AMEDD Corps History > U.S. Army Dental Corps > United States Army Dental Service in World War II
WORLD WAR I
Following World War I, demobilization of Dental Corps personnel wasrapid and relatively uncomplicated. Those overseas had to be returned tothe United States, and some dentists were retained to care for the 120,000casualties under treatment in general hospitals when the armistice wassigned,1 2 but reduction of the Army to a skeleton force soonafter hostilities ended greatly simplified planning for the postwar period.Since no dental officer had to serve very long after the end of the wareach man could be discharged as his unit was disbanded or as he becamesurplus to its needs. No elaborate plans for interchanging dentists betweenorganizations or even between geographical areas on the basis of lengthof service, dependency, et cetera, were necessary. Under the policy of"down the gangplank and out," dental officers in units with alow priority for disbandment had to serve a little longer than those inmore fortunate commands, but since all nonvolunteers could be ordered releasedby 1 October 1919, no man had to serve as much as a year beyond the armisticeagainst his will.3 From 11 November 1918 through June 1920 theDental Corps was reduced as follows:4
| Date | Strength of the Dental Corps | Regular Army | Temporary officers |
| 11 November 1918 | 4,510 | 227 | 4,283 |
| 1 July 1919 | 2,219 | 218 | 2,001 |
| 30 September 1919 | 773 | 209 | 564 |
| 1 January 1920 | 369 | 202 | 1 167 |
| 30 June 1920 | 322 | 196 | 1 126 |
WORLD WAR II
Demobilization From V-E Day to V-J Day
The early losses of physicians and dentists at the close of World WarI had, at times, seriously hampered the medical service. With this in mind,The
1Annual Report of The Surgeon General, U. S.Army, 1919. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1919.
2The Medical Department of the United States Army in the WorldWar. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1923, vol. I, p. 159.
3Annual Report of The Surgeon General, U. S. Army, 1920. Washington,Government Printing Office, 1920.
4Ibid.
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Surgeon General pointed out as early as August 19435 andlater in April 1944 6 that demobilization of Medical Department officerswould not only fail to precede that of other branches, but would lag behindif the needs of the sick were to be met and separation examinations carriedout.
With the end of the war in Europe, pressure for the release of medicaland dental officers increased rapidly. Within 1 month after V-E Day a Senateresolution was submitted calling for an investigation of "hoardingof physicians and dentists" by the Army,7 and this actionwas just one symptom of the general expectation that Medical Departmentpersonnel would be discharged in large numbers as soon as Germany was defeated.The Surgeon General, however, consistently discouraged this attitude forthe following reasons:
1. The war was not ended; it was to a great extent merely transferredto the Pacific area. Many units in Europe would be held for occupationduties; others would be sent to the Pacific either directly or after furloughsand retraining in the United States.
2. Except in Europe The Surgeon General had no excess of Medical De-partmentpersonnel. On the other hand, shipping priority went to units being transferredto combat areas, and other categories had to wait. In July 1945 it wasreported that there were 6,000 surplus medical officers in Europe, butthat current shipping schedules would return only 30 percent of them tothe United States before the end of October.8 As early as September1944 The Surgeon General had asked for the early shipment of Medical Departmentpersonnel after the end of hostilities in Europe,9 and in June1945 the War Department had directed such return,10 but a forcewhich had been building up for 3 years could not be moved in a few weeks.Also, some time was required to screen Medical Department personnel onduty in Europe to determine which should be sent to the Pacific, whichheld for occupation duties, and which returned to the United States. Meanwhile,units awaiting return had to be supplied medical care.
3. Shipping shortages had precluded the regular rotation of personnelbetween overseas theaters and the Zone of Interior. Now that units werepassing through the United States en route to the Pacific it was necessaryto replace men with the most overseas service with Zone of Interior personnelwho had not had foreign duty. But each such exchange required 2 extra officersfor a period of 2 months or more. The officer returning to the Zone ofInterior had to be given leave and travel time before he reported to hisnew post; the officer
5Memo, Col R. W. Bliss for Dir Spec PlanningDiv, WDGS, 16 Aug 43, sub: Demobilization planning. SG: 370.01-2.
