Lieut. Ruth Weisbrod Writes From Hospital Ship From Invasion
Union: Mr. and Mrs. Walter Weisbrod received a letter from their daughter, Lt. Ruth Weisbrod, who is on a hospital ship on the coast of France, dated Sept 1. She said the coast of France looks quite intriguing till you knew of all the mines. Her ship is caring for the wounded on the invasion front. Three surgerys are kept busy. She has learned much about the immediate treatment of war wounds. She was in service a year Sept. 1. She also visited Napoleon's birthplace but wasn't much impressed with it. The people seemed a bit unfriendly. The Red Cross ship she was assigned to in not a large ship and one becomes seasick easily but she is getting accustomed to that now.
The stationary the letter was written on was quite a novelty. It was headed "Bedside Manor" managed by Izzie Poore. "Hot and cold running water. Hot in summer and cold in winter" was one of a number of slogans printed here and there on the stationary. Others were "so exclusive hardly anybody stays here; convenient location -- only 2,759 miles from Broadway and three generations behind."
The Weisbrod's son, David, who is a sergeant, is now at Scott Field, Ill., near St Louis, Mo. He was home recently on leave from duties in an officer there. He wrote home that he might be changed to something else which he hoped he would.
Source: Algona Upper DesMoines, September 19, 1944
NAZI PATIENTS GOOD: NURSE
Second Lieutenant Ruth Weisbrod, army nurse home on her second leave in more than a year's service on the hospital ship Shamrock, said Wednesday she has found wounded German prisoners good patients, but has had a little difficulty with them on account of her name.
"It's been the teasing kind of trouble," she smiled. "Some of them in the ward always learn my name, which in German means 'white bread'. So they start calling for "weisbrod" just to see if I'll answer. If I do they solemnly assure me it is food they wanted."
Riviera Wounded
The Shamrock has plied between Italian and North African ports, carrying both wounded German prisoners and French troops, including colonials. It has moved German wounded captured in the invasion of southern France.
Lieutenant Weisbrod said that there were numbers of German wounded aboard on D-day in western France and that most of them first regarded news of the invasion as propaganda. They would ask questions about the luftwaffe and where it was.
But one young prisoner, she said, smiled when he heard the news and said he knew he would soon be home, because the war wouldn't last much longer.
One of her Arab patients proposed to her, Lieutenant Weisbrod recalled.
Marriage Proposal
"He said he planned to have four wives and five children by each but I told him my plans didn't quite coincide with his."
The lieutenant said that there was a "real celebration" in Algiers when the Shamrock landed its first load of French African wounded with red-hatted Senegalese troops drawn up in formation along the streets. Gen. Charles de Gaulle came aboard the ship.
She said that from her observation, the French in Africa were "100 percent" for General de Gaulle.
In Mediterranean Area
The Shamrock has been in the Mediterranean area much of the time since Lieutenant Weisbrod first was assigned to it in September, 1943, after a period of duty at Camp Crowder, Mo. She received her first leave in March after six months overseas duty and is getting her second while the ship is being serviced in an eastern port.
After spending a day or two with her sister, Helena, who is a freshman at Drake university, she will go to the home of her parents, Mr and Mrs Walter Weisbrod, Algona, Ia.
Lieutenant Weisbrod was graduated form nurses training at Mercy hospital in Des Moines in May, 1942.
Source: The Des Moines Register, October 5, 1944 (photo included)
