly one hundred "flu" and 
pneumonia cases of whom over eighty per cent died. Of 
course, some of these were nearly dead when we took them 
out of the ambulances, and never rallied, dying a few hours 
after they reached the wards. In fact, it happened more 
than once when a large convoy of ambulances came in from 
around St. Mihiel or up towards Verdun that one or more 
had died on the way. 
The highest commendation possible is due the ward 
surgeons, nurses, and corps men for their tireless labor 
through these strenuous days. The ward surgeons were 
on their wards day after day and late in the night, literally 
living on them, the nurses gave up their hours, and the ward- 
masters worked fourteen hours on a stretch. Everyone 
seemed to realize that a few miles away American boys 
were under fire, driving day and night and pushing further 
and further away from us what danger there was from 
shells and planes. The morale of the whole hospital was 
very fine. 
No attempt to describe the work done by an evacuation The Work We Did 
253 
hospital is complete unless the number of patients handled 
is given, and a fairly clear picture painted of the actual 
process of getting them into and out of the hospital. 
From August 21, 1918, to December 31, 1918, a little 
over four months, the medical department handled nearly 
thirteen thousand patients, carrying on its daily roster for 
many days over fifteen hundred. Fifteen hundred patients 
who keep still furnish a very different problem from what 
you have to face when you evacuate between six and eight 
hundred during the day and the same day and following 
night take in six or eight hundred more, moving into and 
out of the hospital over twelve hundred and still having on 
the roster on the following morning over fifteen hundred. 
Moving large numbers of patients is a fine art and comes 
only by prayer and fasting. Our early evacuations were 
blunders, the later ones very smooth pieces of work. The 
very first consisted of a total of one hundred and nineteen 
patients and took several hours, if I remember correctly. 
Ten ambulances were to report at certain doors of the east 
building at a fixed hour. The litter patients were all to be 
on their litters and the sitting patients ready to walk down 
stairs, with their ward surgeons and their sergeants to guide 
them to appointed places. The hour and the ambulances 
came, but not the patients. Every one in the hospital who 
could work, was working, but nothing happened. The 
patients had apparently taken root. Presently a few strag- 
glers wandered into the halls, and after a great commo- 
tion most of the hundred and nineteen were sent away, 
only about two hours late. 
rhe first great improvement in this work was the result 
of the crystallization of the thought that a number of pa- 
tients who must travel as litter cases could walk from their 
wards to the first floor and get on their litters there, instead 
of being put on litters in the wards and carried downstairs. 
On the surface, it would seem absurd to send men on the 254 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
train on litters who could walk down three flights of steps, 
but it becomes entirely proper when one remembers that 
these men may be on the train for two or more days and 
are by no means well enough to travel as sitters for this 
length of time. 
The two keys to an easily working evacuation are the 
ward surgeon's book and an immediately available detail 
of fifty or more men for stretcher bearers. This book 
should carry the exact name, number, company, etc., of each 
patient and up-to-date columns indicating his evacuable 
status. An admirable book of this type was devised by 
our staff and more particularly by Captains Fravel and 
Smith. Each morning and afternoon a classified report is 
prepared from these books by a dependable sergeant from 
the office of the medical chief. Calls for evacuations of, 
for example, one hundred and eighty litter cases and ninety- 
eight sitters come over the 'phone with an order to begin 
loading in fifteen minutes. Running rapidly over the re- 
ports from the ward surgeon's book, groups sufficiently large 
to make the total required are selected, choosing them 
chiefly with a view to relieving congested areas, or to getting 
some of the load off of an over-worked surgeon. An orderly 
is sent with memoranda to the various surgeons, the litter 
detail comes rapidly out, some litters being placed in wards 
where patients must be carried, others being spread on the 
ground, or, in bad weather, in halls, the walking patients 
start moving, trucks and ambulances drive up, are rapidly 
loaded and move off-and the job is done. Sometimes while 
an evacuation is going on a call will come in that some 
hospital has fallen down, increasing your number by one 
hundred or so-these trains must be filled-or notifying the 
office that another train is on the siding and ordering the 
loading of three hundred and forty-four new litter cases 
immediately. These changes and complications sound seri- 
ous, but after we became bridlewise and every one knew his The Work We Did 
255 
job they gave us no trouble. Immediately after all evacua- 
tions, vacant-bed reports must be furnished the receiving 
ward, and in a few hours' time the hospital is full again. 
We must not forget the nurses. Always on the job and 
doing their bit, they would find something to do and time 
to do it, tucking blankets around the patients, serving them 
cigarettes and hot chocolate, and sending them on their way 
cheered and much better off for this last little attention. 
So much for a superficial sketch of the work done by 
the medical department when it constituted an important 
part of the hospital. Near the end of our career times 
changed. Base Hospital No. 45 was reserved for surgical 
cases only and the medical department gradually died a 
natural death. 
John Garnett Nelson. The Laboratory 
laboratory was established immediately 
after our arrival at Toul and quickly got 
B under way. Captain E. G. Hopkins was 
sent to Dijon the first ten days in September 
Iv f°r a course *n wound bacteriology and re- 
turned just before the St. Mihiel drive, 
Lieutenant P. J. Manheims acting as chief of the labora- 
tory during his absence. 
The first base hospitals established at Toul were Nos. 
45 and 51, which arrived August 21 and 27, 1918, re- 
spectively. 
On September 3rd we were notified by the commanding 
officer that there would be a large center laboratory estab- 
lished at Base Hospital No. 45. The next day eight chests 
of transportable laboratory equipment arrived, which in- 
cluded supplies for making gum-salt and Dakin's solutions. 
Excellent quarters were assigned to the laboratory in the 
first floor of the officers' quarters of Base Hospital No. 45. 
These consisted of six rooms as follows: 
(1) A supply room in which gum-salt, Dakin's solu- 
tion, culture media and laboratory reagents were made; 
(2) a pathological laboratory; (3) a bacteriological labora- 
tory; (4) a laboratory of clinical pathology and serology; 
(5) a storeroom; (6) an office. Besides this we were 
allowed the use of the cellar for the storage of sera and 
extra supplies. 
fhe equipment had been rapidly unpacked and set up 
and a period of great activity in making gum-salt and 
Dakin's solutions ensued, just before and during the St. 
Mihiel drive of September 12, 1918. Just after this very The Work We Did 
257 
little laboratory work was done as every available man was 
busy in one way or another caring for the incoming pa- 
tients. After this rush was over the facilities of the labora- 
tory were increased by the arrival of the Red Cross supplies 
of Base Hospital No. 45, September 21, 1918. Between 
September 24th and 28th, inclusive, Base Hospitals Nos. 
78, 82 and 55 were added to the group and subsidiary 
laboratories established in each one. 
Base Hospital No. 87 was added to the group on 
October 10, 1918, but owing to the temporary lack of 
supplies, a subsidiary laboratory was not established until 
October 25th, the work of this hospital in the meantime 
being done by the center laboratory. Base Hospital No. 
210 was added to the group on November 1st and a sub- 
sidiary laboratory immediately supplied; but owing to the 
class of patients, who were all convalescent, very little 
work was done. 
The center laboratory staff consisted usually of five of- 
ficers, thirteen men and two civilian employes. The of- 
ficers were: a chief of the laboratory, a pathologist, a 
bacteriologist, a wound bacteriologist, a clinical pathologist 
and serologist. 
I he men were: a laboratory sergeant, a clerk, an as- 
sistant pathologist, two morgue assistants, two assistants to 
the bacteriologist, two men for making Dakin's and gum- 
salt solutions, three men for culture media and laboratory 
reagents, and an assistant to the clinical pathologist. The 
civilian employes were a French woman, a cleaner, and a 
French man who gave part of his time to caring for the 
animals. 
Each subsidiary laboratory, as a rule, had two labora- 
tory officers; a pathologist, and a clinical pathologist and 
bacteriologist; and two to four enlisted men. 
The work of the group laboratory included the routine 
clinical and post-mortem pathology and bacteriology for 
Base Hospital No. 45, as well as the more comprehensive 258 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
laboratory work for the whole group and neighboring or- 
ganizations. rhe latter consisted of special bacteriological 
examinations, Wassermann tests and colloidal gold tests, 
darkfield examinations, histo-pathology, sanitary examina- 
tion of water and milk, cultures of contacts of meningitis 
and diphtheria cases, making Schick tests on contacts of 
diphtheria cases, making culture media, laboratory reagents 
and Dakin's solution for the other hospitals, keeping sup- 
ply of therapeutic sera for the group, doing the wound 
bacteriology and pneumonia typing for the hospitals not 
completely equipped for this work. A special study of the 
respiratory infections occurring in the group was made. 
Acting as the group laboratory our personnel was as 
follows: 
Officers 
Captain E. G. Hopkins, Chief of Laboratory Service. 
Captain Jean Oliver, Pathologist. 
Captain H. W. Jackson, Clinical and Wound Bacteri- 
ologist. 
Lieutenant P. J. Manheims, Clinical Pathologist and 
Serologist. 
Lieutenant R. W. Lamson, Bacteriologist. 
Lieutenant Charles Phillips, Bacteriologist. 
Enlisted Personnel 
Sergeant First Class H. E. Schnakenberg, B. H. 45, 
Laboratory Sergeant. 
Sergeant R. McG. Cabell, B. H. 45, Clerk. 
Private Joseph Berte, B. H. 82, Assistant to Pathologist. 
Private J. F. Rose, Morgue Assistant. Duty-Patients 
attached to B. H. 45. 
Private Evan L. Jenkins, Morgue Assistant. Duty- 
Patients attached to B. H. 45. 
Private Carl V. Hagen, Morgue Assistant. Duty- 
Patients attached to B. H. 45. The Work We Did 
259 
Sergeant J. H. Philips, B. H. 78, Assistant to Bacteri- 
ologist. 
Private Ralph Sperry, B. H. 45, Assistant to Bacteri- 
ologist. 
Private Harry E. Adams, B. H. 51, Dakin and Gum- 
Salt Solutions. 
Private Jesse H. Boyer, B. PI. 51, Dakin and Gum- 
Salt Solutions. 
Sergeant L. C. Bird, B. H. 45, Culture Media and 
Laboratory Reagents. 
Sergeant E. H. Cole, B. H. 55, Culture Media and 
Laboratory Reagents. 
Private V. W. Myers, B. H. 87, Culture Media and 
Laboratory Reagents. 
Private W. J. Mays, B. H. 45, Assistant to Clinical 
Pathologist and Serologist. 
Civilian Employes 
Mme. M. Linote. 
M. Joseph Denis. 
Our records show the following with reference to the 
number of laboratory examinations of various sorts made 
in connection with the work done at Base Hospital No. 45 : 
September, 578; October, 957; November, 2,882; 
December, 2,173; January, 1,485. Total, 8,075. 
E. G. Hopkins. 
In consideration for one who can no longer speak for 
himself, we have presented his contribution to this book 
as he wrote it at Toul-though it gives no intimation of 
the fact that his work was so distinguished as to be cited 
as a model for the entire surrounding area and to cause him 260 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
to be placed in general supervision of all the laboratories 
in the Justice Group. 
That he has gone from us now it is difficult for those 
who knew him and loved him so well to realize. Gentle, 
modest, of great heart and splendid mind, he held among 
us a place and an estimation too intimately fine and personal 
to put into words. As a loyal friend, a tireless companion, 
and an exquisitely equipped workman, he influenced our 
lives deeply, and, through the memory and spirit of him, 
will always continue to do so. The X-ray Department 
HE X-ray department of "45" did not 
operate as a distinct unit until we reached 
Toul. Captains Hodges and Fickesson, 
Lieutenant McKinney, Sergeants Lee and 
Fisk and Corporals Stimson and Campbell 
were the original personnel. Captain Fick- 
esson had pneumonia followed by empyema at Fort Ogle- 
thorpe and never got to France with the unit. 
The X-ray department was completely and elaborately 
equipped, with the operating rooms on one side and the 
surgical wards on the other, making an ideal location. The 
apparatus consisted of two large machines, one army gaso- 
line portable machine, and three bedside units. 
After Captain Hodges was appointed director of the 
X-ray departments of all the hospitals in this area, all of 
their X-ray equipment was handled through "45." Through 
Lieutenant-Colonel McGuire's personal efforts "45" secured 
several very large illuminating boxes and a good French 
camera for lantern slides. Without this camera, Corporal 
Stimson could not have given "45" in this book its interest- 
ing collection of pictures of the hospital buildings and the 
surrounding country. 
From September, 1918, to March, 1919, more than two 
thousand cases were handled where X-ray plates were re- 
quired in the examination, and several thousand were fluoro- 
scoped. The fluoroscope was used almost exclusively for 
the localization of foreign bodies. A great deal of valuable 
work was done on the wards with the bedside units. About 
three hundred pneumonias and chest injuries were X-rayed 262 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
in this way; also a large number of fractures where the 
cases could not be moved to the X-ray department. 
The army allowed one portable machine to each hos- 
pital, but "45" had three. Major Shearer was sent from 
Chaumont to Toul to try to locate two extra portable ma- 
chines that were missing and he found them at "45." He 
was, however, so much pleased with the amount of this 
work being done, that he advised they be left where they 
were. Lieutenant McKinney, in addition to his duties as a 
roentgenologist, was the official burglar for this depart- 
ment. The amount of equipment we had shows that he 
got results. 
During the year several men from other organizations 
were assigned to the X-ray service and all did excellent 
work. If it were not for the lack of space it would be fit- 
ting to describe in detail the splendid service rendered by 
every man in this department, but only the very superior 
work of Sergeant Lee will be mentioned. He was offered 
a commission by the engineers, but remained with "45" 
through his loyalty to the organization. The department 
would have been very materially handicapped but for Ser- 
geant Lee's unusual knowledge of electric motors, trans- 
formers, converters, etc. 
Fred. M. Hodges. The Eye, Ear and Throat Clinic 
H-HEN organized at Camp Lee in June, 1918, 
the eye, ear, nose and throat personnel of 
our base hospital consisted of the writer, 
Lieutenant W. B. Hopkins and Sergeant 
Cosby, who by virtue of his experience as 
an optician was assigned to this department. 
How we set forth separately and apparently without hope 
of reunion has been the subject of another story, so that the 
pilgrimage to France, and the trials and vicissitudes of a 
very much scattered unit do not come within the scope of 
this brief history of the eye, ear, nose and throat section. 
After our final reunion at Toul, where we found an old 
barracks devoid of any equipment, partially filled with sick 
and wounded for whom we had very little food and only 
such medicines as were carried in our belts, it was not the 
matter of establishing our various departments that con- 
cerned us, but rather an emergency that had to be faced. 
It made no particular difference just what branch of medi- 
cine we specialized in so long as we were able to render 
medical service of any kind, consequently the personnel of 
the X-ray, dental, eye, ear, nose and throat departments 
were put in charge of a contagious hospital some distance 
down the road, while surgical and neurological men took 
over pneumonia wards. 
Needless to say, when we had brought some sort of 
order out of this chaos, and our much looked for equipment 
arrived, we were able in large measure to put each man to 
the task for which he was originally intended. Just here 
it seems fitting that I should gratefully acknowledge the 
services of the Richmond Red Cross chapter in that our 264 
U. S. Army Base Hospital N o. 4 5 
equipment was complete in every detail, and the eye, ear, 
nose and throat department lacked very little, so that we 
were eventually able to open up a clinic better, in many 
respects, than the one at Camp Lee. There was never any 
scarcity of clinical material as we drew from the entire 
fighting sector ahead of us, but our experience was some- 
thing very different from that in the usual civilian practice. 
We were unaccustomed to the utterly destructive type of in- 
juries we were called upon to treat, never before having 
seen the ragged wounds caused by high explosives, and hav- 
ing only an army-circular acquaintance with the methods of 
treating mustard gas burns. 
It will forever stand out in my memory, as well as in 
the memory of others, how, after the St. Mihiel drive and 
the Argonne battles, the ambulances came up in apparently 
endless lines for days and nights, filled with horribly 
wounded and terribly shocked men, a majority of whom 
had been gassed. I shall not attempt to describe the 
symptoms or treatment of mustard gas burns of the eyes 
and respiratory passages, since that is not within the scope 
of this article; but feel that I can never exaggerate the ser- 
vices rendered by our nurses in carrying out the treatment, 
with such fidelity that in over eleven hundred of such cases 
not a single man lost the useful vision of his eyes. I think 
this a remarkable record when one realizes the frequency 
and regularity with which the treatment had to be car- 
ried out. 
We functioned as an evacuation rather than a base hos- 
pital, consequently our surgery in this special line was limited 
to acute conditions. We had established and operated a 
very complete optical department, the need of which had 
been greatly felt when we opened the clinic, and which 
rendered very efficient service until we left Toul. The ear, 
nose and throat service was exceedingly active, due to the 
fact that conditions at the front were such as to be con- The Work We Did 
265 
ducive to the involvement of the nose and throat, and the 
ever-prevalent grippe added to the long list of acute ear 
conditions with its accompanying involvement of the mas- 
toid. Curiously enough eye injuries were more common 
after the armistice. Men had grown careless in the use of 
explosives and disobeyed orders cautioning them of the 
concealed traps left by the Germans in their retreat. I can 
recall several instances in which the pulling of an innocent- 
looking string found in the trenches caused an explosion 
resulting in severe injury to the man whose curiosity to see 
what would happen overcame his judgment. 
In looking back over our experiences I cannot but feel 
that the efficient services rendered by Base Hospital No. 45 
were due largely to the fact that we functioned as a unit, 
and that every man and woman in it was ready to render, 
not only the service for which he or she seemed fitted, but 
eager and willing to go to the aid of any department that 
stood in need of special assistance. Personally I can truth- 
fully say that I never saw a group actuated by a better spirit 
of co-operation than the officers, nurses and enlisted men 
of Base Hospital No. 45. 
R. H. Wright. The Dental Clinic 
RING its period of active service at Toul 
V the dental clinic of Base Hospital No. 45 
consisted of the following volunteer per- 
S sonnel: 
imIBU y Captain Guy R. Harrison, ordered to 
report for active duty, Surgical Division, 
School of Oral and Plastic Surgery, University of Pennsyl- 
vania, Philadelphia, Pa., February 2, 1918. Discharged 
at Camp Dix, N. J., April 25, 1919. 
Captain John B. Williams, ordered to report for active 
duty, Camp Lee, Va., September 8, 1917. Discharged at 
Camp Lee, Va., April 29, 1919. 
Sergeant, first class, James L. Sheppard, Jr. (senior 
dental student, Medical College of Virginia, 1918), ordered 
to Camp Lee, Va., February 28, 1918. Discharged at 
Camp Lee, Va., April 29, 1919. 
Private, first class, Roy Booth, ordered to Camp Lee, 
Va., February 28, 1918. Evacuated from Toul, France, 
to Asheville, N. C., in October, 1918, as result of over- 
work in line of duty. 
Sergeant Gardiner Brooks, ordered to Camp Lee, Va., 
February 28, 1918. Discharged at Camp Lee, Va., April 
29, 1919. 
Private, first class, Emmett Bartlett, ordered to Camp 
Lee, Va., February 28, 1918. Discharged at Camp Lee, 
Va., April 29, 1919. 
Private Duke Osborne, of Cedar Bayou, Texas. All 
about Duke is unknown except he had never seen a train 
until the "draft-man kotched me." He knew "Uncle Sam" 
was President of the United States; he had been to the 
front and seen "them 'Bush' " Germans; he declared that The Work We Did 
267 
the luckiest day of his life was when they sent him to the 
"horse pitle" for the mumps. He came to us in compliance 
with the following request: "Sergeant, I need a nigger for 
police duty. Easy work, good pay, clothes and rations 
guaranteed. Send me the blackest, most ignorant nigger 
you have, from as far south as possible." Duke filled the 
bill one hundred per cent. 
During the activities of our army in the field it was 
not always possible to install equipment and conduct dental 
professional service. During these times, and also during 
heavy drives, members of the dental staff filled the follow- 
ing positions: Evacuation officer, emergency treatment of 
gassed patients, receiving officer, post exchange council, 
supply officer, personnel officer, summary court officer and 
adjutant. 