6Memo, Brig Gen R. W. Bliss for Dir Spec Planning Div, WDGS,27 Apr 44, sub: Demobilization planning. SG: 370.01-2.
7S. Res. 134, 79th Cong, 12, Jun 45.
8Memo, Eli Ginzberg, Dir Resources Anal Div SGO, for SG, 5 Jul45, sub: Redeployment policy. SG: 370.01.
9Memo, Maj Gen LeRoy Lutes for SG, 19 Jan 45, sub: Priorityreturn of medical personnel from inactive theaters after V-E Day. SG: 370.01.
10Radiogram 16876, 14 Jun 45; cited in footnote 8, above.
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replacing him had to be granted leave and travel time before he leftfor overseas; a third officer had to be assigned to provide care in theabsence of the other two. The Surgeon General estimated that the necessityfor reshuffling personnel to meet the needs of the Pacific theater woulddelay the separation of surplus European theater officers by nearly 5 months.11From 20 June through 15 August 1945, 4,000 medical officers were exchangedbetween units.12
4. Casualties in Army hospitals had to be provided attention, and separa-tionand redeployment centers had to be staffed, regardless of the end of thewar in Europe.
Based on these considerations, General Kirk predicted in July 1945 thatthere would be no large scale separation of Medical Department personnelbefore the end of the year.13
During this period the situation was further complicated by the necessityfor a general reconsideration of all personnel assignments. The fact thata man with 18 months' service was surplus in Europe did not justify hisrelease from active duty if men with 36 months' service were still beingheld in the Pacific, and it was essential that there be established a basisfor the equitable discharge or reassignment of all Medical Department personnelregardless of current place of duty. This was accomplished by an "adjustedservice rating" (ASR) scored on the following credits:14
Each month of service since 1 September 1940 | 1 point |
Each month of overseas service (in addition to points for total service) | 1 point |
Each combat decoration | 5 points |
Each child under 18 (maximum of 3) | 12 points |
(ASR scores were first calculated as of 12 May 1945; they were lateradjusted as of 2 September 1945.)
On the basis of the ASR, personnel overseas were divided into the followingcategories:15
1. Men with the fewest points were put in units bound directly for thePacific.
2. Men with slightly more points were put in units bound for the Pacificafter a stopover for furloughs and training in the United States.
3. Men in the median ASR categories were returned to the United Statesfor assignment to a strategic reserve for duty in the Pacific when andif needed.
4. Men in the moderately high point categories were held in Europe foroccupation duties until eligible for release from the Army.
11Official announcement on redeployment andseparation of Medical Department officers. J. Am. Dent. A. 32: 1177-1182,Sep 1945.
12Memo, Maj George L. Gleeson, Chief Oprs Br Pers Serv SGO,for SG, sub: Quarterly report of activities, Operations Branch, PersonnelService, for period 10 Jun 45 through 30 Sep 45. HD: 319.1-2 (F/Y 1946).
13No large release of dental officers before end of 1945. J.Am. Dent. A. 32: 908, Jul 1945.
14RR 1-1, 25 Jan 46.
15Medical Department Redeployment and Separation Policy as revised6 Aug 45. HD: 314.
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5. Highest point men were to be returned to the United States for immediatedischarge.
On arrival from overseas any dental officer who was either over 50 yearsof age, or had an ASR over 100, was discharged.16 Officers onduty in the United States were supposed to be discharged on the same basis,but ASF had to hold temporarily dentists with less than 110 points and.refused to release any for age. A dental officer who: (1) was 40 yearsof age, (2) had 75 points, or (3) had 6 months of overseas service, waswithdrawn from any unit on the way to the Pacific and replaced by one currentlyon duty in the United States. This "withdrawal score" was slightlylower than that for medical officers which required either age 45 or 12months of overseas service. Officers who desired to remain on duty andwho were wanted by the Army could voluntarily forego the privilege of separation.The fact that few dentists were expected to be discharged immediately isindicated by the estimate of the Resources Analysis Division of the SurgeonGeneral's Office that under the criteria discussed only 31 men would bereleased in the United States and about 250 or 300 in Europe. Separationof men over 50 in the Zone of Interior was not recommended to start untilSeptember or October.17
Beginning on V-E Day, a special effort was made to, have certain in-structorsreleased to resume their positions in dental colleges. The Procurementand Assignment Service notified the deans to name any five key men on theirfaculties whom they particularly needed. Names submitted were for-wardedto The Surgeon General who in turn asked the theaters to return these menfor discharge as soon as possible.18 This program continuedfrom V-E Day until the end of 1945 but was overtaken by the general demobilizationfollowing V-J Day. The total separated under it is not known; 18 dentalofficers were discharged as essential to national health or interest, and20 more were discharged as key men in government or industry. Instructorsmight have fallen in either group as well as in other administrative categories.It is probable that many instructors were released in the normal, accelerateddemobilization which followed V4 Day before their discharges could be accom-plishedunder The Surgeon General's program. As late as 11 September 1945, forinstance, overseas commanders were asked to release 19 dental instructors,19and most of these must have been nearly eligible for release on other criteriaby the time these requests could be carried out.
