| Show FROM FROnt PRIVATE RIV ATE TO TOi i SURGEON GENERAL SURGEON GENERAL SURGEON GENERAL One of ot the five fire national vice Tic corn com commanders wanders manders of ot the th American Legion this year le Is I a doctor of medicine who en enlisted listed In lu the rational 1 Guard Gut of hi his state os as a a private In the th medical corps was commissioned the first year and ond In a n short bort time lime arose aro to the position of ot chief surgeon of ot the th state stat and a member of the governor go a s stair staff as surgeon general He Is Dr John G 0 Towne of Waterville Water Maine alno born May 20 1877 1871 a graduate of ot Baltimore Bt and a leader lender In the medical profession Both Doth Mrs rs Towne and their dough ter Elizabeth beth ore are ar much mach interested In n LegIon affairs Mrs Irs Towne Town helped form torm the th Bourque Bourquc unit of ot the Amer AmerIcan Amerlean Amerlean lean Ican Legion auxiliary has baa served d as asIf Its president was the first nr t t president pre ot of the state auxiliary ond has hns served as national committeewoman from Maine for a number of years ars Eliza Elizabeth beth was the Et member En enrolled enrolled rolled aa ns a n cl arter orter member of the th Bourque unit I unitI Doctor Towne enlisted In the tho ho medi medical cal corps corp of ot the Second Maine alne regi regil rement l I went ment In March arch 13 VOS and was pro promoted I noted In ID rapid order to the position otI of ot surgeon general l on the gO governors s I staff ben Y hen the regiment was waa called out April 13 1917 a little more than thann I n a week after tl tI e f United States de ro declared dared Clar d war nr Major lonne Towne I 0 ne went Into the service Ice and when hen Gen fen Clarence tv 4 W t raft r rr r 41 v I 0 Dr John 0 G Towo Town Towne R n Edwards arrived ed In Boston to toke take command of ot the 1 depart department department department ment he summoned Mayor Major To Tone Towne To ne to headquarters and made him director ot of the hospitals of ot the Twenty T sixth division then In process of ot formation ne lIe was as bent tent to France In n advance ance d anc of ot the division and established hos hospitals In the training area oren around euf Chateau hen hen the division ar arrived rived they found splendid hospital tI fa already established and th these se were ere used by many mony other outfits which served In that area During the win winter winter winter ter he v was os Raced r on detached sen service icE at the British field Held school on the est 11 est estera era ern front He lie served sen ed there for tor three months and later was sent ent to the fir first t army training school at lon res lie was near when hen the Germans wiped out the British force there b be- be being Inc be-Inc Ing In the to town ton n for two hours hour before the Germans broke through and proc e eer every e er eri man mon that he was asso asso- associated elated with was either killed or cap cap- co captured captured Major Towne returned to the ell l dl I slon lon Ion In time lime for service on the Sols sons front and agai apai on the Toul front supervising the moving mo of ot hos ho from one sector to th the other Alter After be had established hospitals on onha ha Chateau Thierry front he r received orders which made him commander ot of camp hospital vo 0 20 23 about forty two miles from Bordeaux and there he h stayed for tor ten months month leaving the hos boas hospital pital after alter the armistice to be attend attendIng lug Ing surgeon at lie re- re received re receded ceded ceh cd his promotion os ns lieutenant colonel May 2 1019 for his efficient work ork In the base section area aren Upon his return to this country Colonel Town Towne went Into the reserves t I Ilie lie He became becam the first commander of the George Georce Iv 1 1 Bourque post rost r ost vo 0 fi 5 Een serving Ing two t years Among other Le- Le Legion Legion Le-elon Le gion positions he has held Is that ot of state commander In 1023 1923 |