To meet one emergency, a member of the staff estab- 
lished a kitchen and cooked meals for 350 patients until 
cooks could be supplied. Another member of the staff 
directed the unloading of ambulances day and night while 
the patients were coming in from the field at the rate of 
six to eight hundred per day. One night this officer noticed 
a flashlight being focused around among the trees. As it 
was positively against orders to have any light whatever 
at night, he immediately yelled, "Put out that damn light- 
who the hell are you, anyway?" A soft and gentle voice 
replied, "General Gorgas." 
When dental officers were urgently needed for greater 
duties, their assistants rendered such services for the relief 
of pain as their experience and army courses of training 
enabled them to do. They soon developed a treatment of 
their own, which consisted first of the application of 
eugenol or iodine; second, the application of psychology. 
This psychology amounted to one sentence-"Now, if this 
don't relieve you, Buddy, 1'11 have to get the Captain to 
pull that tooth out." The "psychology" proved most ef- 
fective. 268 
U. S. A rm y Bas e H ospita l No. 45 
The enlisted personnel were also called upon to per- 
form numerous other duties, such as platoon leaders, 
stretcher bearers, ward duty, and incidentally the drawing 
of extra rations which were served to members of the 
clinic and their friends by Private Duke, who rendered 
Southern melodies as only a Southern darkey can. It was 
while carrying the wounded that Private Booth continued 
at his post against orders, and thence through love and 
devotion to duty, became physically incapacitated. 
Upon the arrival of our equipment, selected in Rich- 
mond by Dr. J. A. Cameron Hoggan and purchased by 
Mr. Richard Gwathmey, and the assignment of our staff 
to their professional duties, our clinic was given one large 
room in close proximity to the nose and throat clinic, the 
X-ray department and the general operating rooms. This 
space was divided into three operating rooms, a laboratory, 
and a waiting room. The lumber used for partitioning 
these rooms was from "salvaged" French beds. The walls 
and woodwork were painted, and our equipment was in- 
stalled. This equipment was modern and complete in every 
respect; and consisted of S. S. white chairs, compressed 
air outfit, steel cabinets, Ritter electric engines, fountain 
cuspidors, electric sterilizers, pulp testers, mouth lamps, 
two complete sets of operating instruments per operator, 
vulcanizers, casting machines, blow pipes; in truth, every- 
thing found in a complete dental office in an American city. 
In the waiting room, a French desk, a typewriter, maga- 
zines and chairs added to the appearance of the clinic, which 
was never marked low on inspection. Our commanding 
officer often stated that this clinic was one of the "show" 
places of the organization. 
Captain Harrison was appointed chief dental surgeon 
for the Justice Group of Hospitals; and also in charge of 
all maxillo-facial surgery of the group. 
An order from general headquarters, A. E. F., em- The Work We Did 
269 
phasized the fact that soldiers were in France to bring the 
war to a successful conclusion; therefore, no unnecessary 
delay would be sanctioned. This order affected our treat- 
ment of cases, making it important to render the greatest 
number of men dentally fit for duty in the least possible 
time. Another order directed that in case a soldier refused 
to submit to necessary treatment, he would be subjected to 
trial by court-martial. There was no occasion in our ex- 
perience to use this order. 
rhe prime object of all treatment was to eliminate from 
each mouth all infection, leaving the soldier free from both 
acute and chronic mouth disease. This rendered mouth 
complications improbable in cases of lowered resistance 
from exposure, wounds, or disease. 
The patients of the clinic came from all parts of the 
world, especially the allied armies, German prisoners of 
war, and French civilians. The French, Italian and English 
held American dentistry in high regard, though their ideas 
of dentistry are not far advanced. 
I'he French civilians, principally women and children, 
were most grateful for any service rendered. The Rus- 
sians, who had received the cruel treatment and undergone 
the sufferings of prisoners of war in Germany, were 
thoroughly amazed by our work, particularly by the anaes- 
thesia in mouth operations. The Germans seemed to feel 
that if the Americans had any punishment for their prison- 
ers of war, it would be administered in a dental clinic. They 
received the same consideration as any other patients. 
A review of this clinic, or any other department of the 
hospital, would be incomplete without a word of praise for 
the sick or wounded American soldiers. Of the thousands 
seen, no matter how bad their condition, they presented two 
characteristics: First, "a smile"; second, "I am all right, 
help the other fellow first." 
Guy R. Harrison. GLIMPSES OF FRANCE All told, ive saw, as individuals or a unit, a good 
deal of France. Paris, Havre, Brest, and similar points 
of general interest we leave to the picture books. Toul 
and Autun are covered elsewhere. Here and in the 
group of "views from the skies'' we gather some of 
the scenes particularly well remembered-in the vil- 
lages near our headquarters; among the silent ruined 
towns nearby; at St. Mihiel, from which our salient 
took its name; at Nancy where many of us spent 
pleasant days; at Rheims, that majestic spectre; at 
Mont Sec, the main objective of the September drive; 
especially at Domremy, the picturesque birthplace of 
Joan of Arc, zvhich sooner or later nearly all of us 
visited. Etang, a quaint and straggling collection of 
houses, hangs in our memory because here the main 
body of the organisation first ran upon the trail of 
the "zvandering seventeen," who a few days before had 
stormed the place and eaten all of the seventeen pork- 
chops the village possessed. Barbed Wire Entanglement Near St. Mihiel. 
French Trench Near St. Mihiel. Ruins of Beaumont. 
Another View of Beaumont. Ruins of Aprcmont. 
Hill Near Mont See, Showing Dugouts. At Dugout Entrance on Mont Sec. 
German Bowling Alley at Mont Sec. Peasant Children at Pont Rousseau. 
At Pont Rousseau-Donkey Cart. Street Scene in Pont Rousseau. 
A Little Beggar at Pont Rousseau. Domremy-House in IE hick Joan of Arc Was Bom. 
Domremy-Basilique Erected as Memorial to Joan of Arc. Domremy-Church of Joan of Arc. 
Domremy-Basilique from Distance. Gate to Verdun. 
No Man's Land Near Verdun. Entrance to Underground Passageway at Fort Douaumont Near Verdun. 
Disappearing Gun at Fort Douaumont Near Verdun. Chagny, Where We Tarried En Route to Toni. 
Etang, Where Main Body of Organization First Crossed Trail of 
"Wandering Seventeen.'' Station at Dijon. 
Street Scene in Dijon. At St. Nazaire. 
Village of Dommartin, Near Tout. VI. Here and There- 
The work was hard but that was a commonplace of 
the times. And wherever we could we lightened the 
overpowering seriousness of the days with other things. 
Out of our postoffice came a steady stream of en- 
couragement from the homes zve had left behind. 
There were rest and recreation rooms, a circulating 
library, weekly dances, meetings, little parties, religious 
services rcgitlarly, occasionally visits from expert enter- 
tainers. In the diversions the nurses and officers fared 
better than the detachment, but that was no fault of 
ours. Around us lay much ancient and recent history. 
Paris zvas not far away and even Nice was somewhere 
thereabouts. The birthplace of Joan of Arc; Rheims, 
shattered and empty, zvith its cathedral still exquisite 
in its ruins; Verdun, almost a level zvaste but now im- 
mortal; Metz, that luring objective of the American 
hope; a long szveep of the battle-torn front zvith its 
zvreckcd and silent tozvns, networks of trenches, and 
fields of barbed wire-all this and much besides lay 
about us zvithin easy reach. After the armistice we 
visited many of these places. Transportation was dif- 
ficult but ingenuity was cunning, and one got there 
somehow-often by setting out afoot and striding along, 
zvith expectation concealed beneath a forlorn exterior, 
until some truck or ambulance driver developed enough 
sympathy to come to the rescue. We became popular, 
also, with the birdmen and a number of us flew in the 
skies and looked about-if our backbones remained 
stiff enough to keep our heads erect. Of sports we had 
not much, but at all events a little. The Christmas, to 
which we had looked zvith homesick dread, brought us, 
instead of heartaches, a wonderful wave of hope and 
happiness-every patient had a full stocking at his bed 
and a grateful smile on his face, every ward, was aglow 
zvith decoration, every man and women in the outfit 
enjoyed a dinner which stood out like a strange mis- 
placed island in the ocean of gold-fish, corned willie and 
tapioca in which our appetites floundered. We lived 
under roofs, we slept in beds or bunks, we were often 
warm, sometimes chilly, never frozen-all of which is 
more than the doughboy had. And so, though we had 
our trials, we had also much for zvhich zve might be 
thankful-and were. Other Sides of Our Life 
Over There 
LL is 'Fare' in love and war" may not be 
historian's idea of a good beginning. 
kut truth will out, so here goes the truth 
and nothing but the truth, so help Base 
Hospital No. 45. We were chafing under 
the inactivity of Au tun and the fact that 
we were away from the "fireworks." So when our orders 
came on August 20th to move we rejoiced. We, who came 
across on the Aeolus, craved action. 
Dope routed us to all parts of France, but finally Toul 
was agreed upon as our destination, and finding it to be up 
front we were just "tickled to death." 
En route we laid over at Is Sur Tille where we were 
given our final gas-mask instruction. Long will we re- 
member that large ring of us fellows receiving the final 
commands and here again that old, old truth was proven, 
that he who gasses last, gasses best. For our hero of gas 
mask drills in America, he who was first to grasp the intri- 
cacies of gas-mask instruction, Sergeant Paul McFall, was 
the one and only man of the detachment who received a 
call for failing to comply with instructions. Anyway, here 
we heard the first roar of cannon and in justice to the boys 
I must say they were not gun shy, but how quickly they 
became students of geography, locating with minute detail 
the exact site of foul and inquiring how far Toul was from 
Is Sur Tille, 'cause we boys craved action. 
The following morn we left, bound for Toul. About 274 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
midday somebody ruined a nice trip through France, for 
a French paper was purchased and "Wicked Eye'' Ker- 
shaw read to himself and most anyone knew the news was 
notappealing. Finally, after several-WELLS! WELLS! 
says he (in a solemn voice), "Boys, there was an air raid on 
Toul last night. Bombs were dropped on Nancy about ten 
miles away. Just a few people were killed." 
That was enough news. The scenery of France lost its 
beauty, the train seemed to just begin to pick up speed. 
We were certainly going down hill all the time. 7'he chatter 
and argument was silenced; a word here and there as to 
what was done or should be done in air raids was the only 
conversation. But these boys, with spirits to spare (and no- 
body wanting a drink), craved action. 
Well, in this hilarious condition, we arrived in Toul at 
9 P. M., August 21, 1918. It was a night made light by 
a most brilliant moon, the kind aviators and submarines 
liked. We were in company front formation, awaiting a 
command to march off. A siren blew, or rather started to 
blow, and Base Hospital No. 45 complete, all present and 
accounted for, were in the shelters provided for air raids. 
We feel that at this point the high command of our or- 
ganization should receive credit for the alertness of the de- 
tachment. The craving for action was satisfied, and a 
guide, who had been sent to us, remarked that this was the 
fastest company he had ever been in. 
Finally they all came out and we hiked to what was 
to be our future home in Toul. Shall we ever forget 
passing on the roadside the hundreds of mules dragging 
machine guns with a soldier either sleeping on or beside 
his gun! For then we began to realize with Robert 
Lewis that- 
Everywhere thrills the air 
The maniac bells of war, Here and There 
275 
There will be little of sleeping tonight, 
There will be wailing and weeping tonight, 
Death's red sickle is reaping tonight. 
WAR! WAR! WAR! 
Our base of operations was to be the Tout garrison, 
four stories high, and on that moonlight night the buildings 
were most impressive. The sergeants in charge of the men 
were sent ahead to secure quarters. Ten beds and mat- 
tresses were found and as they were not enough for the 
men, the sergeants finally "accepted" them as their share, 
showing again their everlasting spirit of "Itruism." We 
slept in beds in which the cooties of France were holding 
their 1918 convention. 
The morrow brought us our first view of conflict, for the 
Boche were flying over us, dodging first the fire from the 
anti-air craft guns, located on a hill a few miles distant, and 
then our own airplanes went up to give battle to the in- 
vaders. If ever thrills come to mankind, a battle above 
the clouds furnishes them. 
Here now was our work, here now was the goal for 
which we had longed these many months and right willing 
was everyone in doing his part and more in policing the 
buildings, taking over a small French hospital, and in a few 
days preparing it to house from sixteen to eighteen hundred 
sick and disabled comrades. 
Our work at the hospital is told elsewhere, but all work 
makes even a hospital a dull place, and many things were 
planned for the amusement of all. Unfortunately the hos- 
pital was not equipped so as to give the men all the good 
times that the officers and nurses enjoyed. Nearly every 
week these latter had a dance to which many outside officers 
were invited, and on occasions the officers gave parties of 
their own. 
These were merely social affairs. The most interesting 276 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
portion of our stay at Toul (outside of our duties) were our 
trips to destroyed cities and to shrines made sacred by 
those who had gone before. Our leaves of absence were 
spent in visiting the cities of France, Germany, and Bel- 
gium, but most interesting of all were our days spent in 
riding a truck, wagon or what not, even on foot, to visit 
the towns of Bruley, Menil la Tour, Ansanville, Flirey, 
Essey, Thiaucourt, Montauville, Pont-a-Mousson, Verdun, 
Bar Le Duc, Epernay, and Rheims. We saw a bit of the 
destruction on our front; we saw small villages wiped from 
the face of the earth; we looked upon cities and towns bat- 
tered and torn by the cannon's wrath. To Verdun, many 
of us had the opportunity of going and as told elsewhere, 
we, too, felt the sacrifice that the French made in defending 
this bulwark. For here still rung, as a clarion call, "They 
shall not pass." 
To Thiaucourt we journeyed, and to Pont-a-Mousson, 
and here saw we the ever recurring evidence of war. Ceme- 
teries and their dead were not permitted to rest in peace, 
for even God's sacred half acres were not free from the 
cannon's wrath. These were but a few, a very few of the 
many desolated spots we visited. 
To cities which knew not of physical destruction, we 
went and took part in whatever of amusement they offered. 
Nice and Marseilles some of us were fortunate enough to 
visit and here we saw the real French life with its finer, 
more artistic sides, which so many others missed. 
Paris, in its war-time paint, was interesting, instructive 
and amusing and with each twenty-four hours (the time 
we were permitted to remain there) sadder, but some- 
times wiser soldiers left the city declaring that Gay Paree 
was no idle name and that the Follies was some show. 
But, forsooth, on each trip we looked forward to com- 
ing back to Toul. for after all. even in war, even in Prance, Her e a n d T h e r e 
277 
midst scenes and surroundings strange, that song of our 
childhood came to mind and we were glad to return to our 
hospital Quarante Cinque, for "be it ever so humble there 
is no place like Home, Sweet Home.'' 
Irving May. Christmas at the Base Hospital 
HR 1ST MAS at Base Hospital No. 45 was 
an oasis in the desert as far as many of 
our boYs are concerned. P'rance, to most of 
a $ them, has been little more than a sea of 
mud and rain. This beautiful country is 
in its winter garb now and she is naturally 
much sobered by the war and presents a very colorless out- 
look. The women are mostly in mourning, the men in 
faded blue uniforms, our own boys in khaki, mud-colored 
and mud-covered, and the Italian soldiers in worn gray. 
All tend to give a very monotonous aspect and Christmas 
with all our beautiful trees and bright colored decorations 
came like a rainbow after the storm. I am sure that in no 
other one community were there ever assembled so many 
and varied and beautiful Christmas trees and decorations. 
Lieutenant-Colonel McGuire had announced that each 
ward was to have a tree and that the prettiest ward was to 
receive a prize. There are eighty-five wards and on Christ- 
mas Day there were about 1,900 patients, among whom 
were many convalescents, boys with troubles, which, while 
incapacitating them for field service, did not keep them in 
bed. To work up a Christmas spirit among these boys, 
some of whom had been away from home for sixteen or 
eighteen months, to interest them in planning to make their 
ward the most beautiful, to inspire them with the real spirit 
of Christmas was no easy task, but the nurses were more 
than equal to the occasion. 
By degrees the talent, and there was a world of it, com- 
menced to display itself, the bent of each mind worked itself 
out in one way or another and these boys, great big soldiers, 
artillerymen, machine gunners, all with hands hardened by Here and T ii e r e 
279 
heavy guns, trench digging and the roughest kind of work, 
were soon cutting out delicate little designs with a skill 
marvelous to us all. 
Our army, of course, commands every field of occupa- 
tion; there are artists, actors, dancers, painters, electricians, 
plumbers, etc., so it was not so much a question of getting 
the decorations made, but of securing the materials. Tout 
offered little in this line and Nancy was soon exhausted. 
But with the aid of the Red Cross and quantities of bril- 
liantly colored papers and evergreens the result was far 
better than our anticipations. One item alone which seemed 
very trifling but was in itself a tremendous task when it de- 
veloped into thousands, was the making of holders for the 
innumerable candles which were used. 
The evergreens of France are peculiarly rich and lovely 
and added much in beautifying the wards with their high- 
pitched ceilings and whitewashed walls. In one ward the 
greens were festooned around the walls in semi-circles meet- 
ing over each bed under an improvised bracket on which 
was a candle. The scheme of this ward was worked out 
mathematically with pencil and paper and developed in bril- 
liant-colored papers interwoven with ropes of greens swung 
from the sides of the walls to the center of the ceiling where 
hung a huge design, symmetrically perfect, a rainbow of 
colors. Directly under was the tree with many candles, and 
hung in delicious abundance, with real fruit, tangerines and 
great bunches of luscious grapes. At the foot of each bed 
was an American flag and when the commanding officer, 
the chief nurse, the adjutant, the chiefs of the medical and 
surgical services and a few sergeants came through on in- 
spection each boy stood at attention by his bed, the candles 
around the walls and on the tree were lighted and the soft 
lights, the dark greens and the vivid colors made a beau- 
tiful picture. But the nurse said that the last of the in- 
specting party hadn't quite gotten out of the door before 
the fruit on that tree just naturally faded away. 280 
U. S. Army Base Hospita l No. 45 
The ward where the patients were Italian and Russian 
ex-prisoners was typical of those beauty-loving people, 
rampant with color and bizarre in the extreme. Overhead 
ropes of flowers, exquisitely made of paper strung on wires, 
formed a lattice work. Evergreens were used here pro- 
fusely, too, on the walls and were formed into a huge bell 
in the center of the room where the electric light, covered 
in red paper, made an effective clapper. There were many 
lights in this ward all camouflaged with the most fantastic 
designs, with reds and oranges prevailing. At the end of 
the room where the record table is kept was a little green- 
house large enough for the nurse to enter, and over it were 
her name and the word nurse in glittering white letters. 
The soldiers had done it all themselves, and there was much 
pathos in this silent tribute of the poor men, many of whom 
had been prisoners since 1914, and doubtless had endured 
suffering and want that is better left untold in a Christmas 
story. It was like a beautiful flower garden and each time 
I went into it I found something new and lovely which I had 
not seen before. 
In decided contrast to this, yet lovely in its simplicity, 
was a ward decorated like a private home. At the windows 
were curtains (we don't have curtains in A. E. F. hospitals, 
but sheets did the work) looped back with bows of scarlet 
paper, with sprays of evergreens over the tops and wreaths 
hanging in the middle. Here was a mantle, a quaint old- 
fashioned mantle of red brick with candlesticks on either 
end and an open fire. Red paper marked off with white 
paint constituted the bricks, logs of wood under which was 
the omnipresent red paper over a light, made a cheery open 
fire and tangerines made excellent brass knobs on the im- 
provised andirons. The beautiful black enamel clock on 
the mantle, with illuminated numerals and hands, was in 
real life the lid of a pasteboard box with a light behind to 
shine through the open hands and numerals, and the silvery 
chimes, which pealed the hour as the inspecting party ar- Here and T ii e r e 
281 
rived, was the work of a convalescent patient in a bed in the 
corner with a brass shell and a nail. Evergreens were 
profusely used here and something which smelt suspiciously 
like egg-nog (for the very ill patients) gave the ward a 
decided homelike and charming appearance. 