16See footnote 15, p. 334.
17Memo, Eli Ginzberg for Dir Dental Div SGO, 17 Jul 45, sub:Separation of Dental Corps officers. HD : 314.
18Info given Dr. John McMinn, HD, by Lt Col William Piper, MilPers Div SGO. No documentary evidence on this point has been discovered.
19Ltr, Col Robert J. Carpenter, Exec Off SGO, to CGs of variousoverseas theaters, 11 Sep 45, sub: Separation of Medical Department personnelessential to medical and dental schools. SG: 210.8.
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It will be noted in Table 16 that during the months of May, June, July,and August 1945, 610 dental officers were discharged from the Army.20
TABLE 16. DEMOBILIZATION OF DENTAL CORPS OFFICERS BY MONTHS,MAY 1945-JUNE 1947
| Date | Number separated | Date | Number separated | ||
| Each month | Cumulative Total | Each month | Cumulative total | ||
1945 | 1946-Continued | ||||
| May | 50 | 50 | June | 675 | 11,500 |
| June | 105 | 155 | July | 600 | 12,100 |
| July | 295 | 450 | August | 440 | 12,540 |
| August | 160 | 610 | September | 635 | 13,175 |
| September | 415 | 1,025 | October | 275 | 13,450 |
| October | 1,505 | 2,530 | November | 400 | 13,850 |
| November | 1,430 | 3,960 | December | 350 | 14,200 |
| December | 1,225 | 5,185 | 1947 | ||
1946 | January | 200 | 14,400 | ||
| January | 2,190 | 7,375 | February | 125 | 14,525 |
| February | 1,575 | 8,950 | March | 75 | 14,600 |
| March | 800 | 9,750 | April | 125 | 14,725 |
| April | 540 | 10,290 | May | 125 | 1 14,850 |
| May | 535 | 10,825 | June | 150 | 1 15,000 |
- 1Estimated.
The release of any large number of dental laboratory technicians immediatelyfollowing V-E Day also proved impractical. In September 1944 The SurgeonGeneral, foreseeing a moderate shortage of such personnel, had recommendedthat they be retained by Zone of Interior service commands until declaredsurplus by the surgeon.21 At first it was not expected thatthe shortage would be sufficiently severe to warrant transferring techniciansfrom commands where they were surplus to others where they might be needed,but on 7 June 1945 the War Department directed that certain enlisted men,including dental technicians, be transferred to new commands when declaredsurplus in their own units. However, organizations receiving these menwere to use them only in their special duties, and they were to be releasedas soon as replacements could be obtained; assignment overseas of techniciansotherwise eligible for
20Table 16 assembled from data given the authoron 13 Feb 48 by the Strength Accounting Br, AGO. It should be noted thatthe AGO did not process separations until the end of terminal leave whichwas often several months after the last day of active duty. However, inthe demobilization of Dental Corps officers, as shown in Table 16, thedate indicates the actual month in which the officers were lost to theeffective, administrative strength of the SGO.
21Memo, Col J. R. Hudnall, Chief Pers Serv SGO, for Col. G.M. Powell, Dir Spec Planning Div SGO, 5 Sep 44, sub: Demobilization ofenlisted personnel.SG: 370.01.
