This is the second program in the Army Nurses series to be added to the
158 Infantry Group. That is being processed now for Keita are in Phoenix.
We bring you to more army nurses from the south pacific hospitals where
are wounded and disabled veterans are being given the kind of care that
would bring a real vote of satisfaction and confidence from you. It has
been my privilege to visit one or two of these hospitals and I'm
thoroughly convinced that the girls who are handling the nursing side and
the professional men who are in the ranks of those who look after the
surgical and otherwise side of the picture of caring for them are doing a
magnificent job. It's been very nice visiting with the four girls whom we
have been able to secure for these two interviews. One already presented
and the one for this period? Lieutenant Agnes Mitchell from chin lee is
our first Lieutenant this afternoon. Mrs frank Mitchell is the mother and
lieutenant Mitchell is Connected here with the 80th General Hospital.
Lieutenant Mitchell. Do you see anything about the Philippines that
remind you of the chin lee country?
No, it certainly doesn't. I think family is mostly desert. The Philippines
is far different from it but still I miss the desert. You think we would
ever become accustomed to being away from it? No. For me I wouldn't be.
Are you a native of Arizona? Yes I am. And have you always lived in the
Chin lee country? Well I had all my schooling in New Mexico but my home is
in Arizona. And your mother is still there? She's still there. Do you hear
from me quite regularly. Yes sir. I do. Are you a good correspondent
yourself? Well, I write to her very often but it's very short letters.
Just telling her how I am. Well, she's just about all. She probably
appreciates more and shorter letters than she would longer and less of
them. Well, she probably does. She never gives me any comment on it. Would
it be fair for me to ask a question like this? I didn't ask either of the
two young ladies we interviewed yesterday about the possibility of going
home sometime and having a home and a family. Do you plan to do something
like that someday
or is your love life a closed chapter? Well, I think it is. Oh, surely
that can't be right. I should think that all of you eventually would want
to get back home and
have a home and sort of forget all of this out here
while if I meet somebody, if somebody's
equal to your specifications, you'll see what can be done about that. Is
that right? Well, perhaps I shouldn't have asked that question for after
all, A young lady should have the privilege of retaining a few secrets and
maybe that's one of the standard ones. Are you going to remain out here
indefinitely or are you planning to go home at the first opportunity? Well
, we only do what the army says if I have a chance to go home first, I'll
sure take it. Are you enthusiastic about the work that's being done in the
hospital? Yes sir, I am. Do you think you're doing better here than you
did in new guinea? Well, I think we are here when we first landed over and
Clark Field at the 24th field, we had these boys coming in right from the
fields back in New Guinea. We had just old casualty cases. So I think we
have done more than we have ever done here in the Philippines. You have
better facilities. Yes sir. We do. The medical men who are responsible for
the major portion of the work in the hospitals by and large? They
represent about the best the profession had at home. Is it not true? Very
true. Most of them are young man, fresh out of medical College and and
naturally adept in the use of all of the modern drugs and all of the
modern techniques. Seems to me like that. That is a very comforting item
of information. The loved ones at home who know that their boys are
occasionally hospitalized for various reasons and to know that they are in
the care of thoroughly capable, altogether competent and skilled personnel
in the hospitals is really something I think that is to be appreciated and
sort of looked upon with real gratitude. Do the boys get quite a little
mail from home? Yes, they do. The parents are pretty faithful about riding
to the especially the boys in the hospital. That's right. Well I should
say that that would be a major responsibility that every parent who is
similarly affected should follow through on. What would you like to say to
your mother? Mrs frank Mitchell up in chin lee. I think she'd like to hear
from you. Hello mother, how is everybody at home here? I'm fine and doing
my work very well. Only I hope I will get to see you soon mm Well I'll
join you. I hope you 2. 2 chin lee is a long ways from here. Lieutenant.
That's right. It's it seems so long and so far away that it seems almost
incredible that we should be able to use a device of this kind to say
hello personally. Thanks a lot for coming in from the 80th General
Hospital for this little interview. I've enjoyed it and I think you have
to. I have enjoyed it. Thank you. Mr parker. You're certainly welcome.
That was Lieutenant Agnes Mitchell of Chin lee Arizona. Her mother Mrs
frank Mitchell. And the local address here in the Philippines for
lieutenant Mitchell is the 80th General Hospital and now we have
Lieutenant Doris Norberg N. O. R. B. E. R. G. Lieutenant Norberg. Is that
your maiden name or your married name? That's my maiden name, your maiden
name. You are married. Those. I understand it. Just a brand new bride. A
brand new bride and I'm to be one of the first to congratulate you. I hope.