Black and white was the color scheme of another ward 
and the darkey patients helped carry out the design. 
Glorious bunches of mistletoe were placed around the walls 
at intervals, and in all my life I have never seen as much 
mistletoe as was in any one of the many bunches used. The 
beds were covered with white spreads and in the center of 
each was a Red Cross, this beautiful emblem being the only 
bit of color. The tree here was covered with snow-flour 
and raw cotton made beautiful snow-and at the bottom of 
the tree, leaning nonchalantly against it, was a colonel. He, 
too, was made of raw cotton, but he had on a real colonel's 
hat and silver leaf and a couple of service stripes to make 
him sufficiently hard-boiled to appeal to the boys. At the 
top of the tree, perched on a broom handle, was an owl, the 
wisest-looking old bird, and here I must state that a real 
artist made that owl out of a night-shirt. The white walls 
formed the proper background for the airy mistletoe and 
the candles, the Red Crosses and the snow-covered tree 
made this ward really impressive and beautiful. 
Flags formed the chief decoration of another ward. 
I here were hundreds of little flags waving overhead, flags 
of every nation (excepting Germany), some of them not 
more than 5 x 3, yet perfect in proportion and position. 
Until I felt them I thought they were printed silk flags. 
The United States flag, decidedly the most difficult to make 
with its forty-eight stars, was, of course, in preponderance, 
but each one was absolutely perfect. Here it might be added 
that it was quite a relief to see our flag properly made, as 
the French usually give it fifty-three or thirty-five or just 
any number of stars which seem to suit the size of the flag 
best. It was a matter of a week or ten days to do the work 282 
U. S. A r m y Base H os pi t al No. 45 
for this ward, and it was quite a sight to see the sick boys, 
sitting up in bed, cutting and pasting and measuring and 
handling little pieces of paper-those boys who had dug 
trenches and scrambled into dugouts and handled shovels 
and picks and axes for months past. On the tree were all 
sorts of little gifts, tiny airplanes for the aviators, little 
dolls, Red Cross nurses, Alsatian peasants, flossy little 
mademoiselles for boys who boasted conquests along this 
line, French and Boche soldiers which would fly at each 
other if held a certain way. There were also many beau- 
tiful objects on the trees, such as birds exquisitely carved 
out of wood and painted, the work of a Russian. 
On Christmas Eve each ward had its own little party. 
Where there was talent it was used. The boys sang and 
danced, beat the little drums, blew the mouth organs and 
made real music, too. A Russian, in spite of his hobnails 
and the limited space in the ward, danced a most beautiful 
ballet. The Italian boys sang. One imitated Caruso; he 
had all his little mannerisms and it was a most excellent 
impersonation. There was a lovely trio, a Scotchman, an 
Irishman and a doughboy with a ukulele. In every ward 
the patients got together in groups and sang. Each boy 
received a pair of hand-knit woolen socks, filled with good 
things-raisins, cookies, chocolate, oranges, nuts, cigars, 
cigarettes and a toy. On Christmas Day there was a won- 
derful dinner of real turkey from home, fresh cauliflower, 
fruits and candy. 
Altogether, it was a Christmas that will live in the 
memory of every one of us and certainly though we often 
thought of the people at home there was no time or in- 
clination to be homesick. No ward received the prize. The 
inspecting party found it impossible to decide which ward 
was the prettiest and everyone appreciated the justice of 
the conclusion. 
Anne Lewis Jones. SANTA CLAUS AT TOUL "Christinas brought a welcome break of the mono- 
tony. We had all been secretly dreading it. The 
thoughts it would bring of the fireside scenes dear to 
our hearts on this day-of the wives, children and 
mothers over yonder, waiting and praying-were rather 
terrifying to the homesick band. But a miracle oc- 
curred. Some genius proposed the decoration of the 
entire hospital, and a full stocking at the bedside of 
each patient. The idea spread like wildfire. Soon we 
were in a delightful maze of work from which the 
hospital emerged a rare and beautiful picture, which 
visitors came many miles to see. Incidentally the edge 
wore off the wretched longing for home and, in the 
wave of activity to produce something like a real 
Christmas for the sick boys in the hospital, the or- 
ganisation found a real Christinas for itself. To all 
of us the day will remain a glowing spot in our 
memory, with a strange sort of peace and happiness 
all over the place, reflected in the thankful smiles of 
a thousand men chained to their beds." Christmas Ward With Patients Assembled. 
Santa Claus Here, Too. Ward E 140. 
Ward W 760. c 
73 
£ 
o 
■e I Fa rd E 360. 
A Negro Ward. Ward E 122. 
Billing Christmas Stockings the Night Before. Toul and the Armistice 
E were fortunate in our outlook from Base 
fi W' 45-when the fogs and rains of this gray 
climate would lift enough to let us see 
abroad and the fugitive sunlight would add 
j'Jl its rare beauty to our world. The French 
regimental barracks in which the hospital 
was installed stands on the edge of a plateau that rises from 
the valley of the Moselle. To the south-though hidden 
from the hospital-Hows the river; to the north, below the 
slope of the hill and beyond a meadow which the rains keep 
green even in winter, is the silver ribbon of the Rhine-Marne 
canal, with its graceful border of trees through which one 
may catch glimpses of the slow canal boats going by. Across 
the canal and over the railroad the land slopes upward 
again, until it rises sharply in the two bold and dominating 
hills which are crowned by the modern fortifications which 
defend I oul. Io the west lies the level extent of the pla- 
teau, with more high hills cut against the skyline some miles 
away. To the east, in the valley, is Foul itself, a wide 
cluster of tree-tops with red roofs showing through them 
here and there, and soaring above all the two fine towers of 
the beautiful old cathedral. On clear days the view sweeps 
away beyond the town across long swells of undulating coun- 
try, dotted with the close-clustered roofs of villages, and 
melting into the distant blue where faint hills fade into the 
horizon. 
The life of Toul goes back to ancient years, and he 
would be ambitious indeed who should try to write all its 
history. It was a settlement in the far-off days when the 
Romans were in Gaul-Tullum Leucorum, they called it. 284 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
I he first stones in its cathedral were laid in the tenth cen- 
tury, nearly a thousand years ago; and the smaller church 
of St. Gengoult, which stands with its moss-grown cloisters 
next the quaint and ancient market square, was built only 
two centuries later. The massive fortifications, high stone 
walls and sloping earthen ramparts turfed and green, which, 
with their elaborate system of scarp and counterscarp, of 
moat and gates and drawbridges, entirely surround the 
heart of the city, were built by Vauban, the great engineer 
of Louis XIV, back in the days when Virginia had seen only 
two generations come in her life as a colony, and the Puri- 
tans had but recently landed in New England. The forti- 
fications are of no value any more in these days of long- 
range guns, but they are immensely picturesque, and it is 
upon their wide slopes that the tall trees have grown which 
from the distance hide all of Toul except the up-soaring 
cathedral. 
The most interesting and beautiful single thing in Toul 
is the cathedral-though in strict accuracy it is no longer a 
cathedral, since the seat of the bishopric which for twelve 
hundred years was established at Toul has been moved to 
the more modern but more flourishing Nancy. The facade, 
with its twin towers and its high sculptured portal, brings a 
certain poignant suggestion of likeness to the ruined glory 
of Rheims. 
In the old streets of the town one can come across carved 
facades and quaint gateways and ancient-looking houses 
which have come down to our modern times from their 
mediaeval years, and it is pleasant to walk there on days 
when the sun shines on the peaked roofs and the mellow buff 
and saffron walls. But aside from its general aspect, Toul 
does not hold a great deal of specific attraction now. The 
theatre was closed long ago, early in the war; there does 
not seem to be any library nor other special place of in- 
terest; and probably the normal life of its people is a good 
deal shrunken because many have moved away from a place Here and There 
285 
which was so near the front, and the French officers who 
were here in the days when French troops were being trained 
in the barracks are gone. 
Doubtless to all of us the most vivid single day in our 
recollections of Tout will be the day of the signing of the 
armistice. I look among some memoranda and find what I 
wrote down the next day as the record of my impressions, 
and perhaps it will be worth while to incorporate this just 
as I wrote it then. Here it is: 
This afternoon Baughman and Boushall and I walked 
down into Toul. Where the road from Nancy comes in 
we met a squad of German prisoners plodding dejectedly 
along under the guard of two French poilus. They had 
evidently come right from the front, for some of them still 
had their field packs slung across their shoulders. All of 
them wore the muffin caps and the ugly short German boots; 
their uniforms were a heterogeneous lot from many regi- 
ments. One man had on a dark blue coat; most of them 
had the field gray; and two or three had on overcoats about 
the color of green leaves. They slogged along in dejected 
files of twos, and struck off into the path that leads under 
the trees by the edge of the walls, obeying the gestures of 
the important little poilu who went beside them, very busi- 
nesslike in his blue steel helmet and long blue French over- 
coat with the flaps turned back at the knees, and over his 
shoulder his rifle with its wicked looking bayonet inspiring 
wholesome respect. 
It is hard yet to grasp all the amazing facts which that 
procession typified. Four months ago the poilu belonged to 
a nation which was gasping and almost beaten, and these 
same Germans were a part of the terrific driving force of 
the Prussian juggernaut which routed the British fifth army, 
overran the Chemin des Dames, and for the second time 
carried its deadly threat almost to the very gates of Paris. 
A major on Lieutenant-Colonel Maddux's staff told me that 
he was in Epernay when a British division was falling back 286 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
through there at the height of the German drive, and wounded 
men, with their nerves absolutely gone from terror, fell down 
on their kness and cried and seized hold of the skirts of women 
Red Cross workers and begged them for protection. A 
chaplain who was with one of the regiments of American 
infantry which fought with the marines west of Chateau 
Thierry on the day in June when those American troops 
stopped the gap and unquestionably saved Paris, told me 
that the Germans came down the road with their rifles slung 
over their shoulders, singing-singing with the insolent con- 
fidence of the victory that was going to end the war. 
And now the war is ended, and ended with tens of thou- 
sands of that German army herded today into the prison 
camps, and the rest of the living part of it retreating into 
its own country where the flags of the allied armies of oc- 
cupation follow7 to make the humiliation complete. It is 
something too great and marvelous to be merely exultant 
over. I felt as I watched those Germans going by, and 
tried to imagine what was going on in their minds, a sense 
of the vast tragedy of the sin of that brutal pride wrhich 
made Germany launch this war, and an awed consciousness 
of the inexorable retribution of the justice of God. " I he 
Lord is known to execute judgment: the ungodly is trapped 
in the work of his own hands. Thy righteousness standeth 
like the strong mountains: thy judgments are like the great 
deep." 
In foul all the old, crooked streets with their ancient 
houses had broken into color. It seemed incredible that so 
many flags could suddenly have been produced-unless they 
had been kept somehow ready-like the hopes of France, 
covered but never lost, through all the weary, disastrous 
days, against the day of victory forever invincibly believed 
in. Over all, of course, was the French tri-color, but almost 
always by its side were the Stars and Stripes. The British 
Hag, too, and the Italian, and the Belgian were flying in some Here and There 
287 
of the clusters. It was a brave show everywhere, and set 
the pulses throbbing at the sight. 
In the square an American band was playing, and the 
crowd stood at salute for the Marseillaise and then for the 
Star-Spangled Banner. 
We went into a store for Boushall to buy some shoe- 
strings, and the French girl who waited on him was as de- 
lightful a dramatization of the spirit of France today as you 
could have wished to find. Did she know English? Oh, 
"un peu, un tres peu." She stopped in the midst of her search 
for strings that might be of a better color, and swung her- 
self debonairly onto the edge of the counter, where with eyes 
and gestures and shrugs of the shoulders quite as eloquent 
as words she talked. What was the use of her learning Eng- 
lish now; were not the Americans going home? "Ah, the 
Americans 1 It is not we who are the victors today; it is you. 
France was vanquished, and then the Americans came. The 
Boche was winning, but from the Americans, oh, la, la I-he 
runs 'tres vite,' and pouf!-he is gone." She said she had 
two brothers in the army; the first had been killed, and the 
second is a prisoner in Germany; "but one can be content, 
now that victory has come." Bush thought she said "mari" 
instead of "frere," and asked her in tones of appropriate 
compassion when she thought her second husband would be 
back; at which she was most eloquently disgusted. As we 
went out it was growing dusk, and she and the other two 
women-all of them in black-who kept the store were re- 
joicing that tonight there would be no need of darkening the 
windows. No camouflage, no blinds, "lumiere" ! And they 
clapped their hands, "Vive les Americaines!" 
It was all very pretty, and very pleasant, too, because at 
heart it was sincere, even if in their grateful enthusiasm and 
courtesy they said a little more than was true. America had 
nothing to show quite like the magnificent, patient endurance 
of France through the unspeakable drag of the four years. 
But it is a fact that the coming in of the United States made 288 
U. S. A r m y Base H o s pit a l N o. 4 5 
possible a victory which otherwise could never have been 
achieved; and that afternoon as I watched the boys of our 
army in the square of Toul, so young and strong and 
spirited, and thought of the almost incredible miracle of the 
shaping of that army and its transport overseas and its 
hardening into the unsurpassed force which blotted out the 
St. Mihiel salient and cleared the Argonne forests, I was 
proud all through for the glory and greatness of the nation 
and for the manhood which in the supreme test has been 
revealed. 
I came back into foul again after supper. Compared 
with all the other nights when I have been there, it was as 
though the place had come back to life, waking, like the 
palaces in the fairy tales, from some ugly spell of sleep and 
silence with the evil enchantment broken and the magic 
moment of deliverance come! There were still no street 
lamps. I suppose in the four years of war and danger and 
darkness they have so fallen into oblivion that people had 
almost forgotten there could be such things. But all the 
shop windows which heretofore at dusk have been heavily 
shuttered were wide open, and every light that could be put 
into them was ablaze. The radiance poured out and filled 
the narrow streets, and glowed in the air above on the bright 
array of Hags. Everything was astir. The cafes were full, 
and the streets thronged. In one cafe a middle-aged French 
poilu-it looks sometimes as though all the French army 
that is left is middle-aged-was standing up and leading a 
highly appreciative chorus of American and French soldiers 
in a vociferous if unmelodious "Marseillaise." In the 
square a band was playing again, a negro band this time, 
and the crowd shouted and squealed when it struck into 
"Dixie." French soldiers and officers were there by the 
score, our own men in equal proportion, and some Italian 
troops. I thought of Paris and of the rejoicing that must 
be going on in the Place de la Concorde and in its other 
glorious, great squares; but I was gladder to be here to Here and There 
289 
see the war end in this queer, narrow-streeted old town 
which has been on the front line of France's fortifications, 
and has lain so close under the shadow of danger that it 
knows the better what it means to have that shadow pass. 
One thing that struck me very particularly, and struck 
Baughman, too, and all of us in fact, was that most of the 
jubilation came from our own men. When a yell went up 
from the crowd in the square to welcome some particular 
piece of music, it was an unmistakably American noise. It 
was American voices that one heard mostly in the streets. 
For the most part, the enthusiasm of the French themselves 
was like a kind of glow that did not leap into any demon- 
strative expression, a fire that burned but did not blaze. 
Perhaps the strain of war and loss has been so long that it 
is impossible to change in an hour the grave temper of these 
disciplining years. Doubtless too the thought of victory 
brings an uprush of recollection of the sacrifices which it has 
cost, and though the sunrise of a new day for France is 
on the mountain tops, the mist of tears is in the valley of 
many a silent heart. 
One vivid picture of the day will stand out in my memory 
as a symbol of that holy mingling of triumph and of sorrow. 
Walking across the city in the afternoon, we went into the 
cathedral, passing through the gray and ancient cloisters 
under the towers which lift their double crown against the 
sky, up an arched stone stairway through dim doors and 
into the beautiful, lofty nave lit still by some of the old, 
old glass. The flags of France were by the altar, and at 
the altar rail a woman in black knelt by herself and prayed. 
Since the armistice, Toul has not been very much 
changed from what it was before. Often one will find its 
streets filled with little groups and files of French soldiers 
with their equipment on their backs, coming back I hope to 
be demobilized, for most of them are pathetically old look- 290 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
ing, as though they had borne the burden of a war too long 
for its beginning to be really remembered. The head- 
quarters of our own "Second Army" has continued to be 
there, although if fervent wishes could have sped them on 
their way, we should have long sent them and their stream 
of patients up to the somewhere where they were constantly 
reported as being about to move to-and then perhaps we 
should stop getting patients, and the powers-that-be would 
think they had as well send us home. We go down to Toul 
of course now and then to shop, to buy post cards and 
souvenirs and to look up the poilu in the French barracks 
who hammers brass shells into vases; and once in a while 
an enterprising group goes down to the Y. M. C. A. for 
breakfast, or to the "Comedie" or the "Bosket" for dinner 
in the evening. But mostly Toul is a place that we look at 
from the top of our hill, not without benefit. For the towers 
of the cathedral looming through the gray of the morning 
or soft in the lovely light of some rare sunny day are very 
beautiful in their still suggestion of realities that are greater 
than war and change and time. 
Such then is Toul. But it is more than a place. For us 
it is a name and a symbol for a very vivid chapter in our 
living. It will be the key-word to memories and associa- 
tions which no single one of us can describe, and the totality 
of which is the life and service of Base Hospital No. 45. 
W. R. Bowie. Our Equipment 
LSEWHERE in this volume will be found 
story °f the assembling of that equip- 
ment which came to us at Toul and trans- 
Wfl formed our hard-pressed barracks into one 
of the best appointed hospitals in the zone 
of the advance. 
The huge task of acquiring this equipment fell upon the 
shoulders of Mr. Richard Gwathmey, of Richmond, whose 
self-sacrificing and splendidly successful work constitutes a 
fine chapter in the history of this unit. 
The money represented by the equipment was provided 
by the Richmond chapter of the Red Cross, which acted as 
sponsor for the unit. The total sum expended was $137,- 
909.62. It may be interesting to note how this was dis- 
tributed. The following figures are from the inventory of 
the purchasing agent: 
Instruments Surgical $ 4,292.59 
Instruments G. U 527.96 
Instruments Medical 231.76 
Instruments Orthopaedic 1,220.85 
Instruments Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat 923.04 
Dental Equipment 3,609.79 
Laboratory 1,707.32 
X-Ray 5,263.01 
Drugs 2,370.02 
Drug Room Apparatus 469.65 
Operating Room Furniture 7,286.40 
Operating Room Accessories 2,028.80 
Nursing Supplies 5,216.21 292 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
Ward Furniture No. i 9,936.45 
Ward Furniture No. 2 30,014.53 
Optician 399.40 
Physiopsychic 509.50 
Medical Library 355.66 
Office Equipment 1,756.96 
Kitchen Equipment 13,361.98 
Miscellaneous 2,042.43 
Motor Equipment 16,551.90 
Barber 2I9-5I 
Shoemaker 1.75 
Painter 10.60 
Carpenter 224.06 
Electrician 163.03 
Plumber 116.31 
Tailor 176.42 
Embalming 8.76 
Post Exchange 309.18 
Chaplain 723.40 
Surgical Dressings, Patients' Clothing and 
Bed Linen 25,880.39 
$137,909.62 
In accomplishing this big undertaking, Mr. Gwathmey 
had the whole-hearted co-operation of his associates in the 
Red Cross chapter and of various prominent Richmond 
business men who gave liberally of their time and con- 
venience to the work. The clerical detail associated with 
the task was immense. The financial statement and in- 
ventory in detail covered 132 pages, 11 by 13 inches, with 
single-spaced typewriting. In all there were 4,824 entries, 
consisting of many thousands of items, for every purpose 
consistent with the operation of a first-class 500-bed hospital H E R E A N D T H E R E 
293 
located away from sources of supply of any kind except 
food, fuel and water. 
The equipment was packed in 2,432 cases, weighing 
420,000 pounds. It required fourteen full-sized American 
railroad cars for transportation. The packing and mark- 
ing of cases were done at the State fair grounds in Rich- 
mond by a detail of men, under Mr. Gwathmey and Captain 
Baughman, consisting of R. C. Wight, P. S. Burbank, E. A. 
