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Show SERVICE IN PEACE AND WAR American Red Cross Plays Important Role In Vital Job of Maintaining Soldiers7 Morale By Giving Aid in All Kinds of Emergencies By General George C. Marshall THE ARMED FORCES agree upon up-on one factor that ranks high in the list of essentials for military personnel. And that is morale that combination of zeal, spirit, hope, and confidence which spurs the soldier, airmen, sailor, marine or coast guardsman to give his best for his country, his service, and himself. The man who has it, whether in peace or war, is a match for a dozen without it. The maintenance of good morale Is a primary military responsibil- ity. All commanding com-manding o f f i-cers i-cers recognize the importance of such factors as pay, food, shelter, clothing, religious facilities, facili-ties, training, sanitation, medical medi-cal care, proper discipline, to a military hospital in the United States. Although he could see, his face and eyelids were in need of much plastic surgery. His hand muscles were contracted. He was in great pain. The doctors and nurses were there with their skillful skill-ful and considerate attention. But also at his side were those team mates of the medical staff, the Red Cross social worker and recreation recre-ation worker, and their trained volunteer aides. The boy's mother, who spoke no English,, was anxious to visit him. He wanted to see her, but wished to wait until more plastic surgery could lessen the shock of his appearance. ap-pearance. The Red Cross helped him in planning for- his mother's visit and in writing letters to her. Then it assisted him and his mother through the trying experience of her visit, and helped him keep his courage up when he realized that his disfigurement and crippling of his hands were permanent. Later, the Red Cross planned with him and his family for his vocational vo-cational and social adjustment on his return to civilian life, and assisted him in filing his claim for 1 pension. All this involved many cooperative activities with doctors, nurses, and rehabilitation personnel person-nel of the hospital, and constant correspondence with the Red Cross chapter of the boy's home town. I cite these stories to show that the serviceman has in the Red Cross an understanding counselor and ever present friend, working with the military, but not an organic part of it. A great civilian agency, one helpful arm extended into the serviceman's setting, the other reaching into the home. One arm is made up of Red Cross field directors and their staffs at military stations and hospitals in the United States and overseas. The other consists con-sists of the wide network of Red Cross chapters throughout this country and its possessions. leaves of ab-MARSHALL ab-MARSHALL ence, recreation, recrea-tion, and welfare activities. They recognize also another an-other factor which, in my judgment, judg-ment, affects the serviceman's morale profoundly. That is the man's deep personal concern as to the well-being of his home folks. And that is where the American Red Cross comes into the picture. Its importance to the well-being of the servicemen of our democracy was one of the compelling reasons for my leaving private life to Shortly after Gen. George C. Marshall was appointed head of the American Red Cross he made a personal nation-wide tour of key local chapters to "look inside" in-side" the organization. The information infor-mation he gathered during that inspection tour he has set down in this series of challenging articles. arti-cles. Watch for another report on the Red Cross by General Marshall Marsh-all next week. assume leadership of this great organization. A young married man, ordered to overseas duty, was aboard a transport about to sail when the Red Cross field director at the port received a wire from a Red Cross chapter in a distant city. It stated the man's wife had been rushed to a hospital, gave the doctor's diagnosis, diag-nosis, and urged the man's immediate imme-diate presence. The field director phoned the commanding officer of the replacement center. The CO cleared with his post surgeon as to the seriousness of the diagnosis, had leave papers pa-pers prepared, and approved b Red Cross loan for the trip home. But when the field director direc-tor arrived at the dock, the ship's gangplank had already been drawn in and it seemed " impossible to get the serviceman service-man off. An alert crane operator opera-tor on the dock offered to help, swung the long arm of his crane up over the rail, and lowered low-ered the man to the dock. In another instance, a 20 year old soldier, seriously burned by an explosion, was flown from Japan" Field directors and chapters work together as a team, enlist en-list the assistance of thousands of competent volunteers, and cooperate freely with all related public and private agencies. The military community has in the Red Cross field director a channel chan-nel to all the facilities of the national na-tional organization and its chapters, chap-ters, such as Home Service, Volunteer Volun-teer Services, Safety and Health Services, Disaster Services, Junior Red Cross and College Units. The civilian community through the Red Cross chapter has available avail-able for the families of service personnel per-sonnel all of those services in which the chapter is engaged, and in addition addi-tion the services of the field directors direc-tors at the military installations where the men and women from the community are on duty with the armed forces. Services rendered include communications com-munications in illness or other emergencies; information as to the location and welfare of the families at home or the men away from home; financial assistance in emergencies emer-gencies to service personnel and their dependents; reports for commanding com-manding officers or medical officers offi-cers regarding home conditions, social, so-cial, economic, or health facts required re-quired for the sympathetic consideration consid-eration of questions of welfare, leave, discharge, diagnosis or treatment; supplemental recreation recrea-tion for the able-bodied and assistance assist-ance with medically-approved recreation rec-reation for patients; and information informa-tion concerning government benefits, bene-fits, and assistance in applying for them. I j up I ism jn 1 nns. cers regarding home conditions, so- w I n a ' f '11 ; 'a'' economlc or health facts re- I- I J' 111 - 3uu"e(i or the sympathetic consid- T f I J ' ' , eration of questions of welfare, fctel ' 1.1 leave, discharge, diagnosis or h . i '' 1 treatment; supplemental recrea- ter - I ! tion for the able-bodied and assist- pyapwiiyiiBu''J"'' 1fyJpjj ance with medically-approved rec- 6 I ?l m " ' H " 1?i3i reation for patients; and informa- JJl 1 -2M , -'" iff tion concerning government bene- f i (J Jl fits- and assistance in applying for ff( , vH . Jrji j ! A 4 The good right arm that is making it possible for this patient pa-tient in the veterans' hospital at Columbia, S. C, to answer the letters of the folks back home belongs to Mrs. Theo. Ravenel, Gray Lady chairman at the hospital for the Richland county Red Cross chapter. |