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discharge was prohibited.22 By 31 August 1945 it was possibleto direct that no dental technician would be transferred to another commandwhen he became surplus in his own.23
Demobilization after V-J Day
(See Table 16 for separations by months)
The composition of the Dental Corps on W Day in respect to priorityfor discharge is not known. On V-E Day, however, there were approximately14,700 dentists oil duty, distributed as follows:24
Regular Army | 250 |
Volunteers for extended service | 750 |
ASTP graduates | 1,900 |
AUS officers desiring early separation | 11,800 |
Most of the ASTP graduates listed were ineligible for separation untillong after V-J Day so it can be assumed that the majority of the 610 dentalofficers discharged between V-E Day and V-J Day came from the categoryof AUS officers desiring early separation, leaving about 11,190 men inthis group at the end of hostilities. Procurement from civil practice hadpractically ceased in December 1943, and over 9,000 dentists had come onactive duty before the end of 1942, so that by V-J Day almost all non-ASTPAUS officers had had over 1 1/2 years of service and a large proportionof them had been in the Army more than 2 1/2 years. The release of sucha number of high point men in the proper priority, according to lengthof service and dependents, and without jeopardizing the provision of essentialcare for an Army which at the end of 1945 still numbered over 4 millionmen, was certain to involve knotty problems.
It has been seen that prior to V-J Day dentists returning from overseaswere separated only if they had 100 points or were over 50 years of age;in the United States they could be released only if they had 110 points.On 8 September 1945 new separation criteria for both the Medical and DentalCorps provided that field grade officers (colonels, lieutenant colonels,majors) with 100 points, and company grade officers (captains, lieutenants)with 85 points, could be released. On the same day the Resources AnalysisDivision, SGO, recommended that the criteria for medical and dental officersbe further reduced to 80 points, and that additionally, any man 48 yearsof age or over, or who had been in the Army on 7 December 1941, shouldbe released. On 12 September 1945 this recommendation was approved andpublished.25 Medical and dental officers thus enjoyed, temporarily,more favorable separation criteria than those of most other branches whowere still required to have ASR's of 100 points for officers of field grade,and 85 points for men of company grade.
22WD Memo 615-45, 7 Jun 45.
23WD Memo 615-45, 31 Aug 45.
24Memo, Isaac Cogan, Chief, Resources Anal Div SGO for Chief,Dental Consultants Div SGO, 8 Oct 46, sub : Basic data for Dental Corps.SG: 322.0531.
25Teletype, SG to CGs all SvCs, 12 Sep 45. SG: 210.8.
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On 14 September 1945 The Surgeon General promised to release 10,000dental officers by the end of June 1946.26 A few days laterit was stated that 3,500 dentists would be separated by 25 December 1945.An additional number of dental officers became eligible for separationwhen ASR scores were recomputed on 2 September to include credit for servicesubsequent to V-E Day. On 17 September 1945 it was announced that no dentistwould be sent overseas if he was 40 years of age or had 45 points.27
On 22 September War Department Circular 290 emphasized and liberalizedsomewhat the provisions of WD Circular 485, 29 December 1944, concerningrelease of officers not eligible for separation on point scores.28Specifically, it authorized separation of the following:
1. Officers who were surplus to the needs of the Army, and who couldnot be economically trained in new positions, if they had served a reasonableperiod.
2. Individuals presenting documentary evidence that they would be moreuseful to the nation in a civilian capacity.
3. Individuals who had suffered undue hardship by reason of militaryservice.
4. Officers over 50 years of age, at their own request.
On 1 October 1945 separation criteria for male officers of most brancheswere reduced to a straight 75 points but medical and dental criteria remainedunchanged, thus for the first time placing this group at a slight disadvantage.On 6 October the War Department notified all commands that civilian needsfor Medical Department personnel were critical and directed them to bealert for the uneconomical use of physicians, dentists, and nurses. Personsfound surplus were to be released without delay; overseas personnel wereto be returned by the fastest transportation, and Medical Department officersprocessed expeditiously through separation centers.29 On 16October, The Adjutant General asked Zone of Interior commands to releasephysicians and dentists with at least 2 years' service at any time theybecame surplus, regardless of points.30 Such cases were to bereferred to The Surgeon General for final decision, but telephone communicationwas authorized. On 18 October The Surgeon General complained that MedicalDepartment officers eligible for release were still being held as essential,and emphasized that such action was permissible only in very exceptionalcases.31
On 20 October separation criteria for medical and dental officers wereagain dropped below those of the line branches when either an ASR of 70points, or 45 months of total service, were specified.32 On1 December 1945 separation criteria for line branches were dropped to 73points and the maxi-
26Army to release more medical officers. J.Am. Dent. A. 32: 1321, Oct 1945.