Barlow, F. R. Kimbrough, F. H. Pease, W. P. Maynard, 
M. L. Horner, Robert Whittet, Jr., Ralph Hoar, E. Sher- 
lock Bronson and Robert L. borstmann. The remarkably 
efficient manner in which they did their work won official 
commendation from several quarters. 
After it was transferred to the war department the 
equipment was shipped from Richmond to Newport News 
and from there went across. It did not reach us in time 
for the strenuous days following the St. Mihiel drive and 
subsequently nearly became lost to us completely. By 
prompt action, aided by some clever bits of diplomacy, it 
was rescued at a French port and triumphantly brought to 
Toul by Lieutenant Charles Phillips, whose account of this 
notable exploit too modestly describes his own part in a job 
requiring great tact and resourcefulness. Active Service at Coulommiers 
N response to an order from G. H. Q., 
Major McGuire and I, laden with clothing 
F ro^s an^ cumbered with bedding rolls, 
started at 7 P. M., July 31, 1918, from 
Autun, where there was peace and plenty, 
for Coulommiers, somewhere the other side 
of Paris near the firing line. At Etang we spent most of our 
time in detraining and entraining our bedding rolls. By 
midnight we had reached Nevers, where we were to spend 
the night. After seeing that our bedding rolls were safe 
in the baggage room, we went in search of a hotel with our 
clothing rolls in our hands and chaperoned by a very oblig- 
ing M. P. Every room was full, but not as full as our hands 
and backs were of clothing. In desperation we stumbled 
into the courtyard of the Red Cross rest house, there to be 
greeted by the shaded electric lights, clean tables, and cheer- 
ful Red Cross workers. 
In addition to a hearty welcome they gave us a mug of 
coffee, two fried eggs, bread and butter for the ridiculous 
sum of one franc apiece. They told us there were only 
two beds left in the officers' quarters. Needing but two, 
we tiptoed into the little room where three men were snor- 
ing away. It took but a moment to take off boots, breeches, 
coats and get under. The fact that the beds were already 
inhabited made but little difference. In the morning we 
discovered, much to our surprise, that the other three beds 
were occupied by an entirely different set of officers. 
Nevers had little in it of French except the houses. The 
people on the street were Americans, the trains, the rail- 
road shops, the engines, the hospitals were all run by the Here and There 
295 
M. P.'s. The statue of Jean d'Arc in the cathedral with 
the moderately good stained glass windows, had before it 
French and American flags. 
About midday, having seen our bedding rolls loaded, 
we were off for Paris. The train was not overcrowded and 
the luncheon was excellent. It seemed more like France 
before the war. 
Landing in Paris we gave a very cursory search for 
our bedding rolls. We did not find them. Armed with 
our checks and believing that the portier of the hotel with 
a good tip could be induced to get them in the morning 
we secured a taxi and rode in style to the Grand Hotel. 
After a splendid dinner with all the trimmings we 
sauntered forth to find Paris subdued. The streets were 
crowded, but the men were in uniform and many of the 
women were in black, but a jaunty mourning it was, as if 
they had been overwhelmed with a great sorrow, but did 
not want the world to know about it. As darkness came on 
the fact that France was at war was more apparent. The 
avenues instantly became blind alleys lighted knee-high with 
small green-colored electric light bulbs, that gave just enough 
light to confuse. Lights in houses, stores, hotels and thea- 
ters were allowed only if the curtains were pulled tightly 
over the windows so that no ray could come through. 
Next morning, by the advice of the portier, we decided 
to start early enough and get our bedding rolls ourselves. 
It is well that we did. They spoke very poor French at the 
stations. We tried singly and in duet to get our baggage. 
They would not understand. Finally in desperation we 
climbed the counter and went in search. Just as we were 
about to leave we stumbled upon them. Throwing them 
into the waiting taxi we rushed to the station, boarded a 
train and were off for Evacuation Hospital No. 7 at 
Coulommiers. Here we understood we would see active 
service as this evacuation hospital was receiving wounded 
straight from the battlefield of Chateau-Thierrv. 296 
U. S. A r m y Bas e H os n t a l N o. 4 5 
Trains were operated only as far as Coulommiers on 
this line, so we had no difficulty in getting our bedding rolls. 
By this time it had begun to rain very hard. We did not 
know exactly where Evacuation No. 7 was. The station- 
master was again ignorant of the French language. As we 
were giving up hope of ever getting to the hospital, a 
French non-com. offered to take us in his ramshackle car. 
1 here was scarce room for us, so we left our baggage. This 
speed-demon burnt the road to the hospital. To our delight 
we found Major Don Peters in the adjutant's office. Had 
he been a mere acquaintance, we would have been pleased, 
but Don was on old friend, a fellow-student at the Uni- 
versity of Virginia, where his father had taught us Latin. 
Turning our checks over to the adjutant we followed 
Major Peters, who was clad in rubber boots, on an inspec- 
tion of the hospital. The mud was only ankle deep, so we 
made good progress. Headquarters, the X-ray apparatus, 
laboratory and the operating rooms were situated in a 
chateau. Arranged in two rows, located in a beautiful grove 
of poplar trees, were the tents that sheltered the wounded. 
These tents were of the French Bastenow type that would 
hold fifty cots. Light was admitted through windows of 
isinglass that could be raised and lowered. In spite of the 
fact that the tents were invisible from the air, an anti-air 
craft battery was stationed just down the road. 
We had been sent as observers, but hardly had we 
finished supper when we were put to work on the night 
operating shift. Major McGuire and Major Nichols, of 
Boston, operated and assisted alternately, while I gave the 
anaesthetic. 
rhe operating room was a tent of the Bastenow type, 
with a plank floor. The eight operating tables were pre- 
sided over by four operating teams, each team using two 
tables. A bench running the length of the tent held the 
sterile materials and instruments, while the scrubbing of Here and There 
297 
hands was done at a similar bench on the other side of the 
tent; between operations the surgeons changed gloves. 
When the sewing up began, the anaesthetist moved to the 
next table and started the anaesthetic upon the boy who had 
been placed there and prepared for operation by the 
orderly. As soon as the operation was over the surgeon 
called for the scribe, who took down the details of the 
operation, and the patient was moved by the stretcher 
bearers through the mud and slush to a ward. This 
routine continued the whole night long without a break. 
When day came the day shift took charge. 
The patients were tired, hungry and silent and seemed 
to be indifferent as to what work would be done upon them. 
Many were asleep before the anaesthetic wras started. After 
recovering from the anaesthetic the first thing they wanted 
was a cigarette, then food. Often they were asleep before 
they finished their cigarettes. 
It rained continuously and the muddy pathways between 
chateau and tents became quagmires, the hillsides toboggan 
slides. Still the stretcher bearers, slipping and sliding, car- 
ried the wounded with very few accidents. 
As fast as trains could be procured the operated cases 
were evacuated to the rear. There was an endless chain 
of wounded from ambulance to receiving ward, to X-ray, to 
operating room, to ward, to train. 
We slept in the daytime, when we could forget the noise 
of the engine that worked continuously to run the X-ray 
and the electric lights. Our bedding rolls had not yet ar- 
rived and we seemed unable to find any one who could tell 
us anything about them. After a few days we were as 
sloppy looking as the rest of the officers and the nurses. 
Our recreation consisted of a hand-out of lemonade, candy 
and cigarettes by the Red Cross workers, who seemed never 
to sleep. 
We could hear the steady boom of guns during the 
night, but there was no direct attack upon the hospital. Our 298 
U. S. A r m y Bas e Hospital No. 45 
planes were constantly over us and we took great comfort 
from the nearness of the French anti-air craft guns. 
Coulommiers had been badly shot up the week before we 
arrived. 
The night before we were to leave Colonel W. L. Keller 
paid us a visit and ordered us to inspect the hospitals in 
Paris on our way to Autun. He also promised to try to 
have Base Hospital No. 45 moved from Autun to a more 
active sector. As we were leaving the hospital we found 
our precious bedding rolls in an outhouse. 
On the train to Paris we met Colonel W. H. Goodwin, 
Major Lomax Gwathmey, and Major Charles Venable, of 
the staff of Base Hospital No. 41. They had been sent 
upon a tour of observation just a few miles from Coulom- 
miers. 
A Red Cross truck at the station kindly took all of us 
with our bedding rolls to the Hotel Continental. 
We noticed a few more scars made upon beautiful Paris 
during the week of absence. Hotel Calais, just around the 
corner from the Place Vendome, had been caved in by a 
Big Bertha. 
We visited Ambulance Company No. 1 situated at 
Nuilly and found a very perfect unit situated in what was 
built as a high school for French children. The head work 
and mouth surgery at this hospital was particularly up to 
date. 
Dr. Doyen's private hospital was now being used as 
a fracture hospital under the direction of Dr. Blake. 
Among many things that we learned from our trip of 
observation was, that baggage in wartime is an abomina- 
tion, that America was doing her share in trying to make 
the wounded soldier comfortable, but that at best war is 
pretty rough on surgeons, nurses, and hospital corps men 
as well as on the poor doughboy with G. S. W. "S," "LA." 
Greer Baughman. VIEWS FROM THE SKIES The skies of Toul were full of clouds, rain and air- 
planes. The birdmen, in large numbers, came to us as 
patients or visitors. After the armistice various mem- 
bers of our unit sailed aloft with them but it cannot be 
said that they were able to record much of value in 
the way of observation or anything else, except a de- 
termination to stay on the ground thereafter. A num- 
ber of the pictures in this section were made expressly 
for this book by these visiting aviators and the rest 
were contributed by them from collections they per- 
sonally took during the war. It has been necessary to 
omit some of the best in this unusual series because 
of the difficulty of reduction to a scale suitable for 
reproduction in this book. Base Hospital No. 45 at Tool as It appeared from An Airplane. Overhead I7icw of Toni Showing Cathedral. Section of Nancy, Showing Public Square. Fort on Hilltop Near Tout. 
Rheims and Its Shattered Cathedral. Metz, With Wing of Airplane front Which Picture Was Taken Thiaueourt, One of Main Objectives in St. Mihiel Drive. Rembercourt, Showing Woods, Roads, and Highway Lined by Trees. Limey, Destroyed Tozen, With Outlying Trenches. Battlefront and No Man's Land-Note Destroyed Town in Center, Surrounded by Networks of Trenches, Fields 
of Barbed Wire, and Hundreds of Shell Holes (Small Dots). Verdun 
the north of Verdun Fort Vaux and Fort 
Douaumont lie within sight of each other. 
Both forts were captured by the Germans 
in the early summer of 1916, but beyond 
them, as Petain had sworn, they did not pass. 
**l Five months later the French retook these 
strongholds. At the end of the war, in the earth squarely 
on top of Fort Vaux, was a wooden cross scribbled with a 
I euton name, and on it hung a German helmet. This grave 
marked the rock on which the supreme German effort broke. 
On November 18, 1918, Verdun itself, while terribly 
battered, was not in ruins. It was possible to tell the direc- 
tion from which shell fire had come by the relative damage 
to the two sides of a street. The injury, therefore, was 
slight as compared with villages between Tout and Verdun 
in which not a wall stood five feet high. 
The citadel in Verdun was seen as an immense under- 
ground place with winding passages and mediaeval dark- 
ness, out of date as a fort, but useful as a military head- 
quarters. It was peopled by a curious mixture of b'rench 
and American soldiers. The cathedral nearby had suffered 
severely. Great holes gaped in the roof and pigeons flew 
in and out, resting at will on the altar or on the figures of 
saints. One old man was pottering about, gathering up 
such fragments of destruction as he could lift. 
On the road to the north, thickets of French crosses 
told of closer contact with the enemy. Three or four miles 
out, Fort Vaux could be seen as the slightest rise on the 
horizon. South of the fort the ground was never wrested 
from the French. Beyond was No-Man's Land, nor would U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
300 
one think it had ever been God's either. The country, as 
far as the eye could reach, was one drab yellow, overhung 
by a leaden sky. The whole scene was void of any sign 
of human habitation or vegetable life, not a blade of grass 
nor a leaf; only a few spectral tree trunks, burnt black, with 
one or two shattered stumps of limbs. The soil was rocky 
and the terrain rough. Shell holes merged into one another 
and lost their contour, as if some huge drunken force had 
plowed the ground. Dense copses of barbed wire strung on 
stakes, and loose wire with a devilish knack of hanging the 
legs and flinging one to the ground, made progress slow 
and hard even in the awful stillness of the armistice. Miles 
of trenches and dugouts seemed to have been cut with no 
plan whatever. Now and then, by the edge of a trench, 
was a separate grave, where poilus had taken a chance in 
the night in order to cover over decently the form of a 
comrade. But the fighting had gone on, and the great slugs 
of shells had sometimes undone their work, and the bleached 
bones had no identification other than The Unknown Dead. 
Approaching Fort Vaux, the side towards Verdun pre- 
sents a vertical wall with a door opening like the mouth 
of a cave. In a cage over the entrance were three or four 
carrier pigeons: the last calls for help in June, 1916, were 
carried by these messengers. The way leads down into 
narrow", tortuous corridors, and the air was heavy. French 
soldiers garrisoned the place, occupying tiers of bunks in 
chambers abutting the corridors. There were ammunition, 
small arms, much machinery of war compactly stored in 
very limited space. Passing a little slit of a door, a niche 
brilliantly lit by electricity held the tricolor and an altar. 
The French N. C. O. led the way out through another 
small opening reached by a stiff climb. The north side of 
the fort slopes like a shed roof. It is concrete covered 
with dirt. Much of it had been blasted away, and pieces 
of shell, probably sixteen-inch, lay about. Great twisted 
ropes of steel that reinforced the concrete were denuded of Here and There 
301 
both earth and cement, and hung at loose ends. Here was 
the German grave, and French and German trappings were 
strewn around, intermingled. 
In the trenches radiating out from the fort there were 
signs of the more recent American occupation. A map of 
the terrain and orders for machine-gun fire were posted at 
intervals. Rats were plentiful. We threaded through these 
trenches for a while. But why go farther? They stretched 
from the English Channel to the Swiss border in parallel 
lines, and were only one of many such systems. We knew 
nothing then of the now famous "Trench of Bayonets" 
nearby. 
We went over toward the German trenches. The 
American army was busy remaking roads torn to pieces by 
shells. One of the most lasting memories of the whole 
war is a long line of prisoners coming out of Germany- 
a nondescript crew, more Russians than others, but plenty 
of Italians, too. They presented an infinite variety of rai- 
ment, all bearing the common stamp of the vagabond. Each 
had a pack or some makeshift carry-all. A thing everyone 
must have seen in the war was a change in the sense of 
values. The sum total of these packs, in peace times, prob- 
ably would be scorned by the junk man. Yet they were 
personal and were carried by hand many weary miles. The 
men were mostly silent, some limped, a few smiled. There 
was almost a universal look of dazed incomprehension. 
Why not? A Russian captured on the Eastern front, re- 
turned through France under an armistice forswearing the 
treaty of Brest-Li to vsk, which, in turn, forswore the cause 
for which he suffered capture. The truth should be told: 
they did not look hungry. 
On reaching the German lines, we came upon something 
which I think represented one of the latest developments 
in a war that continuously developed new methods. The 
British tank made its appearance in 1916 on the Somme. 
By 1918 it was a serious menace to German safety. This 302 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
is what they evolved to meet it: Spaced at intervals of 
about fifty yards were huge piers of concrete about eight 
feet high and five by five feet square. Swung between each 
two successive piers, apparently running through and 
through, about five feet above the ground, sagging a little 
in the middle, a great steel cable at least one and a half 
inches thick, all pretty well camouflaged. How many miles 
of this there were we did not know. We could see one 
end, but not the other. To look at it, it might easily have 
given a sapper a tough half-hour, working under enemy 
fire. Even a heavy tank, it would seem, would be tackling 
a doubtful job to try to ride it down. 
fhe German trenches and dugouts were quite like those 
of the Allies except for freer use of camouflage and over- 
head protection. There was more litter-guns, helmets, 
bayonets, canteens, bottles, all the rubbish of a hastily re- 
treating army. Four German dead had not been removed 
from one dugout. There had been fighting on the tenth. 
It was now getting late. We decided we had made a 
day of it. So off we rode in our ambulance through the 
gathering dusk and a light fall of snow, the scene lit by the 
flare of rockets, red, green and white, as if in celebration of 
the new peace. There was a rapid explosion of mines all 
about. According to contract, their location had been re- 
ported by the Germans, and this methodical setting off by 
the Americans of these traps was making that immediate 
part of the world a little safer for the democracy of the 
A. E. F. 
James H. Smith. A Trip to Metz 
N the memorable day of the armistice I was 
sent on detached service to Champignuelles, 
s s*x kilometers the other side of Nancy, to 
look after the buildings formerly occupied 
by Evacuation Hospital No. 13. 
There was little work to do so the days 
were spent in hiking wfith the men and sightseeing. The 
second day after my arrival, accompanied by two enlisted 
men, I walked to the top of a mountain upon which we 
found a large French fort, Fort de Frouard, built in 1882 
and forming one of the many outer defences of Nancy. 
After considerable persuasion on my part, we were admitted 
by the guard and finding that there was also a large French 
hospital run in connection with the fort, I asked to see the 
medicin chef. We were shown to his bureau and found him 
a most agreeable and pleasant French physician who spoke 
broken English. He was very courteous, taking us all over 
the hospital and to several of the clinics. 
It was most interesting to see the French methods of ex- 
amining and treating cases. Through him we were able to 
get the permission of the fort commandant and were fur- 
nished with a guide and shown over the entire place, in- 
cluding the anti-air craft, large disappearing turret guns, 
and many others of large and small calibre. The whole 
fort, an immense place, including the hospital, was under- 
ground, the top being covered with dirt and grass and being 
practically invisible. We were invited to dinner and as the 
invitation was such a cordial one, accepted. A delightful 
five-course dinner was served and I found all the other 
French officers present most agreeable. 304 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
I had several other very pleasant visits and meals at the 
fort and the medicin chef hearing me express a great desire 
to go to Metz, arranged for me to go up with a French 
general of the Tenth Army Corps. 
I met the general at the fort on November 15th and 
we left for Metz at 8 A. M. in his large touring car, I being 
his only companion. He could speak no English nor I any 
French, but by the aid of a dictionary, a very vivid imagina- 
tion and signs we made out very well. At that time the 
roads were still lined with camouflage on one side, and fre- 
quently both sides. 
Upon reaching Pont-a-Mousson one was fully aware 
that this had been a hotly contested point as there were so 
many evidences of recent fighting and destruction to be seen 
everywhere. Passing through the town we crossed the 
Moselle, past Mousson Hill, on which was an American 
signal station. Flere, only a few weeks before the armistice, 
more than fourteen hundred shells were dropped in twenty- 
four hours. Crowning the top of the hill, and to be seen 
for miles around, was a beautiful statue of Joan of Arc. 
The tower upon which the statue was mounted had been 
struck by many shells, but the statue itself was unscathed, 
standing forth majestic and resplendent in its surroundings 
of ruins. 
Just beyond Mousson Hill mile after mile of barbed- 
wire entanglements, trenches of all types, and many kinds 
of camouflage concealing guns, dugouts and trenches, came 
into view. The ground on both sides of the road, as well 
as many places in the road, was torn up by enormous shell 
holes. At several of the villages the Germans had built 
solid concrete walls, reinforced with steel, across the road, 
and these had only been partially cleared away as we 
passed by. 
The whole road from Pont-a-Mousson to Metz on that 
day was filled with French troops, cavalry, infantry, artil- 
lery, and large motor wagon trains, going forward to be Here and There 
305 
in Metz on November 19th, the day set for the triumphal 
entrance of Marshal Petain. 
A few tense moments came at our entrance into Metz 
when the general's car was held up by a French guard for 
passports. I, of course, had no pass. In fact, I was absent 
from Champignuelles without leave. Upon suddenly being 
confronted by an American soldier at the car door, think- 
ing that he was there to demand my pass, what was my 
great relief when he only wanted to know if I could tell 
him where his division was as he had lost his way. We 
then proceeded into Metz to one of the large casernes 
where the French headquarters were located. At that time 
no American was allowed inside these gates to the barracks 
so I left my good friend the general here, as he explained 
that he was on his way to Luxembourg, the headquarters at 
that time of Marshal Foch. 