Thank you very much indeed. Mrs Saban S. A. B. I am and mrs Sinclair S. I
N C L. A. I. R. Box 20 to 36. Warren Arizona are the sisters of Lieutenant
Doris Norberg. How long have you lived in the Warren Country? Miss Norberg
? About four years then You have had enough of Arizona in your blood to
make you feel somewhat like a native anyway, haven't you? And I should say
I have. What do you plan to do after the war is over you and your new
husband? Well we plan to go home and settle someplace and raise a family,
settle someplace. Just anyplace Or do you think you might go to Arizona? I
don't believe so. My husband's from the south. We'll probably go to
Georgia. In other words you're going to take a vote and he's going to out
vote. You expect that? So it'll be, how did you happen to run into a
husband? Way out here in the Philippines? Did you know him before you came
out here? We met in Arizona? We met at Fort Huachuca. Well that's on our
side. That's right. You were stationed at Fort Huachuca for awhile. Yes I
was there for 14 months and he was there about 10. We met and were engaged
there came overseas first and then I came over just three months ago and
we met and were married. What channels did you use to engineer this rather
unusual circumstance of you arriving here And he arriving here anything Or
was it sheer luck? I think it was just your luck. What end of the service
is he in? He's a paratrooper. Leavened airborne. Yes sir. See I'm knowing
my air troopers, everybody should. That's right. Have you been getting
along in the hospital work here? Do you find it interesting or does it
drag a bit? No, it's very interesting. I'm on a medical ward. And tropical
medicine is quite different from medicine in the States. You have such
different diseases. Do you suspect that you might continue with any
portion of this kind of work after the war is over in spite of your going
home and having the family and so forth? No, I think my nursing days are
over. When you finish out here, then you're going to be ready to retire
from the nursing game. Except in a private way. That's right. Well that's
good experience. I should say that a girl who's had your experience and
background in nursing would certainly be a better wife and a better mother.
Wouldn't you think so? Well, you have the background and that you ought
to be able to take care of your own Children? Goodness and your husband
and your husband? That's very important. What would you like to say to
these two sisters of yours here. Hello Lenore and Amy and the boys. Ellen
and ralphie. I hope youll I'll be there waiting for us when we come back.
We're both very anxious to get home and see you all. But not until the
war is over. How many points, sir? You don't have points. But how many
months of service do you have? 28.
That's all out here. Or part of it at home? Oh no, I'm just brand new
recruit out here. I've only been here three months. I see. Well, you've
been very busy since you've been here. If you've acquired a husband and an
appreciation for the Philippines. And Uh huh. Good job in the What
hospital are you with the 313 3 13. Yes. I forgot to write it down here.
And I wasn't sure I could trust my memory. One more question. Before you
finish here, how about the other girls? Are any of them finding romance is
out here in this part of the world? Yes. A couple of the girls have met
their husbands here. They come over since the girls arrived. And uh
another girl and one of the nurses and one of our doctors are marrying
this week today. In fact, so everything goes wrong quite well. Human
beings are ever the same. No matter where you are. Isn't lots of romancing.
Well, these young people out here entitled to a little romance. I should
say that that's about all there is out here. That persons of our type of
civilization would find altogether compatible. This is no cook's tour.
This is no sight seeing junket in spite of the fact that it's nice to come
to another part of the world and see how other people live. Still you're
always a native of your own particular country and addicted, shall we say
to those things which are common to the behavior of persons in that part
of the world? Any other point you'd like to make before we finish
lieutenant. Just that I'm very, very happy and sort of nursing overseas.
It's different. But you get a lot of satisfaction out of it being able to
help the boys that do so much more than we ever could. Well, I think
that's a very nice way to end our broadcast. I believe your attitude is
typical of the nursing corps, both the red cross and the army. And you're
to be complimented and congratulated and saluted for your fine sense of
service friends that completes the four army nurses whom we have been able
to secure from the general hospitals in this area who call Arizona their
home. Hope you've enjoyed their remarks. I think they did very well in
spite of the fact that we group them in pairs instead of in fours as we
usually do. This is Howard Pyle reporting from the south pacific Central
pacific perhaps would be better. And returning you to Frederickperson