This is a special cut. 10 minutes for Kata are in Phoenix to be added to
the 158 Infantry series which is now in the process of being prepared for
shipment. Yeah,
once again, it's hello to you from the south pacific Howard Pyle speaking
and quite happy on this occasion because we've been lucky enough to find
four Army nurses from Arizona who are going to be divided by two and
appear during our next two broadcasts or in the order in which fred
macpherson may decide to present them For the 1st 2. We have Lieutenant
Laura Celaya of the 120th General Hospital 9 13 Myrtle Avenue Tempe and
Lieutenant mary Ellen smith Of the 80th General Hospital. She came into
the army from buckeye. So these two girls are going to occupy me and you
For the next 10 minutes now we've had a lot of fun talking here about
whether or not two girls could occupy as much time as four boys. And I am
of the opinion on the basis of my experience with the four Wax from
Arizona recently that 2.5 minutes as we allow it for the boys is not
enough for the girls. Now we'll see whether these girls are equal to the
assignment or whether we will wish we had put all four of them on one
program and allowed it to go at that. How have you been? Lieutenant Celia
? I have been fine. That's good. Now you've been over here about 18 months
I think you told 18 months this month. Well, has it been good for your
figure, your face or your fortune? Uh huh. Neither. Okay, I'm afraid of
this added weight. Oh, I can't believe you look so slender now. Who's
kidding? You're supposed to thank me. Oh, I thank you. All right. That's
wonderful. Well, I'll tell you the truth. Lieutenant Salah. Even if you
were just a self like these uniforms seldom emphasized one slender nous,
but every curve and bulge that you have seems to show up more plainly Now
you're being tackled.
Well, anyway, it sure is nice to see you as a resident of Tempe. I find a
great personal delight in meeting someone from home, especially a girl who
lived on the same street with me for so many years that we seem almost
like neighbors. The sister's name is Ophelia Celaya. And as I said a
moment ago, the addresses. 9 13 Myrtle Avenue Tempe. Lieutenant Salah. Or
what have you missed most about home since you've been away? I can't say
much that I've missed the climate. Oh, you had that name but I do miss the
greenness mostly over here because it's, it isn't the same. It seems like
everything is overgrown with weeds at the present. And over there are
beautiful loans and oh, landscape gardens and
just just home. It's the difference between civilization and the tropics
and the tropics. I noticed too that the undergrowth, the greenery that you
refer to is more rank than it is at home and as a result it lacks the
orderliness that we appreciate about Arizona is more or less well kept
appearance. Are you enjoying the work that you're doing in the hospital's
Lieutenant Celia? I am very much now. I had not been with the general
hospital for before but now it's different and it's very interesting now
really I'm enjoying it. Are you doing any particular type of work in the
general hospital? Are you in surgery or inside? I'm doing just the medical
ward work now. Are you optimistic about the kind of care that the army is
able to give the wounded veterans in our hospitals? I am. I think we have
about the, oh, the best they can be had. And they are the boys are really
getting the care. They seem to appreciate it to an awful lot that by their
own words, I have found out that they to get the attention and the care
that they need. I understand that you have a very high rate of
effectiveness in your treatment. Somebody gave me not too long ago, a very
startling percentage of the number who reach your hospitals here at the
bases who are able to return to duty. And in some cases though they're not
able to return to duty, they do go home. In other words, if you finally
get them to the hospitals, the base hospitals, you do have marvelous luck
with them. As I understand it, we have, we have very good luck and I think
it's due to the the treatments and all that they're using here. They have
the latest.
How's the morale of the boys when we first get them? I think their morale
is low but it picks up I think seeing girls and I think you've got it
right. I don't think any further explanation is necessary. I suppose that
was particularly true down in new guinea. Very much so. What I can gather
a new guinea must have been a pretty weird place, mud and lots of it,
endless mud, endless mud. What would you like to say to your sister and
your friends at home? Suppose you go ahead and talk to them for a few
minutes or at least a few seconds. Well, I just want to say that I am very
well and I'm very happy and though it's seems like they rumors have it
that we might be getting home. I still think I want to stay here until
it's all over with you know, I think my sister's a failure and I didn and
only I would can understand perfectly well the way I feel and I'd like to
see this thing through and with God's help. I hope I do. Thank you very
much. Lieutenant Laura stallion of the 120th General Hospital. Her home
address is 9 13 Myrtle Avenue Tempe And the sisters names have been
enumerated for you by Lieutenant Celia. You're certainly to be admired.