I wandered around the city taking in the sights, into the 
cathedral, the hotel de ville, the park where the statue of 
the Kaiser had been pulled down only two days before, and 
into many of the shops. While in one little shop buying 
some post cards I asked the proprietor if he could tell me 
where I could get a German officer's helmet. A by-stander, 
whom I afterward found out was a former French civilian, 
told me to follow him, and after walking about eight blocks 
he took me to his home and gave me a helmet which he said 
he had been compelled to wear when he was forced to fight 
for Germany. Upon the withdrawal of the Huns from 
Metz he had deserted and it was most evident how happy 
he was to be delivered and returned to France. He seemed 
very grateful to the Americans for the things we had ac- 
complished. 
The town was decorated profusely in all the allied flags 
and a number of the women were in national costume. I 
was particularly struck by the atmosphere of festivity and 
rejoicing among the people; also by the well stocked shops 
and the quantities of food seen in the markets. This indeed 306 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
was in marked contrast to what we were accustomed to see 
in P rance. 
My thoughts began to turn to the serious difficulty of 
getting back to Champignuelles. I was more than sixty 
kilometers from my station, in a half-German, half-P'rench 
city, with no orders to be there, no British or American 
troops there, or any one to speak a language I could under- 
stand, and no train running toward home. Finally, after 
much difficulty, I found the road leading to Pont-a-Mousson 
and after standing there for over half an hour with many 
a thought of home and how I was to get there, a large 
French truck came along. Fortunately the driver was going 
to Toul and agreed to take me within ten kilometers of 
Champignuelles. The ride home was uneventful, the truck 
leaving me at Pompey, where I jumped another and finally 
reached Champignuelles about 7 o'clock that night. 
Joseph T. McKinney. VII. Home Again- 
_ The wayward leaning of many an immature imagina- 
tion was unexpectedly straightened by this near. To the 
average American youth, Europe, with its civilisation 
and culture rooted deep in the past, had always loomed 
through a haloed distance with a lofty superiority that 
seemed impregnable. Rather suddenly the perspective 
was reversed, and from the turbulent center of that 
Europe which most of them had never hoped to see 
but into which they had been thrust so hastily, the 
same eyes now looked back through the same distance 
tozvard America-and saw it as they had never seen it 
before. Most of the heart-tugs that made lonely days 
and nights wretched came, of course, from the fireside 
and would have been as strong from any other land the 
homefolk occupied. But a surprising-and rapidly 
grozving-amount of the homesickness which, after the 
armistice, swept the A. E. F., had its foundation in a 
new and deeper comprehension of what our own coun- 
try meant to us, and the world. While the war lasted, 
the days' stern and crowding duties left no room for 
any other impulse than a grim determination to see it 
through to a good finish. But once the job was done 
a restless desire to be gone seized those millions of 
expatriated sons of Uncle Sam. Europe was Europe- 
but for us at Toul (and all the rest of France) 
America was America, and of the earth we would ask 
no more and be content with no less. So back to 
America We came, all too slowly, counting hours and 
minutes, and finally, with a great wave of thanksgiving, 
greeting the familiar sky-lines with a fervor, the real 
depth of zvhich can be known only to those who 
thronged the decks of the transports and watched the 
Statue of Liberty slowly rise up out of the mists. 
The armies are no more. The khaki soldier is a 
mere citizen again-but a better citizen. If he put 
much into the Great War, now but a memory, he got 
much out of it that is imperishable-things of the 
spirit, and not the least of them a fine militant pa- 
triotism. The Journey Back 
HE longest and hardest part of the war was 
J waiting to come home. After November 
| nth, the high tension that had kept us 
g°ing f°r so many months gave way. The 
r most important question at training camp 
had been "When do we eat?" During 
hostilities, with thousands of casualties pouring in from 
the front, our highest ideal was to get along without stop- 
ping to eat. After the armistice followed a long period of 
"watchful waiting," during which we could think of nothing 
but "When do we leave?" 
Each day brought forth more new prophets, who knew 
the exact day, the exact hour, and the very minute that 
Base Hospital No. 45 would proceed to the port of em- 
barkation, "the travel being necessary in the military ser- 
vice." Every new event gave rise to an imaginary passage 
on "hommes 40 or cheveaux 8." Our commander and four 
officers received orders to proceed to Brest. Captain Ander- 
son left to join the 40th division, Lieutenant Van Camp 
joined the First division in Germany. Base Hospital No. 
82 moved in and took over our patients. Following upon 
these changes, a detachment of our men were quartered at 
Base Hospital No. 210, the remainder being assigned to 
tents at the triage. 
1 o the American mind a great deal of the romance of 
war is associated with tents, and some of our most sentimen- 
tal songs smack of canvas, but a tent in "sunny" Toul, and a 
French tent at that, is a most miserable domicile. The of- 
ficers fared a little better than the tent dwellers, having 
been moved from their quarters to the second floor of the 
central building. L^pon these upheavals, Private Getty 310 
U. S. A rm y Bas e Hos pi t a l N o. 4 5 
thought we would soon receive our orders, Sergeant Shep- 
herd knew so and Sergeant Burnette hoped so. Finally, 
after much wagging of heads by the wiseacres, orders came 
to entrain on February 16th. 
Our progress from Toul was mainly a process of 
elimination, having lost our commanding officer, our chap- 
lain and six other officers. We were taken through Paris, 
Eroxeux, and Le Mans, detouring at Nantes, a circuitous 
route. Wandering around like Theseus in the Labyrinth, 
we came near losing Charley Jones and we did lose Lieu- 
tenant Boushall, who was allowed his discharge in France 
to take charge of an American bank in Belgium. At 
Nantes we lost the nurses, who, after traveling two days 
in fourth-class coaches, were ordered to the port of Brest. 
A troop train in France carries with it all the discom- 
forts that the most patriotic recruit could long for, since his 
idea of duty is to make himself as cold, tired, wet and 
wretched as possible. Wedged against one another in box 
cars, the eyes of a few, fortunate enough to occupy the 
doors, might have gone out to feast with pleasure on the 
beautiful landscape of France, but on all sides the view was 
marred by heaps of corned willy and bean cans which fol- 
lowed the tracks in an inevitable trail. Therefore, it wras 
with physical relief, if mental anguish, that we detrained 
at Nantes. 
I he dream of proceeding to St. Nazaire for transpor- 
tation to the United States had vanished when our or- 
ganization was ordered to proceed by foot across the Loire 
to the village of St. Sebastian. Headquarters were estab- 
lished near the University of Virginia unit with Mobile Hos- 
pital No. i, an organization which had a most enviable 
record. The enlisted personnel were divided into detach- 
ments and billeted in outhouses, glass houses, stables and 
quondam cafes which had an air of having seen better days. 
One ill-fated detachment was hard put to it, installed be- 
tween a live cafe on one side and a house full of sparkling Home Again 
311 
mademoiselles on the other. When in the course of social 
uplift they were given a rousing lecture on morals, one 
private is reported to have remarked that anyway he was 
as near heaven as he ever expected to be. 
The ladies of Nantes gave a most delightful dance to 
the American officers stationed in the city. French dancing 
and dance etiquette were quite novel to us, but like aeroplan- 
ing, were worth trying once. One of the main attractions 
was an old-time American bar which had been installed for 
the entertainment of the guests. A detachment of Amer- 
ican military police in charge of a sergeant was placed 
around the bar to maintain sobriety. In the midst of the 
dance, an ambulance rushed up and stretcher bearers hur- 
ried to the bar. The dance came to a halt and all eyes 
turned to see the rank of the indiscreet officer who could so 
disgrace himself. In peering over the heads of the crowd 
one saw stretched on the litter an unconscious American 
sergeant, M. P. 
In spite of a standing order that no officer could allow 
a man a pass beyond the Nantes area, Lieutenant-Colonel 
Nelson, on learning that our nurses were alone in Brest, 
ordered Captain Charles Phillips to proceed to that port 
for the purpose of accompanying them to America. This 
order was executed. After Captain Phillips' departure our 
roster was greatly reduced by the arrival of orders for all 
officers save three to proceed to Brest. The organization 
now consisted of Lieutenant-Colonel John G. Nelson, com- 
mander; Major John B. Williams, adjutant; Captain Wil- 
liam B. Hopkins, detachment commander, and 348 non- 
commissioned officers and men. 
Now the generals in this army were a foxy lot, and a pet 
idea of theirs, to keep a soldier's hopes up, was suddenly 
and frequently to order an inspection for anything and 
everything from highly prized souvenirs to lice; all of which 
were confiscated by the government. During these weary 
times, which truly tried men's souls, restrictions were 312 
U. S. A r m y Base Hospital N o. 4 5 
numerous, drills frequent and home sickness prevalent. 
Regulated diversions consisted mainly of A. E. F. vaude- 
ville, competitive drills, band concerts, baseball. Irregular 
diversion consisted of various and sundry games and track 
meets held with other outfits within the Nantes area. Chap- 
lain Tucker, of the University of Virginia unit, held relig- 
ious services which were always well attended. 
When orders came to entrain for St. Nazaire the sick 
were made well and the cripple did walk. The organiza- 
tion detrained at dusk and passed hastily through delousers, 
examinations, and baths. The personnel detachment worked 
through the entire night endeavoring to comply with Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Nelson's idea that not a single man be left 
in P rance. This ideal was realized, though it necessitated 
Lieutenant-Colonel Nelson's driving to the dock at 2 A. M. 
to awaken the ship's captain in the most casual manner and 
to obtain from him permission to bring his entire organiza- 
tion aboard the following morning at 9 o'clock. 
It is with great pleasure that we remember the clock- 
like precision with which every detail necessary to our de- 
parture was planned and executed at St. Nazaire. The 
manner in which the commanding general and his personnel 
managed the port was a masterpiece of efficiency. 
The Walter A. Luckenbach seemed the best ship in the 
world, one time rough but at all times rideable. On April 
14th, the mercury dropped 400 in an hour, and there were 
naturally visions of an iceberg as this was the anniversary 
of the Titanic disaster. 
On the slow jog-trot of every-day life, moments of ex- 
altation are few and epochal. From the first moment 
of enlistment emotional crises came so fast that it would 
have been difficult indeed to marshal them into orderly 
ranks and to say which moment most completely swept one 
off one's feet. Looking back now, three great moments 
stand out most clearly in my mind. The first, on our 
voyage over, upon nearing the other side, was the memor- Home A g a i n 
313 
able sight of the American flag on our destroyers! Never 
before had I seen the stars and stripes with the same surg- 
ing thrill of patriotism. It made many of us realize for the 
first time the meaning of "My own, my native land." The 
second great moment was when the earth began to tremble 
during the first American drive. A feeling of helplessness 
came over me-helplessness to do anything but wait for the 
streams of wounded; realization that ours was but a sec- 
ondary part compared to the boys who were bleeding for 
our country. It made us feel for the first time the real love 
of our fellow-man. The third great moment was at the 
majestic sight of the Statue of Liberty as we rode into 
New York harbor, and with it came thankfulness and rever- 
ence and a feeling of unworthiness that we should have the 
joy of coming back when so many valiant men slept in 
France. Silently, almost unconsciously, hats were removed 
and heads were bowed. 
Upon debarkation at Hoboken, Base Hospital No. 45 
was transported immediately to Camp Merritt, Delaware, 
where a division was made by states. We now consisted of 
only those men who were to receive their discharge in Vir- 
ginia. The remnant of our organization was mustered out 
at Camp Lee on April 29th. A few hours before the neces- 
sary papers were executed we received a voluble lecture on 
"Why You Should Re-Enlist in the Army." None re- 
sponded. In case of another war, all will respond willingly. 
John Bell Williams. 
WITH THE NURSES 
When orders were received for the nurses to leave Toul 
it was stated that fifty were to remain in France and fifty 
to return to the United States. Consideration was first given 
to those who had been ill, and after that, as nearly as pos- 
sible, the choice was left to the individuals as to whether or 
not they would remain. 314 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
On the morning of February 16, 1919, our unit, number- 
ing fifty-three nurses and civilians, boarded a troop train en 
route to LaBaule, a temporary rest camp for the army nurse 
corps of the A. E. F. Our officers and men of the detach- 
ment traveled on the same train with us as far as Nantes, 
where they detrained for a near-by rest camp to await 
further orders. 
As we left our hospital (which had been taken over by 
Base Hospital No. 82) and the Justice Group and were 
being driven down the hill leading into Toul, on through 
its narrow, muddy streets to the station, no doubt many of 
our hearts were filled with thankfulness that we had been 
permitted to play a part in the great drama which redeemed 
this people from the dominion of the Prussian war lord; 
and the ringing of the church bells on that Sabbath morn 
no longer filled our hearts with anguish that a "Boche might 
be near," but instead a prayer of gratitude that we were 
returning to our own country with an understanding which 
we could not have had otherwise. 
Our accommodations on the troop train were not the 
famous parlor cars of the A. E. F. "40 hommes or 8 
cheveaux," but instead compartments, with two seats facing, 
with space for four passengers each, where we cooked, ate, 
slept, and lived. After hours and hours of such travel one 
grew weary of it, I can assure you, but there, as elsewhere, 
a wonderful spirit was shown by all of making the best of 
things in a cheerful and seemingly lighthearted way. 
On the night of February 18th we arrived at LaBaule 
in a drizzling rain, stiff, cold and uncomfortable, but not 
hungry, as we had been well supplied with rations. As night 
came on our train was in darkness with the exception of a 
few flickering candles which some thoughtful person had 
brought. You can picture our scramble in getting off that 
train. In fact, some of the group were taken on to the 
next station. After the usual "waiting in line" we were 
assigned to quarters. And what joy to get into a bed once 
more, even though the sheets were cold and damp I Home Again 
315 
LaBaule is a summer resort in the southern part of 
France on the coast of Brittany near St. Nazaire, and a most 
beautiful spot with the native Bretons in their picturesque 
costumes, their boats with parti-colored sails, the rough 
coast and lovely seashells, which we gathered by the hour 
to bring home. Many of us made visits to the quaint near- 
by towns, where antique shops were numerous and beautiful 
things were bought at a very low cost. 
We remained at LaBaule until February 26th, when we 
entrained for Brest (our port of embarkation). After a 
long day's journey we reached Brest to find that we were 
to be quartered at Camp Kerhuan, some miles out from the 
city. So about midnight we landed there to find awaiting 
us nice warm quarters with delicious hot chocolate and 
doughnuts served by the boys. We were royally treated 
while there by Colonel Hayes and his personnel. The camp 
seemed to have been built in a mudhole connected up by 
duckboard walks. But the surrounding country-side was 
beautiful. 
When we left LaBaule we were under the impression 
that we would return home on the Leviathan, but instead 
we embarked March 3rd on the Agamemnon, which at 
that time was the second largest boat afloat, being previously 
known as the Kaiser Wilhelm II, which had been converted 
into a transport. As we were taken over to our boat, beau- 
tiful strains of music floated across the harbor from majes- 
tic ships anchored there, bedecked in many colored flags and 
the regalia of peace. 
Every available space on the Agamemnon was filled 
with troops returning to the United States. Our only diver- 
sion was walking on deck (there being no deck chairs) or 
assembling in the dining-room after the evening meal to 
chat for a while. Every one was so tired there seemed 
little or no enthusiasm over anything, so after a rather un- 
eventful trip, excepting a very high sea, we landed in Hobo- 
ken on March nth. Glad to be home! 316 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
Upon our arrival, 'mid cheers from even the house- 
tops, we were greeted by a delegation from Red Cross head- 
quarters of New York city, and the motor corps took us to 
a hospital where we were inspected by the chief nurse and 
given our liberty from quarantine. As there was not room 
for all of us at the Albert Hotel (demobilization head- 
quarters) we were sent in groups to various other hotels in 
the city. Each day we met at the Albert and wondered (those 
who did not sign up for further service) how many more 
days there would be until we could go home. However, 
by the 20th of March, all of us had returned to our homes 
with the exception of Miss Ivy Thomasson. Miss Thom- 
asson's untiring and self-sacrificing work in France had 
brought on an attack of pneumonia, and though she ap- 
peared to stand the voyage well, she became ill upon arrival 
and was taken to a hospital, then later was removed to Wal- 
ter Reed Hospital, where she still remains patient and brave. 
To some of our members their return home meant 
"wedding bells," to others rest-Oh, nothing but rest-and 
then to others the gathering up of the ends of a partly 
finished work. 
Home! Back to the peace and quiet of our own fire- 
sides with our souls and minds filled with memories of the 
past. Possibly the tone of a bell would bring back to us 
those moonlight nights, which we dreaded to see, for it was 
at that time "Mr. Fritz" played so much disaster from 
overhead. Or at the glimpse of a khaki-clad form came 
memories of those brave boys who were brought back from 
the front lines to our hospital. There was a greenhouse 
not far from our entrance gates where we could get beau- 
tiful flowers which they loved, and more often than not we 
would find blooming plants in the wards which they cared 
for, Oh, so tenderly! One night in passing through a ward 
with some flowers a feeble hand reached out for one and a 
wan smile spread over the soldier's face. He was desper- 
ately ill with pneumonia. The next morning his bed was Home Again 
317 
empty, and I was told the faded flower had been packed 
in his comfort kit with his few personal belongings to be 
sent home. Such memories as these are so sacred that I 
hardly dare write about them, but those were the things 
that helped us carry on the great work which had been en- 
trusted to us. 
Juliet Montgomery. 
(Mrs. H. J. Winans.) FACING TOWARD AMERICA The journey back was as huddled and uncomfortable 
as the journey over, but it differed in the point of 
view, which was everything. 
About six of the officers were detached and sent 
ahead. The main body of the organization followed 
several weeks later. At Nantes the nurses were sepa- 
rated and ordered to Brest where they embarked on 
the steamer Agamemnon. The remainder of the unit, 
after a halt at Nantes left St. N azair e aboard the 
iValter A. Luckenbach. There were no submarines now 
and the Statue of Liberty was advancing and not re- 
ceding in the distance. Nothing else was worth con- 
sidering. Everybody landed at Hoboken and, either 
there or in gaunt and vacant cantonments, the last reels 
of red tape were unrolled. Then-Home again! Farewell Dance for Officers and Nurses at Tout. Base Hospital No. 45 "Special." 
Stretching Their Legs. 40 Hommes. 
Interior of Box Car. Glass House Billet at Nantes. 
Men's Kitchen at Nantes. Billet No. i at Nantes. 
Another Billet at Nantes. Officers' Billet at Nantes. 
''Oscar" and Comt'anions at Nantes. Laundry at Panics 
Pack Inspection at Nantes. Base Hospital No. 45 Crossing Loire to Entrain for St. Nazaire. 
Pulling Away from St. Nazaire. 'Comforts" Aboard Shift. On the Ocean. 
Pulling Into New York. Nurses at Palace of Prince of Monaco. 
Nurses Entertained on Battleship "Oklahoma. The Fairest Sight of All. 
Nurses Aboard Agamemnon; Reception in Richmond 
a profound sense of gratitude for the 
return of Base Hospital No. 45, the equip- 
ment of which was assembled by the Rich- 
mond chapter of the American Red Cross, 
the chairman of the chapter called a mass 
meeting of the citizens of Richmond in the 
city auditorium on May 22, 1919. 
The purpose of the meeting was to give the citizens 
of the city who had supplied the equipment and most of 
the personnel an opportunity to hear just what had been 
accomplished by Base Hospital Xo. 45' to express the 
thanks of the whole city that so many of the unit had been 
privileged to serve and to return home safely, and to share 
in the memorialization of those of the unit who had sacri- 
ficed their lives on the altar of duty. 
On the night of May 22nd the auditorium was crowded 
with men and women eager to welcome home Base Hos- 
pital No. 45 and to do honor to its splendid achievements. 
The stage was filled with members of the Richmond chapter 
dressed in uniforms representing the various branches of 
Red Cross service. 
