TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SHARP COUNTY RECORD OCTOBER 11, 1918 P. 1
Editor Record:
I have read quite a number of interesting letters in the dear old Record from our boys in khaki, but have never noticed one from my branch of the service. Hoping that your readers may be interested, I shall attempt to tell them something of the work we are doing here and of my experiences in army life.
I landed in Camp Pike about 8 o’clock on the morning of December 19, 1917. We were taken to the receiving station, where we were asked a number of questions, then after having received a part of our personal effects, in the way of bedding and mess kits, we were marched over to the 10th Casual Co. On reaching our barracks we were given cots and were soon prepared to make ourselves at home. Shortly after finishing this work we were ordered outside, lined up and marched out about one-fourth mile from our barrack. I had no idea where we were going or what we were going to do, but soon learned that we were to cut down and carry in wood for the large stoves in our signal rooms. The first three or four weeks of life in camp was a mixture of drill, wood carrying and kitchen police work, mostly wood carrying and k. p. work.
On January 12, I was transferred to the Base Hospital, where I am still located. Most of my time I have spent on the wards helping to care for the sick, and have had the extreme pleasure of caring for some of the boys from Sharp and adjoining counties. You may bet they were glad to know that I was from near their homes. One is always glad to see anyone from home, and more especially when he is sick.
Ward work is far from pleasant, yet I have really enjoyed doing what I could toward making the boys comfortable and happy while in my ward. There is quite a lot to be done along that line, a great deal more than one can find time for, because the boys certainly get blue when they have to stay cooped up in the hospital for a week or two.
The medical attention which the men receive, under normal conditions is of the very best. I wish all our people at home could visit our laboratories, X-ray and surgical departments and see and know as I do just what is being done for our boys. At present we cannot possibly care for the men as they should be cared for, on account of an overwhelming rush of patients caused by an epidemic of Spanish influenza. We have at present about 3,500 patients, at least one third more than we have ever had at any one time before. Since the epidemic made its appearance thirty of our nurses and seventy or eighty of our corps men have been affected by it. Thus, with our force cut short and bedding being scarce, we are having a hard fight to make the men comfortable. Many of we corps men have had to give up our cots for patients and are now sleeping on the floor. Everything possible is being done to bring about better accommodations. Many of our surgeons are working from sixteen to eighteen hours per day.
One meets all kinds of people from all parts of the country here. One interesting thing about our nursing corps is that every state in the Union, except Rhode Island, is represented by one or more nurses. We have more than 200 nurses at present, and in my opinion they are a very worthy and noble body of women. They are sacrificing far more than the general public knows about. I say hats off to a Red Cross nurse at any time and any place. They cannot be praised too highly for the great work they are doing.
I do not know when I will be sent away from Camp Pike. Evacuation Hospital Unit No. 27 is to leave here soon. I had hoped to go with it, but have been held back. I know that the work I am doing here is very essential, yet I will not be satisfied unless I can do my bit on the other side of the pond.
I would like to tell you more of what the Red Cross and Y. M. C. A. are doing for us around the hospital, but for fear my letter is growing too long, I will close. I hope to be with my friends again as soon as the Kaiser gets what is in store for him.
O. D. Brawley
Camp Pike, Ark.
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY LANDON TEER AND JOSEPH SEPULVEDA
Editor Record:
I have read quite a number of interesting letters in the dear old Record from our boys in khaki, but have never noticed one from my branch of the service. Hoping that your readers may be interested, I shall attempt to tell them something of the work we are doing here and of my experiences in army life.
I landed in Camp Pike about 8 o’clock on the morning of December 19, 1917. We were taken to the receiving station, where we were asked a number of questions, then after having received a part of our personal effects, in the way of bedding and mess kits, we were marched over to the 10th Casual Co. On reaching our barracks we were given cots and were soon prepared to make ourselves at home. Shortly after finishing this work we were ordered outside, lined up and marched out about one-fourth mile from our barrack. I had no idea where we were going or what we were going to do, but soon learned that we were to cut down and carry in wood for the large stoves in our signal rooms. The first three or four weeks of life in camp was a mixture of drill, wood carrying and kitchen police work, mostly wood carrying and k. p. work.
On January 12, I was transferred to the Base Hospital, where I am still located. Most of my time I have spent on the wards helping to care for the sick, and have had the extreme pleasure of caring for some of the boys from Sharp and adjoining counties. You may bet they were glad to know that I was from near their homes. One is always glad to see anyone from home, and more especially when he is sick.
Ward work is far from pleasant, yet I have really enjoyed doing what I could toward making the boys comfortable and happy while in my ward. There is quite a lot to be done along that line, a great deal more than one can find time for, because the boys certainly get blue when they have to stay cooped up in the hospital for a week or two.
The medical attention which the men receive, under normal conditions is of the very best. I wish all our people at home could visit our laboratories, X-ray and surgical departments and see and know as I do just what is being done for our boys. At present we cannot possibly care for the men as they should be cared for, on account of an overwhelming rush of patients caused by an epidemic of Spanish influenza. We have at present about 3,500 patients, at least one third more than we have ever had at any one time before. Since the epidemic made its appearance thirty of our nurses and seventy or eighty of our corps men have been affected by it. Thus, with our force cut short and bedding being scarce, we are having a hard fight to make the men comfortable. Many of we corps men have had to give up our cots for patients and are now sleeping on the floor. Everything possible is being done to bring about better accommodations. Many of our surgeons are working from sixteen to eighteen hours per day.
One meets all kinds of people from all parts of the country here. One interesting thing about our nursing corps is that every state in the Union, except Rhode Island, is represented by one or more nurses. We have more than 200 nurses at present, and in my opinion they are a very worthy and noble body of women. They are sacrificing far more than the general public knows about. I say hats off to a Red Cross nurse at any time and any place. They cannot be praised too highly for the great work they are doing.
I do not know when I will be sent away from Camp Pike. Evacuation Hospital Unit No. 27 is to leave here soon. I had hoped to go with it, but have been held back. I know that the work I am doing here is very essential, yet I will not be satisfied unless I can do my bit on the other side of the pond.
I would like to tell you more of what the Red Cross and Y. M. C. A. are doing for us around the hospital, but for fear my letter is growing too long, I will close. I hope to be with my friends again as soon as the Kaiser gets what is in store for him.
O. D. Brawley
Camp Pike, Ark.
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY LANDON TEER AND JOSEPH SEPULVEDA