This volume is an account of the activities of surgicalconsultants in over-sea theaters of operations excluding field armies. Theexperiences of surgical consultants attached to field armies and of those in theZone of Interior were recorded earlier in volume I. The experiences recounted inthis volume are both interesting and instructive and will undoubtedly beinvaluable to those individuals who may be called upon at some future time toserve as oversea consultants. Two of the chapters consist of diaries ofconsultants who have died since the war. These diaries have been edited in aneffort to preserve the more interesting portions and to delete personal andnonessential details. It is most unfortunate that an account of the experiencesof the Chief Surgical Consultant to the North African (later Mediterranean)theater could not be obtained, since so many of the surgical concepts of thecare of the wounded were developed in that theater. The chapters in volume I byCol. Frank B. Berry, MC, Consultant in Surgery to the Seventh U.S. Army, and byCol. Howard E. Snyder, MC, Consultant in Surgery to the Fifth U.S. Army,however, give an excellent account of the surgical problems encountered and ofhow they were met in portions of that theater.
It has been rightfully stated on many occasions that surgicalconsultants in theaters of operations were potent factors in reducing themortality rate. Their services were invaluable and became increasinglyappreciated as the war progressed. Consultants to the oversea theaters came fromcivilian life and, for the most part, had been connected with important teachingcenters in the United States. They were untiring in their efforts, dedicated totheir duties, and magnificent in their accomplishments. One is impressed, as onereads of their experiences, that all of them felt that they could have performedtheir duties more efficiently if they had had better indoctrination, if therehad been a definite place for them in the organizations to which they wereassigned, and if they had been given rank commensurate with the rank of theircounterparts in the Allied Armies and with the responsibilities whichthey had assumed. The manner in which these men performed their duties hasdemonstrated to the Armed Forces the necessity for surgical consultants and, itis believed, has done much to establish them as important and permanentadditions to the military effort.
In addition to acknowledgments appearing elsewhere to thevarious authors, deep appreciation is expressed to the following individuals whohave contributed materially toward the compilation of this volume.
Mrs. Elliott C. Cutler, widow of the late Brig. Gen. ElliottC. Cutler, MC, AUS, made available her husband's personal diaries, withoutwhich the chapter
covering the activities of General Cutler could never havecontained the personal insight it now has.
Dr. Bernard J. Pisani and Mrs. Pisani, to whom General Cutler'spersonal diary was entrusted, together accomplished the laborious task ofextracting matters pertinent to this history from that handwritten diary. Dr.Pisani also reviewed in detail the entire chapter pertaining to General Cutler'sactivities and contributed one of the epilogues.
Maj. Gen. Paul R. Hawley, MC, USA (Retired), carefullyreviewed the chapter concerning General Cutler; initiated inquiries onquestionable matters to Dr. Loyal Davis, Sir Gordon Gordon-Taylor, and others;contributed the prologue; added annotations (now included as footnotes) whichgreatly amplify the text; and graciously and firmly insisted that General Cutler'sremarks remain in the text, whether or not complimentary to the Chief Surgeon,ETOUSA (General Hawley).
Dr. Robert M. Zollinger, in addition to contributing his ownchapter, reviewed the chapter pertaining to General Cutler's activities andwrote one of the epilogues.
The late Dr. Marion E. Howard (Mrs. Ashley W. Oughterson)gathered together the personal papers of Dr. Oughterson upon his untimely deathin an airplane crash and presented them to The Historical Unit, U.S. ArmyMedical Service. She also loaned The Historical Unit the personal war journal ofDr. Oughterson. Without these contributions on Dr. Howard's part, the chapterpertaining to the wartime activities of Col. Ashley W. Oughterson, MC, could nothave been compiled.
Maj. Gen. Guy B. Denit, MC, USA (Retired); Maj. Gen.John M. Willis, MC, USA (Retired); Brig. Gen. Earl Maxwell, USAF (MC, Retired);and Dr. Maurice C. Pincoffs reviewed the chapter pertaining to ColonelOughterson's activities and made comments included as introductory matter andfootnotes thereto.
Dr. Julian A. Sterling very generously reviewed themanuscript of chapter VI, which records the experiences of the consultants inorthopedic surgery and rehabilitation in the European theater.
Miss Elizabeth M. McFetridge provided invaluable advice andhelp in preparing portions of the chapter pertaining to surgical consultantactivities in the Southwest Pacific Area.
Maj. James K. Arima, MSC, in addition to functioning in othercapacities, searched out the photographs from which the illustrations for thisbook were selected. Sp4c. Jacques Kornberg also helped.
Mr. Melvin J. Hadden prepared the excellent layouts for theillustrations in this volume and handled the artwork and the preparation of theillustrations for printing.
Miss Elizabeth P. Mason, Chief, Cartographic Section, and Miss Jean A.Saffran, Cartographic Section, of the Special Projects Branch, The HistoricalUnit, prepared the maps.
Mrs. Claire M. Sorrell, Historian, of the General Reference and ResearchBranch, The Historical Unit, rendered research assistance.
Miss C. Louise Brady, Editor (Printed Media), Editorial Branch, TheHistorical Unit, U.S. Army Medical Service, edited and prepared the manuscriptfor printing and prepared the index for this volume.
B. NOLAND CARTER, M.D.