27Limited number of dental officers to go overseas. J. Am. Dent.A. 32: 1474, Nov-Dec 1945.
28WD Cir 290, 22 Sep 45.
29WD Cir 307, 6 Oct 45.
30Teletype, TAG to CGs all SvCs, 16 Oct 45. SG: 210.8.
31Teletype, Brig Gen R. W. Bliss to CGs all SvCs, 18 Oct 45.SG: 210.8.
32Teletype, TAG to CGs all SvCs, 19 Oct 45. SG: 210.8.
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mum service requirement for medical and dental officers simultaneouslyreduced to 42 months, though the ASR remained at 70 points. Former ASTPstudents received credit only for time served after receiving their commissionsand were required to put in at least 36 months regardless of points.
On 7 December 1945 all previous agreements to volunteer for additionalperiods of service were cancelled. By that time it was possible to givetemporary officers more complete information on the possibility of enteringthe Regular Army, the length of time they could expect to serve on foreignservice, et cetera, and it was felt that they should be given an opportunityto revise their earlier commitments and plan their future on a more stablebasis than had been practical immediately following the war. All officerswere at this time required to sign statements placing them in one of thefollowing categories:33
Category I-Elect to remain on active duty for an unlimitedperiod.
Category II-Elect to remain on active duty until 30 June 1947.
Category III-Elect to remain on active duty until 31 December 1946.
Category IV-Elect to remain on active duty for a specified period agreedupon between the officer and his commanding officer, but not less than60 days after the date of signing.
Category V-Desire separation as soon as possible.
On 31 December 1945 new criteria became effective under which physiciansand dentists could be separated if they were 45 years of age, had 42 monthsof service, or an ASR of 65 points. Line officers were required to haveeither 70 points or 48 months total service. Somewhat more than 5,000 dentalofficers were separated between V-E Day and 31 December 1945 (see Table16).
During the period from V-E Day to the end of 1945 the demobilizationprogram of the Army in general and of the Medical Department in particularwas the target of considerable criticism from Congress, the medical professions,34and from laymen. Such criticism will he covered in detail in other sectionsof the Medical Department history, and will be discussed here only in relationto the Dental Corps.
On 1 October 1945 the American Dental Association reported that it hadreceived many complaints on the slow release of dental officers.35At that time this organization stated that it was not in a position tosay whether the Armed Forces were justified in their separation policies,and limited its comments to pointing out the need for the earliest possiblerelease of medical personnel. On 21 November 1945 the Secretary of Warnotified the Chief of Staff that be had received criticism of delays inreleasing medical and dental officers, and that a threatened senatorialinvestigation had been called off only on his promise to investigate andtake necessary corrective measures.36 He directed The Surgeon
33WD Cir 366, 7 Dec 45.
34S. 134, 79th Cong., introduced 12 Jun 45; S. 1355, 79th Cong.,introduced 6 Sep 45; S. J. Res. 97, 79th Cong, introduced 24 Sep 45 ; H.R. 4425, 79th Cong., introduced 18 Oct 45.
35Release of dental officers from the armed services. J. Am.Dent. A. 32: 1292-1293, Oct 1945.
36Memo, SecWar for CofS, 21 Nov 45. SG: 210.8.
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General and the General Staff to conduct a study to determine how manyofficers could be released and how they could be separated with the leastdelay. A mission of senior officers was to be sent to the overseas theatersand Medical Department personnel were to be shipped to the Zone of Interioras soon as declared surplus, even ahead of other, higher point officers.
