Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 60, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 October 1919 — ARMY HOSPITAL TRAIN HERE [ARTICLE]

ARMY HOSPITAL TRAIN HERE

Encamped on Court House Lawn in Real Army £tyle. The hospital truck train from Camp Grant, 111., arrived in Rensselaer Thursday and will remain for four or five days. This t train departed from Camp Grant, Hl., on September 10 for a tour of central Indiana and Illinois on an educational mission. The' object of the train is to better acquaint the people of the country with the army and the work of the medical department in particular, for which branch the convoy is now accepting recruits for the one year enlistment period. >The members of the party camp with the train, carrying rations, tentage, field range, and in fact portray the work and life of a med-

ical unit under actual field conditions. The transportation consists of one Dodge touring car, one Ford ambulance and four large three-ton Liberty trucks. The large Liberty ambulance and small parts trailer is of special type which was used in France and has a larger wheel-base than is ordinarily used and will accommodate four litter of eight sitting Cases. The unique feature of this ambulance is the fact that upon 'the removal of a few bolts the entire machine knocks down and can be packed in one box for shipment. In this manner about 56,000 ma-, chines were shipped to France during the late war. The spare parts trailer attached to the ambulance is a novelty and attracts considerable attention. It is arranged to carry the spare parts for twelve cars if necessary while the ambulance train is operating in the field. I The exhibits carried by the train are very interesting and the public is cordially invited to inspect the camp at all tim»s. They include among other things one three-bed ward tent with all modem equipment, and necessary supplies, fracture bed, boards, hospital splints, and dressings, X-ray, dental and, portable operating units. The train will remain in this city

a few days for exhibitions and recruiting work, both here and in the neighboring towns. I A recent order from the war department permitting men without previous service to enlist in the medical or quartermaster departments for the period of one year has produced such good results that a number of men enlisted in these branches are asking to be assigned to the Camp Hospital at Camp Grant. For this reason, orders authorizing the sending of this convoy were issued dispatching the medical train overland through central Indiana and Illinois for the period of eight weeks. Men between the ages of 18 and 40, who are qualified physically, have an opportunity to enlist for the period of one year and will be sent directly to Camp Grant, 111., where they will serve th(> I entire enlistment period at the camp hospital. Parents of the young men 'will know just where they will be during the year of service, and three 10-day furloughs will be allowed during the year for them to visit their homes. The hospital at this camp has served over 40,000 pa'tients, and is one of the most complete and up-to-date institutions in

this country, covering 46 acres of ground bordering the Rock river at the upper edge of the camp. It was in the laboratory of this hospital that many of the recent government statistics were compiled regarding the “flu” epidemic. The sixty wards are complete and modern and compare with any well regulated civilian hospital. The camp is 85 miles northwest from Chicago and seven miles *south from Rockford, a thriving city of 90,000. Daily or week-end visits are permitted in both, busses running from the hospital to Rockford each evening without cost to the men, thus making the camp a most desirable assignment. Several recent recruits enlisted in the towns where the train has been located were sent to the camp, j equipped with all necessary effects and returned to the convoy for experience as new soldiers in the field I work. These men will remain with ' the train until it returns to the camp next month when they will enter upon their regular course of study. ...

The army in peace time is in reality a military academy where men must spend from three to five hours daily in actual study in. the various branches of the vocational training schools, thus fitting themselves for good positions at the end of their enlistment period. They may choose most any blanch of service as clerks, ’phone-operators, electricians, linemen, cooks, and bakers, mess management, nursing, laboratory and practical X-ray assistants, salesmen or demonstrators, motor repairers or drivers. Officers and men are on duty at the office and exhibit tents to explain and demonstrate to the visiting public. . Victory buttons may be obtained at the recruiting officers’, tent upon application and presentation, of discharge papers for date and signature at any time during the day or evening. . -xv The officers in charge of the convoy are Raymond C. Wolfe, first lieutenant, M. C., surgeon of the convoy and officer in charge, and James W. James, second lieutenant, F. A., train adjutant. There are twenty-five enlisted men in the party.