As the members of Base Hospital Xo. 45 marched 
down the aisle in their overseas uniforms, following the 
Hag which had been presented to them upon the departure 
of the nursing corps and had been with them in b rance, 
the whole audience arose and gave a mighty cheer. 
The meeting was formally opened by Mr. Coleman 
Wortham, chairman of the local Red Cross. He made an 
address of welcome, expressing the pride that the Rich- 
mond chapter felt in the accomplishments of Base Hospital 320 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
No. 45, whose splendid record of service would add prestige 
to the Richmond chapter, to the Medical College of Vir- 
ginia, from which institution most of the medical, dental 
and pharmaceutical staff had been selected, and to the 
State of Virginia. 
Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart McGuire, commanding of- 
ficer of Base Hospital No. 45, replying to the address of 
Mr. Wortham, told of the organization of the unit and of 
how impossible its formation would have been without the 
enthusiastic support of the Richmond chapter. He men- 
tioned how many members of the local Red Cross had 
dropped their business entirely and devoted their whole 
time to the forming of the unit. He then spoke briefly of 
the work in France. The base hospital, he said, was very 
fortunate in being placed near the front lines so that the 
service was a very active one. In conclusion, he expressed 
his thankfulness that so few of the unit were crippled by 
disease or met death. 
On behalf of Base Hospital No. 45, Lieutenant- 
Colonel John Garnett Nelson presented the United States 
flag which had been with the hospital throughout the war 
to the Richmond chapter. Mr. H. G. Boykin received the 
flag for the Red Cross and made suitable acknowledgment 
for the gift. 
Coleman Wortham. The V eterans' Association 
'HE spirit that united us during the receding 
days of war lives on through these days 
of peace in the form of Base Hospital No. 
45 Veterans' Association. 
£ The idea of such an association was first 
Jl conceived during the early part of 1921. 
A reunion of the membership of the unit was arranged for 
February 28th, of that year, this being the third anniversary 
of the call which mustered the base hospital into active 
service. A banquet was held at the Hotel Richmond, and 
at the conclusion of a program which took the crowd vividly 
back to the eventful months spent in France, it was unani- 
mously decided to organize a permanent association designed 
to perpetuate the vows and spirit of the organization. 
Dr. Stuart McGuire, former commanding officer, was 
made honorary commander for life, and the following active 
officers were elected: Commander, William B. FJwang; 
vice-commander, Dr. Joseph F. Geisinger; adjutant and 
finance officer, Edgar A. Barlow. Members of staff: Dr. 
John Bell Williams, Lloyd C. Bird, Dr. J. Garnett Nelson, 
Frank Levy, Dr. James H. Smith, Waller G. Burnette and 
John Harkess. An honorary member was elected, Mr. 
Richard Gwathmey, who performed the heroic service of 
purchasing and assembling our equipment at an expense of 
nearly $140,000 raised by the Richmond Red Cross. 
During the year the details of the organization were 
worked out by the officers and staff. A complete roster of 
the unit was compiled, a constitution and by-laws were pre- 
pared and adopted and a successful membership campaign 
was conducted. 322 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
1'he second annual reunion of the association was held 
at the Commonwealth Club, Richmond, on February 28, 
1922. Following a banquet, business session and a pro- 
gram filled with reminiscence, the following officers were 
elected: Commander, Irving May; vice-commander, Dr. 
Carrington Williams; adjutant and finance officer, Frank 
Levy; chaplain, Dr. W. Russell Bowie; staff, Mrs. Stuart 
McGuire, Dr. Greer Baughman, Dr. Fred M. Hodges, Lee 
S. Liggan, Walter Moore, George Geddy, Frank Kim- 
brough. 
Much constructive work was done during the second 
year of the organization, the most notable feature being the 
emergency benefit fund. This excellent plan, designed to 
help the sick and disabled in the organization as well as 
those in need of assistance of any kind, was worked out by 
the officers and staff and a resolution suggesting its adoption 
was prepared for presentation at the next meeting of the 
association. 
On December 19, 1922, the organization suffered an 
irreparable loss in the death of Dr. E. Guy Flopkins. Flis 
warm-hearted, genial personality endeared him to all, and 
the association mourns the loss of a true friend and a loyal 
comrade. 
On February 28, 1923, the regular annual meeting was 
held at the Commonwealth Club with a record attendance, 
more out-of-town members being present than on any previ- 
ous occasion. Following the banquet a brief but impressive 
memorial service was held. With every one standing at at- 
tention the names of departed comrades were read and taps 
was sounded. After a short business session, in which a 
review of the year's work was made by the retiring com- 
mander, the evening was devoted to a program of frolic 
and fun. The following officers were elected for the new 
year: Commander, Dr. Greer Baughman; vice-commander, 
Mrs. Howard Winans; adjutant and finance officer, Frank 
Levy; members of staff: Miss Emma C. Breckinridge, Miss Home Again 
323 
Emily Gordon Friend, Dr. Paul V. Anderson, Dr. R. C. 
Fravel, James Albert Hill, Charles H. Schaaf and Dave 
Wolf. The emergency relief fund plan was enthusiastically 
received and adopted and the committee for its supervision 
was appointed by the commander. 
Base Hospital No. 45 Veterans' Association has en- 
joyed a healthy growth since its organization. Its future 
is assured. The interest displayed by the members promises 
a steadily growing influence for good. The membership is 
united in an enduring association of friendship and helpful- 
ness to one another and, to quote from the constitution, it 
is "an organization to which any member in time of dis- 
tress or misfortune may confidently and unshrinkingly look 
for sympathy and assistance." As the years go by the as- 
sociation will mean more and more to each of its members, 
for in it are friendships, formed during the stress of war, 
which can never be replaced. 
William B. Elwang. Recognitions 
9*^' N addition to official commendations from 
various quarters at various times, Base 
Hospital No. 45, through its commanding 
officer, received several more formal 
recognitions. 
The Distinguished Service Medal, 
awarded by the United States government, was bestowed 
upon Lieutenant-Colonel McGuire with full military cere- 
monies at Fort Monroe on January 12, 1922, by Major- 
General C. J. Bailey, commanding officer of the Third 
corps area. The citation reads as follows: 
"Stuart McGuire, Lieutenant-Colonel Medical Corps, 
United States Army. For exceptionally meritorious and 
distinguished services in a position of great responsibility. 
As Commanding Officer of Base Hospital No. 45, he re- 
ceived and cared for a very large number of wounded, 
evacuated in that hospital during the battle of the Argonne, 
in September and October, 1918. By his administrative 
and professional skill he has reflected credit upon the 
Medical Department of the Army." 
A medal of honor for distinguished service was pre- 
sented by the French government to Lieutenant-Colonel 
McGuire in March. 1919, accompanied by a certificate 
which, with a liberal translation, follows: 
Republique Francaise 
Ministere De La Guerre 
Recompense pour Belles Actions 
Medaille D'Honneur 
Au nom du President de la Republique H o m e Again 
325 
Le Ministre de la Guerre a decerne une Medaille 
d'honneur en Argent au Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart Mc- 
Guire, M. C., Base Hospital No. 45, at Toul. 
A prodigue aux malades et blesse's francais les soins 
les plus ulaires et les plus devoue's. 
Le Lieutenant-Colonel McGuire est autorise a porter 
cette Medaille suspendue a la boutonniere par un ruban 
tricolore egalement divise'. 
Ce diplome lui a ete delivre afin de perpetuer dans sa 
famille et au milieu de ses concitoyens le souvenir de son 
honorable et courageuse conduite. 
Paris, le 18 Mars 1919 
P. Le Ministre de la Guerre, 
Le sous secretaire d'Etat du Service de Sante' Militaire. 
Louis Meaurer. 
Republic of France 
Minister of War 
A reward for excellent service 
Medal of Honor 
In the name of the President of the Republic 
The Minister of War has awarded a Silver Medal of 
Honor to Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart McGuire, M. C., Base 
Hospital No. 45, at Toul. 
To those of the French who were seriously ill and 
wounded the most devoted and best of attention was given 
them. 
The Lieutenant-Colonel McGuire is authorized to wear 
this medal suspended from his lapel by a three-colored rib- 
bon equally divided. 
This diploma has been given to perpetuate in his family 326 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
and all citizens the reward of his honorable and courageous 
conduct. 
At Paris March 18, 1919. 
By the Minister of War, 
The Secretary of State of Military Health Service, 
Louis Meaurer. 
The French medaille des epidemies was also awarded to 
Lieutenant-Colonel McGuire, Mrs. McGuire, Miss Emma 
Broaddus, Miss Dora Carothers, Miss A. Madge Driver, 
and Miss Lucy Jeffrey, all members of Base Hospital No. 
45. Each of the recipients received a copy of the presenta- 
tion address by M. d'Ambert, chief of cabinet of the Second 
Secretary of State of the Health Service. 
A meritorious service certificate was awarded on May 5, 
1919, to Miss Ivy Thomasson, who contracted pneumonia 
while on duty in France and who is still a patient at the 
Walter Reed Hospital in Washington. The certificate con- 
tained the following citation: 
"For exceptionally meritorious and conspicuous services 
during St. Mihiel Offensive, American Expeditionary 
Forces, in testimony thereof and as an expression of appre- 
ciation of those services, I award her this citation. John J. 
Pershing, Commander-in-Chief." J'Accuse La Guerre-A Retrospect 
IHEN I bade good-bye to Toul on January 
21, 1919, I thought that of all the places 
on the earth's surface this was the very last 
spot 1 ever wished to set eyes upon again. 
But what a leveler is Time 1 How he 
smooths off the rough corners, fills in, and 
rounds out, until we would scarcely recognize the thing 
at all! 
The hardships are forgotten; the mists of misunder- 
standing dissolve; the little petty things disappear, and only 
the really big ones that count remain. The happier in- 
stances grow more vivid and remain to gladden and cheer 
us as the years go by. 
And so after a year, Toul the aged city with its em- 
battled walls and moat about it-1 oul with its mountains, 
plains and river-Toul, the great strategic gateway of 
France, began pulling at me like a lodestone until finally 
this summer, after just four years, it drew me overseas 
again and claimed me utterly. 
No troop trains this time; but with my wife and two 
dear friends we pulled into the station one Saturday in 
August, and, securing an aged garcon with a push-cart to 
trundle our baggage, we followed him afoot over the canal, 
up the street, over the great drawbridge, under the port- 
cullis and into Toul again. 
How changed it is, and yet how unchanged! 1 he same 
little news-stand; the same little shops-only all is now dull 
and dead-asleep. 
Toul is essentially a military city and the soldiers of 328 
U. S. Army B a s f. Hospi t al No. 45 
France are in the Ruhr; and now no boys in khaki swarm 
its time-worn streets. 
I saw no familiar faces. The Comedie, where we 
stopped, has changed hands. The Bosket is not the same; 
"Mamselle" is not there. Kindly old Madame of the Lace 
Shop has gone to her reward. 
But the sun was shining brightly, so after lunch we took 
the old familiar road to the barracks over the hill. By 45, 
by 53, on past 87, until we saw the long low outline of the 
old shooting gallery in the field beyond. 
I was looking for English's grave, and memories of 
the day we buried him came back with poignant vividness. 
The French cemetery to the right is there; neat, well- 
kept, with all its real and artificial Howers; with the little 
tri-colored rosettes upon its wooden crosses making a brave 
appearance in the sun. But on the left beside the old gallery 
there are only some long sunken trenches where our boys 
were buried. They have all been removed. Some have 
come home, others have gone to that beautiful resting place 
at Romagne which our government has provided. 
On our way back we stopped and turned in the old 
familiar gateway of Caserne LaMarche. Past the guard- 
house; on across the drill ground of the compound. How 
changed! The triage tents are gone; our wonderful porte 
cochere which we built over the recovery ward has vanished. 
They have even blotted out the huge cross in the com- 
pound that told the airmen to hold their bombs. The place 
is all but deserted, for only a half dozen men are left as 
care-takers; the rest are in the Ruhr. 
I found a sergeant and in my best French I made him 
understand that this was my old home during the war, and 
then he was eager to take me everywhere. 
We visited the rooms where we worked and ate and 
slept; clattered up the iron-ribbed stairs, through ward after 
ward. How familiar it all was, and yet how changed since Home Again 
329 
Forty-five had its being there. The operating room has be- 
come an armory again, with gun-racks all down the center; 
but the wonderful picture of the kitchen is still there on the 
wall and the old fellow peeling the potatoes is still squinting 
to keep the cigarette smoke out of his eyes. As we went 
from building to building, from ward to corridor, many 
were the scenes that came crowding back upon my memory. 
At last we climbed to the top story of the central building, 
and going to the window in its east end we looked out upon 
Toul, with the sunshine on the turrets of the old cathedral. 
I saw the canal gleaming like a silver ribbon between 
green banks. I saw the valley of the Moselle. I saw the 
shoulder of Mount Saint Michael with its gun-crested 
heights, around which swept the road that leads to the old 
battle line before Saint Mihiel. I looked toward Nancy, 
toward Pont-a-Mousson, and toward Verdun, and I thought 
of the glories of war. 
Again the roads were choked with masses of moving 
men; the railroads blocked with troop trains. I saw long 
lines of the big blue camions of the French, the great spotted 
howitzers and siege guns, and then battery after battery 
there swung by the beloved soixante quinze. And then came 
our boys in khaki, light of step, light of heart; wave on wave 
they came, rising to a veritable Hood. I saw France pros- 
trate, devastated; her towns and villages but heaps of 
rubble; her fields laid waste, serried with maze of trench 
and network of tangled wire, pock-marked with shell holes, 
blighted with poisonous gas. 
I saw her today with new villages, towns, and cities ris- 
ing from the ashes of the old. I saw her wrecked fields 
leveled, bearing upon their bosoms once again great waving 
crops of yellow ripening grain. 
I saw all France at work; blotting out, covering up, 
rebuilding, tilling the soil. And I thought of the bless- 
ings of peace. U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
330 
And I wondered what it all meant? What was it for? 
What had been accomplished? How was such a stupendous 
thing, such a monstrous thing, allowed to happen? Was it 
really the premeditated act of a crazy king? Was it 
ambition, greed, lust of power of certain coteries of men 
about him that set in motion forces that broke bounds and 
could not be stayed nor stopped? Is there such a thing as a 
pressure of peoples culminating in social chaos; like the 
great cataclysms of nature, when room must be had by vast 
unknown forces, even though the very surface of the earth 
is rent and cracked and broken, blotting out nations or 
sinking countries into the sea? Are such things willed or 
fore-ordained? Are we really free agents? Or are we 
after all just puppets in one grand show; each nation, each 
individual playing his own allotted part as the Master di- 
rects, until the curtain is rung down? Why did we of 
Forty-five come overseas to witness and have part in such 
a horror? Was it really to help make the world safe for 
democracy? Have wre done this thing? Is it safer? Have 
we ourselves gained morally or spiritually by such a sacri- 
fice? In one fleeting instant I seemed to visualize it all- 
the whole scheme of war-clearly, intimately, even as one 
sees the littlest twigs of a tree by the lightning's flash- 
I saw it all I 
I heard the shot at Sarajevo; saw the Prince fall. I 
heard the crackling of the message as it sped through the 
air over wire and under sea to the uttermost quarters of 
the globe. I saw the seething turmoil in the capitals, the 
hurrying of statesmen, the summoning of councils; saw the 
messengers go forth and the mobilizations begin. 
Everywhere I saw armed men marching. I saw the 
mobilization of all the resources of all the nations of the 
earth; the financiers gathering gold, floating bonds, 
strengthening the sinews of war. I saw the windows of 
all the factories of the world aglow with light, their H o m e Again 
331 
chimneys belching forth black smoke, and men and women 
pouring in, to work. There was no night and no day. Guns 
and more guns-ammunition-fabrics-food! Shipyards 
sprang into being as if by magic, and down the ways new 
fleets of vessels slipped into the sea. I saw such traffic by 
road and rail as has not been before; until great masses of 
goods, mountains of supplies, stood ready. And then the 
great movement began. 
From every corner of the earth, men, guns, ammuni- 
tion, food, supplies were being moved and concentrated 
along a ragged line that stretched from the English channel 
through Belgium and northern France to Switzerland. 
There were other lines in Russia, Italy, Servia, and even in 
the Holy Land. But the great struggle for world mastery 
was here. Here the sum of all human hope and fear was 
concentrated. Here all the shipping of all the seven seas 
was pointed. I saw great fleets of huge steel ships crowded 
to the guards with men, zig-zagging their way across the 
ocean. I saw the keen, trim destroyers-before, behind, on 
either side; watchful like shepherd dogs guarding their 
flocks; sleepless; tireless; alert. The fleets of England, 
France, and America on guard; the deadly C-boats fending 
them off. Overhead I heard the drone of hostile fleets, 
while the airmen fought and watched lest that ragged line 
should break. 
Men spread huge nets of steel in the sea; laid barriers 
of sunken mines; marked and plotted the sea like the streets 
of a town and filled them with patrols. In the uttermost 
oceans fleet met fleet and battled to the end. Brave mer- 
chantmen fell prey to hidden foes that lurked beneath the 
waves, till the ocean's bottom became a veritable graveyard 
of sunken hulls. And this was all to hold or break that 
fateful ragged line. 
Here men fought hand to hand with all the primeval 
instincts of the beasts; with all the subtle skill and cun- 332 
U. S. A R M Y B AS E H OS PI 1 AL N O. 45 
ning with which centuries of schooling have endowed them. 
1'hey fought with all the hellish weapons of all the ages, 
with every engine and appliance known to art and science. 
I saw men lying submerged in muck; wallowing in mud; 
impaled on sharpened stakes; wrapped and entangled in 
barbed wire; torn with shell fragments; raked with wither- 
ing sheets of machine-gun bullets that drove like sleet across 
the open spaces. Locked in the ground waist deep in 
polluted water, they seared one another with sheets of flame. 
The earth meanwhile was plowed and churned with shell 
and bomb; and now and again there drifted down the wind 
a deadly yellow pestilence of poisonous gas that burned 
and seared and choked and made men blind. Yet on they 
came, more and more men from either side into this hell, 
this ragged line that bent and swayed and stretched and 
broke and then reformed-always reformed. 
The scene changed. I was looking down into our bar- 
rack yard. It was night! not a ray of light from anywhere. 
The yard was filled with litters, while the ambulances were 
ever bringing more and more. Over toward Saint Mihiel 
I heard the crash and roar of guns; saw their long con- 
tinuous flash upon the sky line; and then looked down upon 
their dread product in the yard. I heard the measured 
shuffling tread of the litter-bearers. I saw the operating 
rooms; every table full; every team at work; caring for 
those silent, mutilated men; and I knew that this was just 
one little spot on one side of that ragged, bending line. I 
knew that for miles and miles on either side of it, other hos- 
pital yards were deluged with mangled men. 
1 knew that at every rail-head trains were ready, wait- 
ing to bear them away to give their beds to others that were 
to come. I knew that along that line on either side the 
graveyards were spreading-ever spreading. I saw them 
like great crimson blots of blood on the green bosom of Home Again 
333 
Europe and even as I watched they seemed to grow and 
grow, marking the mortal wounds in her breast beneath. 
And then came day, and with it a lull between battles. 
The sun shone beautifully, and I thought what a good place 
this world was to be in, after all. Suddenly I heard a 
piercing cry; and, looking down into the compound, I saw 
one of the French women who waited on our table. Her 
shawl was thrown about her head, but her sobbing fairly 
shook her poor frail body. Two others rushed out and 
threw their arms about her and hurried her away. I knew 
what she had gotten. It was the message saying how her 
Pierre had given his life for France; how bravely he had 
fought; how valiantly he had died. The compound vanished, 
and I saw the mortal anguish of the women at the foot of 
the Cross. 
I saw a titled lady of England receive the message in 
silence. I saw it come to a shrieking Yiddish woman on 
the Bowery, who raved and screamed, and fought with 
those who tried to comfort her. I saw it come to a log 
cabin far up in the mountains of British Columbia, and I 
saw the passionate weeping of the mother. I saw it come 
to a sheep farm in Australia. She sat before the door of 
her humble home, carding wool and singing at her work. 
