Miles Mentions Mt. Pleasant Man In Italian Theater
By FRANK MILES
With the Fifth Army in Italy (IDPA) -- Wounded German prisoners of war are treated like American casualties by army flight surgeons, nurse and others of the medical corps, Nurse Marian Welp Arthur informed me while I was a passenger on a plane to which she was assigned.
"They are only patients when they come to us," she explained. "Most of them are appreciative, a few are arrogant and hateful."
"One liked what we did for him so much, well, he wanted to shake hands with me," she said, "but I didn't let him because I could not be his friend."
Wounded Japanese-American soldiers of the 34th division are perfect patients because they never show their feelings, the nurse added.
She told of many interesting cases - the most touching to me - that of a 19-year-old, who took his first plane ride to a general hospital with blinded eyes from an enemy mortar burst.
"He was sweet and cheerful and asked a thousand questions," she said. "Like most of the boys, who have had or are to have amputations, he didn't want undue sympathy. I can see that many of those youths are fighting battles with themselves. They know they will be handicapped in life, but they are determined to go through regardless."
The nurse is the wife of Lt. Robert E. Arthur, Detroit, Mich., who was born at Edgewood, and is now a hospital adjutant at Kearney, Nebr. They met and married there and she was ordered overseas before the honeymoon ended.
Helen Wharton, Iowa City, chief nurse, medical section of the fifth army, has been promoted from captain to major. She was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained when a hospital ship was torpedoed in the American landing at Salerno in September of 1943.
Robert Charles LaCroix, Sioux City, now is a captain of an engineer battalion of the 88th, "Blue Devil" division of the fifth army, through recognition of outstanding field services. He attended the University of South Dakota, and was an insurance claim adjuster before entering the army.
Harvey D. White, Mt. Pleasant, is a second lieutenant on a battle field promotion from sergeant. His gold bars were pinned on his shoulders by Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark, then fifth army commander. Lt White is in the 133rd infantry of the 34th "Red Bull" division.
Source: Mount Pleasant News, February 5, 1945
