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Dulaney, Athol C.,Pa., Achita Falls, exaa j Pace 1
qcy'd..1 1275
ASMINISCMCES CRIMP iD AROUND 0 .11. FIELD
By Dr, Curtis Atkinson, Major M.R.C.,
Post jurmon, Call Field nospital.
Dr. Curtis Atkinson lives on .olk street in
iiichita.Falls, and maintain° an office in
the Firet,National Dank Building, He has
continuously practiced medicine here since
the breaking up of Call Field at the close
of the World War.
"I came to dichita Falls, SepteAler 10, 1917, and was the first
noldier i uniform on duty enrCall Field. I came as a First Lieutenant,
Medical corps from the tiddical Officers' traini!:g camp, at Fort Riley,
Kansas. The reason that I was sent to Call Field durinz.theconetract-
ionefthStfield .as the fact that the flying fields in the northern par'
of the United States Which had boon' opened ---a groat deal of siokness and
-V teetinal trouble, which --was due to unsanitary conditions. ..»For that
r:a:lon when the eight fields of Texas were started -*medical officers 7 -ore
sent to each of them --Coll Fiala Was nametfor Lieutenant Cell, one of
the first fliers who was killed during the earliest days of flying.-
During -77 services an sanitary offie to Call Field--athere was
a great sortage of water —and we had eeveral conferences with te city
official° regarding the 'ate r supply and the purity of the miter. A
medical official frosa•the GurgeonA General's office in Washington, D.C.,
wan sent here to llikk into the situation. At that time.theoity rater
departAent---was ueillg an old faehinoned method of purifying the water
by chloride of lime. TAB was not adovate end I requested that the
city authorities put in n lituid chlorinator--.7-iis'Was denied, so I
took it up with the Chamber of Coqmerce, ---tooling that unless we ware
ass rod a 7)ure as well as adeluate suirly of water I weuld be compelled
to r.)canTiond to the medical dopart'ent at WaJLinGt.on a (Mange of the
field.
Lulanoy, Fano, Terms
Uordo 1275
i'anO 2
LP. (IT mins AlE1113011---(cont'd)
"Zudgo.B.Saluff was oronidont of tho Cambor of Cameroo.---lio--
anina: titat do you want and what will it cost 4' -...This c4orinator cost
and the Chambov of Comoroo ompouerod co to rim Now York for
one immodiatoly, wiehae Instnllod at tho rotor tower at (All Field.
The soptio tank for the di000sal of the '.,,owago from Call Plold
had boonco7.1pletod--and I woo not justiflod in a pro7ing it. I ro7ortod
to 7:ohington---and onit.book ordors to have the ooptiO tank deotroyod
and built along moro natio= linos.
"I felt that m7 promotion to be a Captain on DocoMber 10, 1917, ono
duo to rq activity as a sanitary officer. In Uarch, 1910 -I received my
;'ajor, g.B.C..U.5.A.
"Ilajor Brooks Lad boon assigned as co -:minding official of Call Field,
but an ho woe in Honolulu ho did not arrive tore until oomoti7o after the
field had boon organizod--Novomtor 25, 1017. Offlooro that participated
in the organization wore jors itrfts. Pratt and 1`7alton•—'"ajor Trott
wac a sonior official, aloo actin Commandor; raj. Pratt uao 4dj.,and
:laj. Walton wan in chargo of flying; ?W. Brooko did not romain very long,
and toe followed by 1114. Alfonte, vito rolainod until a :tort timo before
tho Field was closed.
"I%) firotimlistod on to arrivo wars —regular army mon from Pon*
olulu--about Docombor 1, 1017, and comploirad a groat dosl of the cold
woothor—rio firot flying cadots wore tiv young mon from California.
To hospital woo orgonizod Novombor. 27, 1917; the firot patients
101*() ;on wit)-:. on attack of mo-o3loo--T:.:o entire e. pirri3nt had not been
installod ond ro oirod for tho n on cots --o hospital as firdt,planned
mo a furty-bod hot, 7otor onlarcpd to Dirty bode,
Duln3ny, Falll, 1114.wl :rro 3
14).-..d7; 1`14?3
,W.:711:11301n2T.; 07 DR. CURTIS ATKI,73T7,--(cont'd) _
hoppit31 had, bo:lides the Fodioal and surcAcal depart-
man, a comploto pharmocoutical departmont and Xpirey and Dontal
do-
Tx1rtenta.eoparnto building rine eroctod for tooting roan for fly..
aloo had an eye -oars -ono and throat npocialist.---
3oon after tho orgrmization, raj. Kraft appointed no Rocruitim7
Officor to add to r ny dutios--Thie was done so an to onoblo somo
:Yaunc -on of hichita,Fallo to join the army before they woro conceriptod.