I saw her stiffen as the dull horror drove home, and I knew 
that she too had been crucified. I saw a black woman be- 
fore her thatched hut in Africa, searing her breasts with 
live coals. I saw a woman in Indo-China-copper colored, 
slant-eyed-begging mercy of a strangely immobile idol, and 
I knew that word had come to her. I saw an Indian scout 
riding across the plains of Idaho. I saw' him come to a 
group of his people sitting about a fire in the center of their 
village, and give his message. I saw a woman leave the 
group in silence. Pulling her shawd more closely about her 
shoulders, she slowly went into her tepee. Black Otter had 
fought bravely for his country; had upheld the best tradi- 334 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
tions of his tribe; but he would return no more from Trance 
when the other braves came back to their people. 
Oh, Mary! Mother of Christ! the extremity of suffer- 
ing your sisters have endured! 
Oh, God! Father of us all! the untold agony of it- 
this monstrous thing that has turned all Belgium's gardens 
into Gethsemanes and made of every hilltop in France a 
Calvary! 
What does it mean? What is it for? Is there really 
no other way? 
Tell us I Give us a sign! 
Can it be possible that this thing, this Armageddon, is 
the only way? 
Oh, God! is war indeed the only price of Peace? 
William Lowndes Peple. THE LIGHTER SIDE In our unit were one real artist and numerous 
psuedo-artists. The real artist appears elsewhere. The 
psuedos revel here and mostly Dick Rauh who was 
no mean caricaturist. We were laden with a sheaf of 
cartoons, sketches, etc., from various ambitious sources, 
but the humor (or whatever it was supposed to be) 
was so skilfully concealed in many of them that we 
felt it would be too serious an intellectual tax upon 
our readers to display them. What we have included 
in this section is perhaps less artistic but more pointed. 
At all events the members of Base Hospital No. 45 
zvill have no difficulty placing the events and the people. Scene in Colored Ward. Familiar Scene in Toul. The Roster 
This roster is compiled as of Armistice Day, November 
ii, 1918, at which time the whole unit was functioning with 
the hospital working at full capacity. 
ADMINISTRATIVE 
COMMANDING OFFICER 
Stuart McGuire Lieut. Col., M. C Richmond, Va. 
ADJUTANT 
Thomas C. Boushall 1st Lieut., San. C Raleigh, N. C. 
REGISTRAR 
**Greer Baughman Captain, M. C Richmond, Va. 
MEDICAL SUPPLY AND PERSONNEL 
**Charles Phillips 1st Lieut., M. C Richmond, Va. 
QUARTERMASTER 
C. Olaf Jenson 2nd Lieut., Q. M. C....Edgerton, Wis. 
MESS OFFICER 
Willis W. James Captain, San. C San Antonio, Tex. 
DETACHMENT COMMANDER 
tWilliam B. Hopkins Captain, M. C -Richmond, Va. 
RECEIVING WARD 
*Quintus H. Barney 1st Lieut., M. C Wardensville, W. Va. 
*Thomas H. Van Camp -1st Lieut., M. C Greenfield, Iowa. 
CHAPLAIN 
Walter Russell Bowie, D. D - „ Richmond, Va. 336 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
MEDICAL SERVICE 
*John Garnett Nelson Major, M. C., Chief of Service....Richmond, Va. 
**James H. Smith Captain, M. C Richmond, Va. 
*William B. Porter Captain, M. C Richmond, Va. 
♦♦Cornelius J. Corcoran.... 1st Lieut., M. C Milwaukee, Wis. 
* Robert Grant Willis 1st Lieut., M. C Richmond, Va. 
♦Frank G. Scharmann 1st Lieut., M. C Johnstown, Pa. 
*Thomas H. Van Camp...1st Lieut., M. C Greenfield, Iowa 
**Paul V. Anderson Captain, M. C., Neurologist Richmond. Va. 
SURGICAL SERVICE 
**William Lowndes Peple..Major, M. C., 
Chief of Service Richmond, Va. 
**Joseph F. Geisinger Captain, M. C Richmond, Va. 
♦Alvah L. Herring Captain, M. C Richmond, Va. 
♦♦Roy C. Fravel Captain, M. C Richmond, Va. 
**Beverley F. Eckles -1st Lieut., M. C Richmond, Va. 
♦Quintus H. Barney 1st Lieut., M. C Wardensville, W. Va. 
♦Carrington Williams 1st Lieut., M. C Richmond, Va. 
*Frank C. Pratt 1st Lieut., M. C Fredericksburg, Va. 
♦Raymond A. Voisinet.... Captain, M. C., 
Orthopaedics......................Union City, la. 
EYE, EAR, NOSE AND THROAT SERVICE 
♦♦Robert H. Wright Captain, M. C Richmond, Va. 
tWilliam B. Hopkins Captain, M. C Richmond. Va. 
DENTAL SERVICE 
♦Guy R. Harrison Captain, D. C Richmond, Va. 
♦John Bell Williams Captain, D. C Richmond, Va. 
LABORATORY 
*Erasmus Guy Hopkins Captain, M. C., 
Chief of Service Richmond, Va. 
*Perry Jefferson Manheims 1st Lieut., M. C New York City 
♦♦Charles Phillips 1st Lieut., M. C Richmond, Va. 
X-RAY 
*Frederick M. Hodges Captain, M. C Richmond, Va. 
♦Joseph Thompson McKinney 1st Lieut., M. C Roanoke, Va. The Roster 
337 
CONTAGIOUS HOSPITAL 
Leonidas F. Barrier, Captain, M. C., Commanding 
CIVILIAN EMPLOYES 
Chappell, Edna L. (now Mrs. John H. Lindsey) Fall River, Mass. 
Dietitian. 
Gray, Hattie W Richmond, Va. 
Supervisor and Hostess of Nurses' Quarters. 
Hobson, Bland (now Mrs. Alfred P. Goddin) Richmond, Va. 
Administrative Office. 
Jones, Anne Lewis Alexandria, Va. 
Clerk to Chief Medical Service. 
Scorgie, Rose , Richmond, Va. 
Clerk to Chief Nurse. 
Watkins, Kathleen R. (now Mrs. Ben Brockenbrough)....Richmond, Va. 
Administrative Office. 
NURSES 
Robertson, Ruth I. (now Mrs. Stuart McGuire) Richmond, Va. 
Chief Nurse. 
Brian, Celia E Danville, Va. 
Asst, to Chief Nurse. 
Montgomery, Juliet (now Mrs. Howard Winans) Richmond, Va. 
Asst, to Chief Nurse. 
Allen, Annie R. B Richmond, Va. 
Ashton, Margaret Virginia Craddock, Va. 
Atkins, Camilla Ruth Blackstone, Va. 
Barnes, Wilhelmina Prince New York City 
(Now Mrs. H. G. Flanagan). 
Barton, Mrs. Ida C Kansas City, Mo. 
Bell, Corinne M Goshen, Va. 
Bell, Hattie Eunice Courtland, Va. 
Bennett, Anne Virginia Richmond, Va. 
Bishop, Edna B Fredericksburg, Va. 
Boyd, Frances F Richmond, Va. 
Breckinridge, E. Cary Fincastle, Va. 
Broaddus, Emma M Newtown, Va. 
Broaddus, Mary M Bowling Green, Va. 
Campbell, Mabel J. (now Mrs. T. E. Burns) Charleston, S. C. 
Cameron, Ethel M Graham, Va. 338 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
Carothers, Dora C Cutler, Ohio 
Chapman, Bessie May Greenbackville, Va. 
Coleman, Sarah Lee - Richmond, Va. 
Copenhaven, Carrie Mae Marion, Va. 
Corpcning, Adah Morganton, N. C. 
Cropper, Annie Roonie Richmond, Va. 
Curtis, Elizabeth Marie Richmond, Va. 
Day, Helen M...._ -.Winchester, Va. 
Dennen, Josephine G. (now Mrs. J. C. Payne) Sawtelle, Cal. 
Dougher, Julia L Archbald, Pa. 
Driver, A. Madge -.Beaver Dam, Va. 
Eckles, Jane Ann Black Mountain, N. C. 
Edwards, Bertha L ; -.Rocky Mount, N. C. 
Ellis, Pearl Tyler Shawsville, Va. 
Fortune, Irma Scottsville, Va. 
Frank, Mattie Rice, Va. 
Friend, Emily Gordon * Dumbarton, Va. 
Gaffney, Josephine M Washington, D. C. 
Gwynn, Anne Yancey Yanceyville, N. C. 
Hargrave, Pattie (now Mrs. Harvey M. Goldbarth)..Richmond, Va. 
Hays, Frances Duty (now Mrs. H. H. Wilkinson)....Oxford, N. C. 
Hickman, Mary Elizabeth Roanoke, Va. 
Hiller, Anna Patterson (now Mrs. Chas. M. Jones)..Philadelphia, Pa. 
Howland, Grace Edna Mount Vernon, N. Y. 
Huffman, Leona Josephine Madison Heights, Va. 
Hughes, Janet C Staunton, Va. 
Inge, Hallie Virginia (now Mrs. L. J. Koch) Richmond, Va. 
Jeffrey, Lucy W Arvonia, Va. 
Jerdone, Anna L Richmond, Va. 
Johnson, Werta T -.Richmond, Va. 
King, Mary H Richmond, Va. 
Lebby, Marie M. (now Mrs. Thos. C. Boushall) Richmond, Va. 
Leech, Garfield Clifton Forge, Va. 
Levi, Adelaide M New York City 
Lynch, Agnes T. McD Bluefield, W. Va. 
Magness, Hattie Jane Chase City, Va. 
Martin, Louisa K. (now Mrs. Wm. B. Horne) Glade Springs, Va. 
Middlebrooks, Ruth (now Mrs. Andrew Hogue) Export, W. Va. 
Martine, Flora E Washington, D. C. 
Moore, Helen Gibbs (now Mrs. Benj. S. Beecher).. .Fairfield, Va. 
Masser, Geraldine Houtz Sunbury, Penn. 
Means, Josephine Duval Hedgesville, W. Va. 
Cutler, Ohio The Roster 
339 
Memory, Fay -..Whiteville, N. C. 
Miller, Katherine New Windsor, Md. 
Miller, Mabel S Richmond, Va. 
Morrison, Erma Grace Fredericksburg, Va. 
McLucas, May D Richmond, Va. 
Nelson, Ellie C - Charleston, W. Va. 
Newman, Martha C Milton, N. C. 
Oakley, Virginia Early Richmond, Va. 
Pannal, Ruby Catherine Savannah, Ga. 
Parker, Minnie B Alaska, W. Va. 
Pugh, Eva Allen Danville, Va. 
Pollard, Lelia (now Mrs. Henry Phillips) Richmond, Va. 
Pigg, Martha S. (now Mrs. W. A. Broyles) Eckman, W. Va. 
Pope, Anna T Richmond, Va. 
Quarles, Nan (now Mrs. Robt. P. Gibson) .Richmond, Va. 
Reed, Alberta Richmond, Va. 
Reinhardt, Hettie M Black Mountain, N. C. 
Reinhardt, Louise Black Mountain, N. C. 
Robinson, Betty McDowell Nace, Va. 
Robinson, Frances (now Mrs. Charles Phillips) Richmond, Va. 
Robinson, Maria B. (now Mrs. R. Hugh Wood) Richmond, Va. 
Rothgeb, Edith Harrisonburg, Va. 
Sandford, Nora B Lexington, Va. 
Smith, Ethlynde Emma Richmond, Va. 
Smith, Polly W. (now Mrs. B. L. Mastin) Bluefield, W. Va. 
Spencer, Mary F Newport News, Va. 
Stone, Powhatan - Wytheville, Va. 
Taylor, Ruth L. (now Mrs. G. L. Cristy) Norfolk, Va. 
Tilton, Sara M - Savannah, Ga. 
Thomasson, Ivy L - -..Richmond, Va. 
Tutwiler, Argyle (now Mrs. J. H. Wright) Blacksburg, Va. 
Vaughan, Mabel Lee Richmond, Va. 
West, Lula - Mount Airy, N. C. 
Wilkinson, Jean Lucile Newport News, Va. 
Williams, Jessie E - x Hot Springs, Va. 
Williamson, Marian E. (now Mrs. Basil M. Jones)....Richmond, Va. 
Wilkinson, Anne (now Mrs. Thos. Gray) Newport News, Va. 
Wingfield, Bettie Jane Bristol, Tenn. 
Wood, Lurie E. (now Mrs. Harper Davis) Charlotte C. H., Va. 
Young, Wilhelmina C. (now Mrs. J. R. Henley) Richmond, Va. 340 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
DETACHMENT 
Ames, Sheppard K Pvt. 1st Cl Guard.- Pungoteague, Va. 
Angle, Lewis W Corporal Rec. Ward Rocky Mount, Va. 
Bane, Edward Pvt. 1st Cl Q. M Roanoke, Va. 
Barbuscak, Mike Pvt. 1st Cl Contagious Sanor, Penn. 
Bartlett, Emmett G Pvt. 1st Cl Dental Roanoke, Va. 
Barlow, Edgar A Sgt. 1st Cl Admin Richmond, Va. 
Bendheim, Adrian I Sergeant Rec. Ward Richmond, Va. 
Bernstein, Harry Sgt. 1st Cl Group H. Q....Richmond, Va. 
Bernstein, Manuel Pvt. IstCl Post Excg Richmond, Va. 
Bird, Lloyd Campbell Sergeant Laboratory Richmond, Va. 
Bissett, Lawrence Pvt. 1st Cl.... Med. Ser Richmond, Va. 
Boisseau, Laurie S Sgt. 1st Cl M. Trans Richmond, Va. 
Booth, Roy P Pvt. IstCl Dental Lynchburg, Va. 
Bowie, Allen H Sergeant Med. Ser Covington, Va. 
Brauer, Fred. W., Jr Pvt. IstCl Mess Richmond. Va. 
Brittle, Boykin Pvt. IstCl Q. M Richmond, Va. 
Brooks, Gardiner T Sergeant Dental Williamsburg, Va. 
Brown, William H Pvt. 1st Cl Guard Narrows, Va. 
Bucceroni, Louis P Pvt. 1st Cl. ..Post Excg Richmond, Va. 
Buckley, T. F Pvt. 1st Cl Detachment.-Richmond, Va. 
Burnette, Waller G Sgt. 1st Cl Contagious Richmond, Va. 
Burns, Wm. F Pvt. 1st Cl Contagious Chester, Penn. 
Cabell, Randolph McG Sergeant Laboratory Waynesboro, Va. 
('arson, Felix E Pvt. 1st Cl Mess .. Richmond, Va. 
Campbell, Walter D Pvt. IstCl X-Ray Lead, So. Dak. 
Chittenden, Ray T Sergeant Mess Victoria, Va. 
Coleman, Mark R Pvt. 1st Cl Detachment... Dewitt, Va. 
Cosby, W. C Sergeant Eye, Ear, etc.. Richmond, Va. 
Cooney, Bernard Pvt. IstCl Contagious Wilmington, Del. 
Crossley, Noble T Pvt. IstCl Surg. Ser Richmond, Va. 
Crowder, Frank T Pvt. 1st Cl Q. M Richmond, Va. 
Culver, Robert T Pvt. 1st Cl Q. M Meltons, Va. 
Dance, Charles O Pvt. 1st Cl Surg. Ser Hallsboro, Va. 
Davis, Leroy R Private Richmond, Va. 
Demarco, Samuel F Sergeant Contagious Baltimore, Md. 
Diamond, Raymond J Pvt. IstCl Mess Philadelphia, Penn. 
Dowlin, Joseph N Pvt. 1st Cl Detachment... North Wales, Penn. 
Eggleston, D. Q Corporal Registrar Charlotte C. H., Va. 
Ellington, Geo. R Pvt. 1st Cl Q. M Reidsville, N. C. 
Ellis, Robt. Spencer Pvt. IstCl Registrar Richmond. Va. T H E Ros T E R 
341 
Elwang, Wm. Braxton Sgt. 1st Cl Surg. Ser Richmond, Va. 
Fanton, Jos. L Pvt. 1st Cl Guard Bellehaven, Va. 
Fisk, Russell T Sergeant Laboratory Prince, Utah 
Forstmann, R. L Sergeant Q. M...._ Richmond, Va. 
Fullager, Raymond Sergeant Contagious Philadelphia, Penn. 
Galligher, Ezekiel Pvt. 1st Cl Post Office Lynchburg, Va. 
Gangway, John Pvt. 1st Cl Mess Pennsylvania 
Geddy, Geo. R Sgt. 1st Cl Q. M Toano, Va. 
Geddy, Thos. H., Jr Pvt. 1st Cl Registrar Williamsburg, Va. 
Geiger, Jno. M Pvt. 1st Cl Mess Trumbauersville, Penn 
Gentile, Dominico Pvt. 1st Cl Contagious Pennsylvania 
Gibson, Edward L Pvt. 1st Cl Q. M Richmond, Va. 
Gilbert, Joy B Pvt. 1st Cl Mess Richmond, Va. 
Goewey, J. Herbert Pvt. 1st Cl Group H. Q....New York City 
Goldbarth, Harvey M Sergeant Detachment....Richmond, Va. 
Gooch, Roland L Sergeant Dispensary Henderson, N. C. 
Goode, Ralph L Sergeant Med. Ser Richmond, Va. 
Green, Frederick Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Brooklyn, N. Y. 
Griffin, Maurice E Private Q. M Richmond, Va. 
Guibault, Arthur A Sgt. 1st Cl Contagious Boston, Mass. 
Haeser, Jos. G Corporal Contagious West Chester, N. Y. 
Hale, Daniel Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Narrows, Va. 
Hale, Percy Herbert Sergeant Registrar Narrows, Va. 
Halter, Elgin G Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Caledonia, Wis. 
Hamner, Jno. E Sergeant Med. Ser Petersburg, Va. 
Hargrave, Alfred E., Jr Pvt. 1st Cl Guard West Point, Va. 
Harkess, Jno. B Pvt. 1st Cl Post Excg Richmond, Va. 
Hartjen, Walter JPvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Brooklyn, N. Y. 
Hawthorne, Richard M Sergeant Dispensary Victoria, Va. 
Herold, Roy P Pvt. 1st Cl Mess Richmond, Va. 
Hester, George F Corporal Guard Richmond, Va. 
Hill, Jas. Albert Corporal Post Office Richmond, Va. 
Hoagland, Lincoln R Pvt. 1st Cl Surg. Ser Catawissa, Pa. 
Hoar, Ralph T Pvt. 1st Cl Q. M Richmond, Va. 
Hodgin, Orien R Pvt. 1st Cl Surg. Ser Stoneville, N. C. 
Horner, Maurice L Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Supply...Richmond, Va. 
Huffman, Wm. H Sgt. 1st Cl Dispensary Luray, Va. 
Hunt, John Private Sanitary Philadelphia, Penn. 
Husted, Eric C Pvt. 1st Cl Contagious Endicott, N. Y. 
Johnston, Andrew Logan Pvt. 1st Cl Guard Lexington, Va. 
Jolliff, James T Sergeant Q. M .....Richmond, Va. 
Jones, Benj. S Sergeant Rec. Ward Leaksville, N. C.  U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
342 
Jones, Chas. B Pvt. 1st Cl Mess Washington, D. C. 
Jones, J. Harold Pvt. 1st Cl Surg. Ser Richmond, Va. 
Joyce, Clayton H _Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Kings Park, L. I., N. Y. 
Karaffo, John Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser North Catasqua, Penn. 
Karem, Sam Private Post Excg Wilkesbarre, Penn. 
Keenan, Jno. Edward Pvt. 1st Cl Contagious 
Kenney, Frank M Pvt. 1st Cl Mess New York City 
Kershaw, Arthur R Sgt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Richmond, Va. 
Kidd, Willard C Pvt. 1st Cl Surg. Ser Petersburg, Va. 
Kimbrough, Frank R Sgt. 1st Cl Med. Supply...Richmond, Va. 
