Foreword
This is the ninth volume in the Preventive Medicine seriesfor World War II. Its pages unfold the story of the Army's public healthresponsibilities in many countries during a time of tremendous upheaval anddestruction. Many of the contributing authors were directly involved in thehealth activities which add significant impact to their accounts.
The vastness and complexities of the problems which developedin this war were dimly perceived in the early planning of the American effort.The least understood of all problems was providing health services for civilianpopulations in occupied territories. Problems also encompassed the equallyimportant concern for ecological factors and the total environment.Organizational misdirection, scarce resources, inadequate transportation, andthe woefully small number of trained public health personnel available furtheraggravated the situation.
This volume reveals how a small scattering of AMEDD personnelcoped with adversity and hardship in their efforts to care for the indigenouspopulations until their own government could once more become functional. Noother military publication describes this aspect of World War II more vividlyand comprehensively in telling the story as it was. The reader will be rewardedwith a greater understanding of how lessons learned can be applied to presentand future events.
RICHARD R. TAYLOR, M.D.
Lieutenant General,
The Surgeon General.