On 1 January 1946 the ADA published a bitter editorial criticism ofdental demobilization claiming that the Army and Navy had, at the veryleast, been "ultraconservative and discriminatory," that hundredsof dentists were standing idle while their professional skills rusted,and that there had been no apparent effort to discharge dentists in thesame ratio as enlisted men.37
There is some statistical justification for claims that dental demobilizationlagged behind that of the Army as a whole. The ratio of dental officersto total strength went from 1.74 per 1,000 troops on V-E Day to a maximumof 2.93 per 1,000 in December 1945, and did not return to the V-E Day averageuntil the middle of 1946.38 However, other factors must be consideredin this connection. Procurement had been allowed to lag for several monthsbefore the end of the war in Europe and the number of dentists on dutyin May 1945 was about 500 less than the authorized figure. If dentistshad been discharged in the same ratio as enlisted men, it would have beenimpossible to maintain a ratio of at least 2 per 1,000; dental officerswould be the first to insist that such a ratio was necessary to rendereffective care. Dentists were needed to provide treatment for patientsremaining in Army hospitals, and to examine and treat men being processedin separation centers. Further, the loss of time of dental officers duringdemobilization was high. Thus, although delayed demobilization of dentalofficers from V-E Day to the middle of 1946 did result in the ratio exceedingthe normal proportion over a period of 6 months, in only 2 months did itexceed the 2 per 1,000 ratio by as much as 5 percent.
The Army as a whole had set for itself a demobilization program whichno senior officer would guarantee could be met. In the face of that situationThe Surgeon General had two choices: He might delay the separation of MedicalDepartment personnel slightly until it was clear that the Army would actuallybe reduced as planned, or he might gamble on the demobilization programbeing carried out according to schedule and release every officer who couldbe spared. In the first case he risked criticism for holding officers amonth or two longer than necessary; in the second he risked a breakdownof the medical service if shipping shortages or other circumstances delayedgeneral demobilization. If a gamble had to be taken The Surgeon Generalapparently preferred to be sure that the troops would receive adequatemedical care.39 The
37The right to gripe: the fifth freedom. J.Am. Dent. A. 33: 118-122, Jan 1946.
38Ratios calculated by the author from data on the effective,administrative strength of the Dental Corps. This information, furnishedby the Resources Anal Div, SGO, does not include officers on a terminalleave status. See footnote 20 for explanation of effective, administrativestrength.
39Info given to author by Mr. John D. Rice, Resources Anal DivSGO, 19 Feb 48.
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fact that the Army demobilization schedule was not only met but exceededdid not impair the wisdom of that decision.
Claims that dental officers were not always fully employed probablyarose most often from the fact that the flow of troops through separationcenters could not be constant. At times there was more work than couldbe handled; at others there was little to do. But personnel in these centerscould not be juggled from day to day to meet changing demands.
The slight extent to which the separation of dental officers was delayedin 1945 as compared with the Army as a whole, is shown by an analysis ofthe situation existing in December 1945 when the excess of dentists wasat its maximum. In that month there were 2.23 dental officers for each1,000 men, but if those who were separated just a month later had beendischarged in December the ratio of dentists would have fallen to 1.7 per1,000, or considerably less than the number actually needed. It is thusapparent that even when the situation was most unfavorable, dental officerscould not have been separated more than a few weeks earlier without causinga shortage of personnel to staff essential dental installations.
It is significant in this connection that after repeated hearings onthe "hoarding" of Medical Department personnel, in which thematter was thoroughly discussed before congressional committees, none ofthe proposed legislation to force faster demobilization was passed.
By the first of January 1946, the Dental Service was faced with a rapidlydeveloping shortage of officers. On 21 January a representative of theMilitary Personnel Division, SGO, pointed out that procurement to meetpostwar needs was very uncertain and that unless replacements could beobtained it would soon be necessary to hold the remaining dentists to provideessential care for the troops.40 He advised The Adjutant Generalthat a new objective of 750 men would have to be established without delayif a, "serious public rela-tions problem" was to be avoided.This recommendation was approved,41 but in the absence of theASTP and without the stimulus of patriotism in time of combat, only 15dentists were obtained by the first of May. Nevertheless, a new changein criteria, effective 1 February, reduced the separation require-mentsfor both medical and dental officers to age 45, 60 points, or 39 monthstotal service.42 On 15 February, it was further announced thatphysicians and dentists who were declared surplus in any Zone of Interiorcommand and who were within 4 months of being eligible for discharge, wouldbe released immediately.43 On 23 April The Surgeon General recommendedthat the separation criteria, for medical officers only, be reduced to30 months total service (other
40Ltr, Col Robert J. Carpenter to TAG, 21 Jan46, sub: Procurement objective for appointment in the Army of the UnitedStates (Dental Corps). SG: 210.8.