Kosofsky, Frank Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser New York City 
Kosofsky, Mooney X Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser New York City 
Kulp, Wm. B Pvt. 1st Cl Contagious Birdsboro, Penn. 
Layton, Sam'l G Pvt. 1st Cl Ambulance-Union, S. C. 
LeCuyer, James A Corporal Mess.- Baltimore, Md. 
Lee, John P. J Sergeant X-Ray Charlestown, W. Va. 
Levy, Abraham H Pvt. 1st Cl Contagious Brooklyn, N. Y. 
Levy, Frank Hosp. Sgt Mess. .Richmond, Va. 
Lewis, Magnus M., Jr Pvt. 1st Cl Guard..- Fredericksburg, Va. 
Lewis, Matthew H Private Q. M Richmond, Va. 
Liggan, Lee S Pvt. 1st Cl Surg. Ser Richmond, Va. 
Lindsey, John Wilbur Pvt. 1st Cl Rec. Ward Roanoke, Va. 
Line, Paul B Pvt. 1st Cl Personnel Myerstown, Penn. 
Long, Harry Pvt. 1st Cl Sanitary Fort Wayne, Ind. 
Luck, A. B Pvt. 1st Cl Surg. Ser Richmond, Va. 
McFall, Paul R Sgt. 1st Cl Surg. Ser Newport News, Va. 
McNiel, Guy E Pvt. 1st Cl Post Excg Jonesville, Va. 
McNutt, Chas. H Sergeant Contagious Vanceboro, Maine 
Magee, Howard W Pvt. 1st Cl Contagious Chester, Penn. 
Mantakos, Wm Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Norristown, Penn. 
Maslin, Walter A Pvt. 1st Cl Detachment....Port Chester, N. Y. 
May, Irving Sgt. 1st Cl Registrar Richmond, Va. 
Maynard, Walter P Sergeant Med. Supply...Richmond, Va. 
Mayo, Nicholas J Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Philadelphia, Penn. 
Mays, William J Pvt. 1st Cl Laboratory.-Richmond, Va. 
Michael, Jos. E Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Supply.-.Greensboro, N. C. 
Milbourne, Harry Lee Sgt. 1st Cl M. Trans Richmond, Va. 
Miller, Raymond Pvt. 1st Cl Guard Upper Blacks Eddy, Penn. 
Moore, Walter V Sergeant Guard Richmond, Va. 
Moser, Emil Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Philadelphia, Penn. 
Nichols, Joseph M Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Harpers Ferry, W. Va. 
Okelski, John Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Chester, Penn. T he Roster 
343 
Payne, Carle B Sergeant Contagious Hampton, Va. 
Pease, Fred. H Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Supply...Richmond, Va. 
Pennypacker, Augustus J Pvt. 1st Cl Mess Pennsburg, Pa. 
Peyser, Jos. H Sgt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Boston, Mass. 
Phelan, Frank Pvt. 1st Cl M. Trans New York City 
Pitts, Gilbert H Private Q. M Richmond, Va. 
Poindexter, Emmett H Sgt. 1st Cl Surg. Ser Fredericks Hall, Va. 
Poulson, Edward T Sergeant Surg. Ser Richmond, Va. 
Quarles, Robert P Pvt. 1st Cl Guard Richmond, Va. 
Radford, Richard C. W., III. Pvt. 1st Cl Guard Forest Depot, Va. 
Rauh, Richard R Pvt. 1st Cl M. Trans New York City 
Reid, Beverley Munford Sergeant Surg. Ser Chatham, Va. 
Resnick, Bernard Pvt. 1st Cl Admin Brooklyn, N. Y. 
Richardson, Herbert E., Jr.. Corporal Q. M Richmond, Va. 
Rose, Arthur F Pvt. 1st Cl Contagious New York City 
Rosenbaum, Carl D Sergeant Contagious Tarboro, N. C. 
St. Germain, Geo. F Pvt. 1st Cl Mess W. Springfield, Mass 
Saunders, A. Harrison Hosp. Sgt Detachment... Richmond, Va. 
Scanland, Horace M Corporal Post Excg Elliston, Va. 
Schaaf, Charles H Sgt. 1st Cl Post Excg Richmond, Va. 
Schnakenberg, Henry E Sgt. 1st Cl Laboratory New York City 
Schifferli, Francis X Pvt. 1st Cl Mess New York City 
Seip, Harry W Private _...Q. M .Hancock, Penn. 
Shears, Wm. H Sgt. 1st Cl Mess Richmond, Va. 
Shields, Wm. J Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Wappinger Falls, N. 
Shepherd, Jas. L Sgt. 1st Cl Dental Richmond, Va. 
Siebenborn, Fred. C Pvt. 1st Cl Detachment-.Brooklyn, N. Y. 
Siegelman, Harry Pvt. 1st Cl Registrar New York City 
Smith, George M Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Stuart, Va. 
Smith, Harry P Pvt. 1st Cl Guard Newport News, Va. 
Smith, Herbert Grooms Sergeant Surg. Ser Newport News, Va. 
Smith, Sam'l H .Pvt. 1st Cl Philadelphia, Penn. 
Smith, Stuart H Sergeant Q. M x.'... Union, S. C. 
Smith, Winfield R Sgt. 1st Cl Q. M Baltimore, Md. 
Snedden, Robt. H Private Seward, Penn. 
Sperry, Ralph M Pvt. 1st Cl Laboratory Philadelphia, Penn. 
Stainback, Theo. Edgar Sergeant Med. Supply... Kinston, N. C. 
Stimson, Ben A Pvt. 1st Cl X-Ray Statesville, N. C. 
Strieby, Oscar N Sgt. 1st Cl Detachment-.Cumberland, Md. 
Styne, Louis E Pvt. 1st Cl Q. M Buchanan, Va. 
Taliaferro, Harry G Pvt. 1st Cl Admin Richmond, Va. 
Tappan, Frank E Sergeant X-Ray Berryville, Va.  U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
344 
Thomas, Ralph C Sergeant Blacksburg, Va. 
Thorpe, Thomas Sergeant Contagious Mays Landing, N. J. 
Tiller, Percy D Pvt. 1st Cl Mess Richmond, Va. 
Traynor, Owen J Pvt. 1st Cl Q. M Cumberland, Md. 
Van Derhoef, Newell Sgt. 1st Cl Med. Ser New York City 
VanLandingham, Harry S...Pvt. 1st Cl Group Hq Richmond, Va. 
Von Deitsch, Wm. M Pvt. 1st Cl Q. M Bridgeport, Conn. 
Walker, Gilbert C., Jr Sergeant Med. Ser Covington, Va. 
Walthal, Henry F Pvt. 1st Cl.....Mess Charlotte, N. C. 
Warinner, Henry G Sergeant Sanitary Richmond, Va. 
Watlington, Oscar B Pvt. 1st Cl.....Med. Ser Midlothian, Va. 
Watts, Jos. D Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Supply...Newport News, Va. 
Wegefarth, C. L Sergeant Contagious Philadelphia, Penn. 
Wells, Fletcher G Pvt. 1st Cl Post Excg Richmond, Va. 
Wheeler, Allen R Pvt. 1st Cl Guard Narrows, Va. 
White, B. G Sergeant Surg. Ser Madison C. H., Va. 
White, Owen P Sgt. 1st Cl Personnel Ysleta, Texas 
Whitaker, Wm. F Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Norfolk, Va. 
Whittet, Robt., Jr Sgt. 1st Cl M. Trans Richmond, Va. 
Whiteway, . Sgt. 1st Cl Contagious 
Weed, Arthur S Pvt. 1st Cl Contagious Bethlehem. Penn. 
Williams, James N Pvt. 1st Cl Guard McConnellsville. S. C. 
Willis, Chas. K„ Jr Sergeant Detachment....Richmond, Va. 
Wolf, Dave Corporal Contagious Richmond, Va. 
Wolfe, Ralph E Pvt. 1st Cl Post Excg Mt. Jackson, Va. 
Wood, Herbert E Pvt. 1st Cl Med. Ser Richmond, Va. 
Young, Harry K Sgt. 1st Cl Q. M Helena, Ark. 
Ziemann, Louis C Sergeant Med. Ser Rome, N. Y. 
The following were attached to Base Hospital No. 45, but detached 
before the organization left for France: 
Boyd, John O.. Dr ^..Roanoke, Va. 
Bronson, Sherlock Richmond, Va. 
Burbank, Parker S Richmond, Va. 
Calisch, Harold E Richmond, Va. 
Carothers, Rezin J Cutler, Ohio 
Chappell, Hugh W Dendron, Va. 
Davis, Walter J Richmond, Va. 
Girton, Frank M 
Gravatt, V. A Richmond, Va. 
Girton, Frank M.. The Roster 
345 
Gray, Randall Lockhart Staunton, Va. 
Harris, Sam'l Union, S. C. 
Horner, James M Midlothian, Va. 
Hotchkiss, Elmore D Richmond, Va. 
Lincoln, Abraham B Richmond, Va. 
Mauck, Page, Dr Richmond, Va. 
McCartney, Summerfield Washington, D. C. 
Mitchell, George C Roanoke, Va. 
Reimolds, Robert G Richmond, Va. 
Scott, Robert Howard Petersburg, Va. 
Tignor, James A Richmond, Va. 
Warinner, J. E., Jr., Dr .Richmond, Va. 
Lieut. Frank A. Sullivan, S. C., of Springfield, Mass., was attached to 
Base Hospital No. 45 at Autun and became detachment commander. He 
continued in this position until October 18th, when he was transferred 
from our organization to Base Hospital No. 210 at Toul. 
ABBREVIATIONS 
Admin Administrative Dept. 
Surg. Ser Surgical Service. 
Med. Ser Medical Service. 
Med. Supply Medical Supply. 
Contagious Contagious Hospital. 
Q- M Quartermaster Dept. 
Rec. Ward Receiving Ward. 
M. Trans Motor Transport. 
Group Hq Headquarters Justice Hospital Group. 
Post Excg Post Exchange. 
Shortly before the unit returned to the United States, practically all 
its medical officers were advanced one grade in rank with the exception 
of Captain W. B. Hopkins (f) who had already been advanced a short 
time previously. The names marked single asterisk (*) are of those who 
received and accepted the new commissions. The double asterisk (**) 
indicates those who were traveling in advance of the main body of the 
unit, and whose new commissions, consequently, did not reach them until 
after their discharge from the service. Chronology 
July, 1917-Dr. Stuart McGuire directed by surgeon- 
general of U. S. Army to take over Hospital Unit E 
and expand it into a base hospital. 
Dr. Robert C. Bryan, organizer of Hospital Unit E, 
appointed on Red Cross commission to Roumania 
and ordered abroad. 
Public meeting at Chamber of Commerce at which 
Dr. Bryan bade farewell to his organization and Dr. 
McGuire took charge of it. 
Dr. McGuire (now major) summoned to Wash- 
ington as aide to surgeon-general, leaving Dr. Joseph 
F. Geisinger as acting adjutant in charge of work of 
organization of new base hospital. 
Return of Dr. McGuire to Richmond and con- 
tinuation of work during July, August and September. 
Active support of Richmond chapter of Red Cross, 
including contribution of nearly $140,000. 
Appointment of Mr. Richard Gwathmey as pur- 
chasing agent in expending this sum for equipment. 
Organization of ambulance company by Dr. C. 
Howard Lewis, detached from original unit staff for 
this purpose. 
Appointment of Miss Ruth I. Robertson as chief 
nurse. 
Work of assembling nurses. 
Members of hospital staff ordered to various camps 
and cantonments for training. 
September 15, 1917-Personnel enlisted, 513 East Grace 
Street, Richmond, Va., by Major John Garnett Nelson. Chronology 
347 
October 22, 1917-Dr. Geisinger (now lieutenant) ordered 
to Philadelphia and Dr. Carrington Williams ap- 
pointed acting adjutant. 
February 28, 1918-Enlisted personnel assembled, Rich- 
mond, Va. 
Services St. Paul's Church by Rev. W. Russell 
Bowie. 
March 1, 1918-Enlisted personnel under command of 
Captain Jas. H. Smith and First Lieutenant J. E. 
Warinner, Jr., move to Camp Lee and become at- 
tached to camp base hospital. 
March 4, 1918-Members of detachment take up various 
duties at base hospital Camp Lee. 
April 1, 1918-Major (later Lieutenant-Colonel) Alexan- 
der W. Williams arrives at Camp Lee as commanding 
officer of Base Hospital No. 45. 
May 20, 1918-Members of Base Hospital No. 45 de- 
tached from service base hospital Camp Lee and 
quartered in woods beyond hospital. 
May 27, 1918-Overseas equipment issued. 
July 1, 1918-Orders detaching seventeen officers for 
"extended field service." 
July 2, 1918-Seventeen officers leave Camp Lee for port 
of embarkation. 
July 3, 1918-Detached officers board freighter Hwah Jah 
at Newport News, sail for New York and there join 
convoy to Europe. 
July 3, 1918-Main body of unit ordered to move. 
July 3, 1918-3 A. M. Packs rolled, bedding carried to 
field beyond barracks and burned. 
July 3, 1918-8 A. M. Officers and detachment of 197 
men, leave for Camp Hill, Newport News, Va. 
July 10, 1918-Reveille 2 A. M. 348 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
July io, 1918-9:30 A. M. Officers and detachment of 
200 men sail from Newport News for France aboard 
U. S. S. Aeolus. 
July 19-21, 1918-Nurses mobilize in New York city. 
Holley Hotel. 
July 21, 1918-Detached officers land at Havre and pro- 
ceed via Paris to Autun, reaching there on July 28th. 
July 21, 1918-3 P. M. Aeolus arrives Brest, France. 
Officers and detachment quartered in tents outside 
Pontanazen barracks. 
July 28, 1918-5:30 A. M. Officers and detachment en- 
train for Autun. 
July 30, 1918-8 P. M. Arrive Autun, quartered at 
Caserne Billard. 
July 31, 1918-Buildings, grounds and equipment of Camp 
Hospital No. 47 taken over. 
July 31, 1918-Major McGuire and Captain Baughman 
ordered to Coulommiers for temporary duty. 
August 12, 1918-Lieutenant McKinney and Lieutenant 
Sullivan report for duty. 
August 15, 1918-Receive first patients from accident 
army motor transport. 
August 16, 1918-Base Hospital No. 45 ordered to proceed 
to Toul and take over Justice hospital. 
August 17, 1918-Lieutenant-Colonel Williams relieved 
of command and Major Stuart McGuire becomes tem- 
porary commanding officer. 
Inspection and approval of Base Hospital No. 45 
by Colonel Hansell, from office of chief surgeon, 
A. E. F. 
August 20, 1918-Entrain for Toul. 
August 20, 1918-Arrive Is-Sur-Tille. Gas masks and 
drill. Chronology 
349 
August 21, 1918-9 P. M. Arrive Toul. Air raid. 
Quartered Caserne LaMarche. 
August 24, 1918-Relieve Field Hospital No. 355 and 
Evacuation Hospital No. 14 at Toul and take over 
hospital. 
August 24, 1918-Nurses sail from New York aboard 
S. S. Adriatic. 
August 29, 1918-Lieutenant-Colonel H. C. Maddux 
assumes command of Justice Group and establishes 
headquarters at Base Hospital No. 45. 
September 5, 1918-Nurses arrive Liverpool. Lunch at 
Northwestern Hotel by invitation from the King. 
Leave same day for Southampton. 
September 6, 1918-Nurses sail in three detachments from 
Southampton for France. 
September 7, 1918-Nurses arrive Havre, France, 8 A. M. 
Leave 8 P. M. 
September 8, 1918-Nurses arrive Paris, Petrograd Hotel, 
Y. W. C. A. headquarters. 
September 9, 1918-Nurses arrive at Toul. 
September 12, 1918-St. Mihiel drive begins. Three 
operating teams ordered to adjacent evacuation hos- 
pital. 
September 15, 1918-Major McGuire receives notice of 
appointment as permanent commanding officer. 
September 21, 1918-Major McGuire notified of promo- 
tion to lieutenant-colonelcy; commission received and 
accepted October 1st. 
September 21, 1918-Lieutenant Charles Phillips brings 
Richmond equipment from St. Nazaire to Toul. 
September 25, 1918-Various members of staff attached 
to headquarters staff in charge of work of correspond- 
ing departments in entire Justice Group of hospitals.  U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
350 
October I, 1918-Contagious annex set up as independent 
hospital under Captain L. F. Barrier. 
October 10, 1918-Announcement of death of Lieutenant- 
Colonel Williams. 
October 28, 1918-Justice Group Medical Society or- 
ganized with Lieutenant-Colonel McGuire as first 
president. 
November 10, 1918-German airplane shot down over 
Toul. 
November 11, 1918-Armistice celebration. 
November 14, 1918-Lieutenant-Colonel Maddux relieved 
of command of Justice Group and succeeded by 
Colonel R. M. Thornburgh. 
December 1, 1918-Base Hospital No. 45 designated as 
"clean surgical" hospital and medical service sus- 
pended. Group triage established in court of Base 
Llospital No. 45. 
December 2, 1918-Major Nelson sent on detached duty 
to Base Hospital No. 51, as chief of medical service, 
returning on December 30th. 
December 17, 1918-Bed capacity reduced by orders from 
headquarters from 2,300 to 1,400. 
December 24, 1918-Formal inspection of Christmas 
decorations and order of appreciation by C. O. 
December 25, 1918-Christmas celebration. 
January 1, 1919-Instructions from office of chief surgeon, 
A. E. F., to prepare to return to United States and 
be relieved by Evacuation Hospital No. 20. 
January 3, 1919-Orders changed to be relieved by 
Evacuation Hospital No. 34. 
January 13, 1919-Orders changed to be relieved by 
Base Hospital No. 82. Chronology 
351 
January 18, 1919-Group of officers, including Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel McGuire, detached and ordered to 
leave foul for port of embarkation to return to United 
States. 
January 29, 1919-Relieved by Base Hospital No. 82. 
February 9, 1919-Detachment transferred to Base Hos- 
pital No. 210. 
February 16, 1919-Nurses, officers and detachment leave 
foul, 2:45 P. M., under command of Major Nelson. 
February 18, 1919-Nurses arrive LaBaule, quartered 
Hotel Splendid, meals at Hotel Royal. 
February 18, 1919-Officers and detachment arrive Nantes, 
billeted St. Sebastian. 
February 24, 1919-Inspection of detachment by port in- 
spector, Nantes. 
February 26, 1919-Nurses move from LaBaule to Brest, 
quartered at Camp Kerhuan. 
March 3, 1919-Nurses sail from Brest for New York 
on U. S. S. Agamemnon. 
March 11, 1919-Nurses arrive Hoboken. 
Nurses discharged Albert Hotel, New York. 
April 3, 1919-Detachment field day, Petit Park Nantes. 
Results: B. H. No. 32, first; B. H. No. 41, second; 
B. H. No. 45, third. 
Competitive drill won by B. H. 45. 
Baseball game: B. H. 45, 7; B. H. 32, 4. 
April 7, 1919-Physical inspection of detachment. 
April 8, 1919-Leave 2:30 P. M. for St. Nazaire, arrive 
5 P. M. 
April 8, 1919-Arrive Camp No. 2 St. Nazaire for in- 
spection 7:00 P. M. Inspection complete at 7:20. 
Move to Camp No. 1 through delousing plant at 
10:30 P. M. 352 
U. S. Army Base Hospital No. 45 
April 9, 1919-Fall in at 8 A. M., in line until 9, hike to 
dock, board U. S. S. Walter A. Luckenbach at 11 A. 
M., sail at 12:30 P. M. 
April 16, 1919-In trough at sea; ship listed to 350. 
April 18, 1919-Sight lights of Long Island 8:30 P. M. 
April 19, 1919-Landed Bush Terminal, Brooklyn, 12 
noon, ferry to Weehawken, train to Dumont, quar- 
tered Camp Merritt, 6 P. M., delousing plant, 11 :3c 
P. M. to 2:30 A. M. 20th. 
April 26, 1919-Leave Merritt for Camp Lee, arrive Rich- 
mond 9 P. M., arrive Camp Lee midnight. 
April 29, 1919-Detachment discharged.