Chapter 7 I'm A Medic

I’m A Medic

Sometime in the fall of 1941 a team of recruiters from the Army Air Corps came by the base at Camp Barkeley asking for volunteers for Cadets for pilot training. I was first in line to volunteer. However, when I took the physical they dilated my eyes to the point I could hardly see, then I failed to pass the eye exam. Needless to say I was very disappointed and it was the first of many "mysteries" as to why the Army did what it did. It seemed pretty obvious that you couldn't take an accurate vision test if your pupils were dilated, so maybe you should take the vision exam first, then be dilated to check the eye itself. But what did I know, I wasn't a medic - yet.

So, it was back to my job as a typist at the hospital. Shortly however, I was “promoted” from being a typist to running the base dispensary! I would be giving new recruits their shots and hold daily sick call. Just the job I had tried to avoid for a year! I received a crash course in basic first aid, then advanced medical training. The dispensary consisted of a Captain who was in charge (he was also a Doctor), a Sergeant (me) and about six enlisted men.

One day we were supposed to give shots to about 200 soldiers at 0900 hours. The officers had marched the recruits over to the dispensary and lined them up outside the building. It was sunny and hot that day. We were not supposed to give shots without a Doctor being present. The Captain was late arriving. After about an hour with all of those soldiers standing in line outside in the hot sun, I decided we should start administering the shots. A short time later I heard the Captain come into his office, which was the room next to where we were working. About that same time a Major from the reception center barged into our room and said “I hear you’re giving shots without the presence of a Doctor.” I said, “No sir, the Captain is in the next room.”

Before too many weeks went by, the team of recruiters came around again asking for Cadet Volunteers. Again, I was first in line. This time I made sure they didn’t dilate my eyes during the physical. I passed the eye examination, as well as the physical, and was finally accepted into the Army Air Force Cadet program! It had been over a year since I first tried to get into pilot training at Randolph Field but it seemed like a lifetime.