41See Chapter III.
42WD radiogram 42485, 30 Jan 46.
43ASF Cir 40, 15 Feb 46.
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requirements remaining unchanged).44 This request was approvedand the new standards were published effective 1 May.45 Probablyno action of the War Department caused greater unrest among dental officersthan this maintenance of separate criteria for the Dental Corps, especiallysince it had been announced in March that male officers of the nonmedicalbranches would be released with 24 months' service after the end of August.However, it has since been shown in the discussion of medicodental relationsin chapter I that no discrimination was intended, and that the terminationof the dental ASTP, which precipitated this action, had been based on whatwere considered good and sufficient reasons.
In May and June 1946 arrangements were made to obtain 800 dental officersfrom the Navy, and another 1,500 through Selective Service, (see chapterIII, p. 74), and on 27 May it was announced that dentists would be releasedafter 36 months of service.46 On 1 September it was directedthat dentists, including former ASTP students, would be separated after30 months of service and finally, on 1 November 1946, dental officers wereordered released after 24 months of service under the same criteria asapplied to male officers of most other branches.47
By October 1946 all of the 11,800 V-E Day nonvolunteers (excluding ASTPgraduates) and 1,200 of the ASTP graduates had been separated.48At the end of 1946, 14,200 dental officers, of 14,700 on duty at the endof the war in Europe, had returned to private practice, and it appearedthat the last nonvol-unteer officer who had been in the Army on V-E Daywould be released by the end of February 1947.49 After February1947 the active duty Dental Corps consisted only of the Regular Army, formerASTP students, officers on loan from the Navy, and those who had signedvoluntary agreements to serve after they became eligible for discharge.
After 11 January 1946 any temporary officer who had served in the gradeof first lieutenant for 18 months, in that of captain or major for 24 months,or lieutenant colonel for 30 months, with 50 percent additional creditfor overseas service, was eligible for a promotion of one grade on separationif he bad an efficiency index of 40 or above. This regulation also appliedto any temporary officer with an efficiency index of 40 or over who hadserved at least 24 months without any promotion.50
Regulations in effect on V-J Day provided that until they could be re-placedor declared surplus dental laboratory technicians could be retained withintheir current commands after becoming eligible for discharge on points.
44Memo, Brig Gen R. W. Bliss for ACofS G-1,23 Apr 46, sub: Demobilization of Medical Corps officers. SG: 210.8.
45WD radiogram 37758, 1 May 46.
46WD radiogram 44675, 27 May 46.
47WD radiogram 21743, 15 Oct 46.
48See footnote 24, p. 337.
49Ibid.
50WD Cir 10, 11 Jan 46.
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There was no change in this policy until the end of 1945 when it wasdirected that no dental technician would be held for more than 6 monthsafter he was eligible for release under existing criteria.51 In February1946 dental technicians were removed from the "scarce" categoryand it was directed that all men with 45 points or 30 months of servicewould be discharged by 30 April, and that all technicians with 40 Points;or 24 months of service would be separated, or en route to the United Statesfor release, by 30 June 1946.52
Summary
The principal conclusions to be drawn from Army experience during thedemobilization period are the following:
Pressure from civilian communities for the return of dentists afterthe fighting stops will generally be strong. The Armed Forces will be ableto hold dental officers beyond the end of a war only when it can be shownthat a clear and urgent need exists for their services.
Gradual replacement of dental personnel during a long conflict is highlydesirable to permit the release of older men with the longest service andmen who are less efficient than the average. Unless some "turnover"is maintained the Dental Corps will approach the end of hostilities witha high proportion of officers with such extensive service that public opinionwill force their release regardless of the need for their services.
Voluntary procurement cannot be relied upon to furnish replacementsfor officers being demobilized after a war has ended if any sizeable forceis to be maintained.
51WD Cir 382, 21 Dec 45.
52WD Cir 51, 20 Feb 46.