Arong nos° rrich I roc Al that 1 onlistod wore kerneot Fain,'Jeuetto I
Donnor, 17.14nOCutchoon,• and 7Tor Karronbrock.
"rho flying cadots conehere for inotructi(41 after Pi-it:thing ground
eFhoA. --..thoy wore ova to advance fields for advanced flying. 0 -J. -The
groatent number of the peroonnel would not ox000d,1050 at any no time.
"thir4thirty to forty enliatod non of the 7-odical donartment did
moot of the nursing, cooking and general hospital work. ,rio also a1 from
throo to nix roaAar army ndrtion-p,!tblo werewolren. During the 'flu'
ye hired save. extra Lwow, here 1:,1 Wichita Falls,
"Zon the 'flu!, opidonic 'Amok Call Field, Sunday, Docombor. 1918.
the boys began to 007A down vary rapidlz.7.---A foot ball gano-was ir prcia.
r.:33 --The oo:nanding °Moor irmodiatoly ordorod the gaino stopped and
sontlnolo 7eoted at thogato of the field with ordersthatt no one was to
be admittod. ---It ,Ino very hard for tho citizone of Wichita Palle to
loarn that a military quarantine wad not 1)1 oviadod. nthin- and hour_
the two ambulances wore vary bay taking non-fparn the different Porto of
tho eamp to the hospital. and hi the aor.t day the hoopital was filled to
ito capacity ---A4 onliated :on of the nordloal doportment were placed in
ton t° and barracks mod for hospital purport's°. Other barrloke we -0 avail.
•able ---and kinodiatoly trannforred into an emtwgoncy hopite1 LAtter
.Zulanoy, Zthol Pal t3 To2oo :ago 4
:ordo 1275
n ;71U:307.MT:13 (.17 DR. CLRTIS Antr.:son ---.(cont/d)
we boon ano2goney hovitoltho sick mn aero POnt thoro firot,
and those thnt bocan vory 111 or dovolopo.1 rnoumonla rwe moved to the
toopitol propo, and tho convolosconts from tho !clooital propor voro-novod
to the onorgenoy Imo-ital. Ono ambulanco van 7 -opt huny at t!:14 work.
Thom voro to non otrielien vith the 'flu' that the rognlar routine
of the flying inotruction woe nearly at o otondetill. Cn aeco,mt of this
avronloroent no eoldlor in Call Field•ouffored Pram the lack otmedical
attention, and tho death rate frau tho 'flu' opidolic me next to tho I
loz:oot of any tiold or .cap in. the United .Statoo.
"During my Scalar dutios, X--mde a osnitory innpoction of the -camp
boob day...340r Zds. A. Alfonte often accorIpanied me on thie inopeotion.
The enlistod on roforred to us ao tho 'Cold Duet Taint)** The eanitary
_condition noe ouch that when Col. Lowlpi Sanitary Inopector_of the V.nited
Statle Aroy coy° Call Field the higherrt rating. ?Jo had a clean and eon*
itory camp. Ono() a wook made on Inopoction of the caw, rootauranto,
coda feontaino, Otte, in Viehita Philo, which vo:sosetronized by the sol-
die-o. !Iro. T.B,Snock nap City In000ctor and aeoompariod re on thooe tri o,
3one anceo would not 7ay trly attention to or order*, but a totleo that
I would poet soldioro at their door to keep the eoldlOrs out brougit
quick action,
"Duri,y,' the oil bool. at Durkburnott in the wintor of MO, the 'flu'
and sanitary conditifts voro oo hod at the Burk oil fields that they ap...
'pooled to up for help. Following an insooetion,4 detailed a medioal of-
f1cor and a roolar army nuroo to Burk and they modo daily tripe anti
holpod to take care of the needy in the oil fieldo for a month or six
Dalanoy, Sthel C.,P1„wichita Falls, Toxas Page 6
aords 1275
lia,IIHISOSNOLIS OF DR* CURTIS ATKL.:2011---(conttd)
weeks at the expense of the United:Atates government*
"The people of Wichita Falls Wer0 very loyal and very muoh interested
in Call Field. They lent every cooperation ---.The women visited tho sick
of tho Hospital rocularly and brought flowers, cheer, comforts, and deli-
cacies to many a lonely soldier*
"rho local Rod omss met our every wish, and supplied us many things
we needed in a hurry and could not get through regular army channels* AS
gootAdrgo4n, I want to aekmovledco the many courtesies shown the per-
sonnel of the hospital as well as the sick by the people of Wichita Falls*"
41114441404*.**644144.4•414