Lieutenant for your ambition to see it through. I hope you succeed and
that it isn't too long. Even on that basis until you're home. Thank you
very much. Our power may also say hello to all the friends in phoenix and
Tempe And Tucson. They'll appreciate that a lot. Thank you very much. And
now we have lieutenant Mary Ellen Smith at the 80th General Hospital. The
80th General Hospital. She came into the army from Buckeye and although
she has A sister living in Phoenix at 44 80 North Central Avenue, she
declined to give her address as Phoenix. Feeling that her public health
work and work in buckeye. And the fact that she came into the army from
buckeye certainly made it essential that she give buckeye as her all right
, proud home address. How are you? Lieutenant smith? I'm just fine. You
certainly look the part. Well, I think I have ever since I've been here.
Well, have you always looked as rugged and strong as you do now, I'm
afraid to have you are almost laughing. I wonder why I really am not
alluding to anything in particular friends.
We've had a bit of fun always in all of our discussions with the girls
about the form and figure of things. And I have a hunch that Lieutenant
smith here thinks I'm alluding to the fact that she might be called stout.
Is that right slightly on No, that's good now that we have that out of
the way and I handled just as delicately as I knew how I appreciate that
we can go on from there. Um 80th General Hospital isn't Captain Mattila
Yonas in your
station? Yes, she's in the chief nurses office. I say captain. And I'd
like to have you emphasized that a bit if you will. That was news to me.
It came to me through sources the other day that I hadn't contacted before.
She was a lieutenant when we interviewed her a few weeks. That's right.
But she's now a captain and they received her captain say about a week ago.
She must be very proud and we're proud of her. That's good. How have you
found the hospital work since you've been in during these 17 months? I
believe I've enjoyed it very much. I think the one thing that I've enjoyed
most is the use of penicillin and the results that we get together with
the sulfa drugs as much as the boys hate the shot. I always tell them it's
a pleasure to give them to him because I know that it will help them. I
suspect that in the long run they're very grateful to you in spite of the
local discomfort. That's right. How do you find the morale of the boys in
the hospital Very good. When we first went to the 24th field, the boys
didn't have quite the facilities for handling the amendment that we now
have. But when the girls came in, I think that helped a great deal both
the enlisted personnel and also the personnel in the hospital. Do you plan
to stay after? It's over until, shall we say the Duration in six months is
transpired? I shall try try. That's good. And we'll give you a try. How
about a personal message to your sister? Mrs Luck Leslie. Our luck. Go
right ahead To Hazel one Leslie. I'd like to say Hello and to all the
folks at Buckeye. Those people that have meant so much to me in the past
and will mean so much in the future. Of course I'd like to come home. It
wouldn't mean a great deal to be home, but I enjoy it very much here. And
I think as Howard tells you, I am still healthy and still going strong and
looking very nice. I might add all I said in the beginning about those
certain things I should take back because her uniform is very becoming to
you And I know you're just as healthy as you look. Thanks a lot for coming
in. Thank you Howard. It's been a pleasure. And when we get back home
again, we'll try to get together somewhere and talk it all over the four
of us. That has been Lieutenant mary Ellen smith of the 80th General
Hospital. She came into the army from buckeye. She has a sister living at
44 80 North Central Avenue mrs Leslie. Our Luck. It's been a pleasure to
interview these two army nurses, both of them Lieutenants Lieutenants ally
of 10 p.m. Lieutenant smith of Buckeye. We'll have to others in a
forthcoming broadcast, and I know you'll want to hear from them, too. This
is Howard Pyle, reporting from the pacific and returning you to fred
Macpherson.