Memoirs of 2dLt W. B. Jackson, USMC
EVACUATION HOSPITAL #10
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Late in the afternoon some ambulance trucks drove in, picked up a load and took off. Sometime in the night we reached an evacuation hospital, number 10 it turned out to be. Here necessary emergency surgery was being performed. I was sent to the operating room almost at once. I was conscious and interested in the procedure. I was put on a table that causes a light to show through my leg. A sort of X ray. In addition to noting the bone condition etc. the doctor began making spots all over my upper leg with an indelible pencil. I asked what he was marking and he said the pieces of foreign body in my leg such as shell fragments, pebbles, pieces of clothing etc. I was move to the operation table. The surgeon there commented that he had been operating since morning and was I willing for him to work on me. I said, "Of course but just don't take my leg off tonight, later if necessary but not tonight." He agreed and with a little anesthetic I went to sleep. I came out of the anesthetic in broad daylight. I was in a white cot with my leg in a Thomas traction splint and copious dressing all around by upper leg. There were nurses on duty all around and the room was full of wounded men. That first day was rather rough but by afternoon I found I was hungry. I got fed and really enjoyed the chow. The man on the next cot offered me some writing paper and an envelope in case I wanted to write home. I found I couldn't manage to write so he offered to write for me. I had him write a little note to mom telling her I had been wounded, was in the hospital but would be up and about in a few days. (It was nearly seven months later.)
I stayed at Evacuation #10 for a day or so and then a "hospital train" arrived to take us to a base hospital. It turned out to be the ever present four wheel box car fitted with metal hangers on which stretchers could be suspended. However, the cars were well built with no holes to leak in cold air. We took off and on the 7th of November we had halted at a station of some large city. It was the day of the false armistice. Everybody was celebrating. A bunch of half tipsy Army men came aboard our car wanting to know where those ----Krauts were. We had two car loads of Deutsche wounded on our train. The invaders became quite boisterous, pushing doctors and nurses around. Finally a Colonel across the aisle from me raised up and said in a stern sarcastic tone, "If you -------- want to see the Deutsche so ---- --- bad go about a hundred miles up that way toward the lines and you will find all the Boche you will want to see and they will be glad to see you." Everybody in the car loudly applauded and this sort of quieted the bunch down and they got out of the car.
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