Form 52b--MEDICAL DEPARTMENT, U.S.A. (Revised October 25, 1940)

I was going through some papers the other day. I have been doing this a lot. I am trying to throw things out to save the time of people who will be going through my stuff after I kick the bucket, I found a copy of the subject form that had been attached to me when I was wounded on Peleliu Island. The form is yellow with age, With a magnifying glass I could make out some of the writing, It is dated September 28. I know that the year was 1944. It is 75 years old!

The card is 3 by 6 inches and had a string to tie the card to me. How did I keep the card for 75 years? I made a trip back to Pearl Harbor, then to Leyte. then to Okinawa, then to Korea, and then home. I went to college, Jackie and I raised four children, and then we retired and lived and traveled in an RV for 34 years. And I still have the card!

I can make out my name and rank (PVT), gun shot wound in each knee, Xray ordered, and something about gangrene.

After my buddies carried me down off Bloody Nose Ridge I was placed on a jeep with stretchers and taken to a field hospital.

Then to a hospital ship and to a hospital on Guadalcanal.. I am really impressed that I have the hospital card after 75 years.The card was the spark for this blog.  Guess I can throw it away now.