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Show Red Cross Field Directors Solve Soldiers' Problems WASHINGTON, D. C. The soldier sol-dier stormed into the Red Cross office at a southern Army camp.. His mouth was set in a hard, straight line; his eyes were cold, determined. His wife trailed him as he strode across the reception room; her face was red and swollen swol-len from crying. They were not over 22. "I ne"!d help," the soldier told the Red Cross field director at the desk. "And I need it fast." The Red Cross field director smiled, but the soldier did not return re-turn it "All right, soldier, let's see what's the trouble." "If 1 don't get help I'm going over the hill," he blurted. "I'm on alert now due to move out almost any minute. But I'm not going and leave my wife with no place to stay." Further conversation developed that the young bride was an expectant ex-pectant mother. She was unable to go home because of her stepfather. Her husband had no relatives with whom she could stay. And the allotment allot-ment he had made to his wife had not yet come through. Two hours later after much conversation con-versation and planning the soldier was shaking the hand of the Red Cross field director. The Red Cross man had arranged that the soldier's wife spend the night at the Army camp guest house. Preparations had been completed com-pleted with a nearby Red Cross chapter tor her transportation back home. The Red Cross chapter in the girl's home town had agreed to see that she had proper care until the baby was born. By that time the allotment would b? coming through. In every United States military establishment, at home and abroad, the American Red Cross maintains a field director and staff to help Uncle Sam's fighting men work out such personal problems. More than 1,000,000 servicemen passed through the offices of the Red Cross field directors las. year. Their problems covered all phases of life families t needing lii, uncial ;:id, allotments, illnesses, deaths, los: of contact with the homo folks. These and other problems are imfob'ed in a never-ending panorama before Red Cross field directors. Almost always they are solved. The Red Cross field director Is ready to furnish information, counsel, coun-sel, and assistance as needed to men of the armed forces. Reaching into every county in tiie United States through local Red Cross chapters, these workers and local home service chairmen act on behalf be-half of the men of the armed forces and their families in matters affecting affect-ing the welfare of either or both. In addition to the servicemen aided by field directors, more than 500.000 families of men in the service ser-vice received help through Red Cross chapters and branches. Contributions of the American people to the Red Cross during the $125,000,000 War Fund appeal now in progress will help to keep and expand these services to the nation's na-tion's fighting men. Varied and often unusual are the other demands made of Red Cross field directors. Field Director William Wil-liam Fluharty, stationed in a remote re-mote Australian area, traveled down to a railroad junction to bring back 6.000 pounds of American magazines maga-zines for troops to which he was assigned. Returning on a train, he was asked to help deliver a baby for a native woman, belatedly en route to a hospital. Red Cross Field Director Albert S. Campbell and two assistants. David S. Oman and John J. Clancy. Jr., distributed clothes, cigarettes, soap, razors, tooth brushes, playing cards and other articles to American Ameri-can fighters during one of the most furious Solomon Islands battles. Whatever the welfare and personal per-sonal problems of American fighters fight-ers at home or abroad, the field director, hacked up by 3,755 Red Cross chapters and 6,000 branches, is the serviceman's best friend in time of need. , A ,, , , y t ' ' ' a I f ' j '4 I & 2 I ' - A h t C -r . A s , '. 4 r - -t, i r: t ' - v r , , , "5 y s - V j I ' -t ,' J Ci.'. t- -" A f''' h I 1-hoUi by loni i- nssell Thousands of L. 5. fmliiing; m?n last year acceptor! llio invitation to discuss their pcrsr::i;:l prohlems with Per! Cross fit-Id directors who accompany accom-pany troops to all parts ot lh world. This picture, taken in London, shows everyone happy after the lir-ld men had satisfactorily solved the prohlems of the two soldiers :.t the dek. Contributions to the Red Cross 1943 War Fund, now in progress, make this service possible. |