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American Red Cross base hospital no. 38 in the world war. United States army base hospital no. 38, organized under the auspices of the Jefferson Medical College and Hospital, stationed at Nantes, France, 1918-1919, by W. M. L. Coplin.

American Red Cross Base Hospital No. 38

2-1923

American Red Cross Base Hospital No. 38 in the World War - XVII: American Red Cross Base Hospital No. 38 in the World War - XVII:

Thoughts from the Chaplain's Pen Thoughts from the Chaplain's Pen

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"American Red Cross Base Hospital No. 38 in the World War - XVII: Thoughts from the Chaplain's

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hospital no. 38, organized under the auspices of the Jefferson Medical College and Hospital,

stationed at Nantes, France, 1918-1919, by W. M. L. Coplin.. Paper 10.

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XVII

THOUGHTS FROM THECHAPLAIN'S PEN

JOHN H. CHAPMAN

I T is ernbarassing for one who preaches to place hisreport among those who practice, for th e "preacher"seldom sees results, while th e surgeon often knows

definitely before his patient is removed from th e operat­ing table. If there are certain advantages possessed bythe physician and surgeon in knowing th e conclusion ofthe matter, the Chaplain may at least comfort himselfwith the thought that he is not concerned with the results-if his procedure for today is correct , Some One elsewill care for tomorrow.

Well, "today" in France was never stupid or dull forone moment. Our Allies may have found a measure ofmonotony from longer service but we were fresher andwhen the fracture and gas wards and the muddy roadsto the cemetery seemed too often repeated, the enthusi­astic idealism of the men, their apparent willingness tostand and do anything, came as a reviving breath fromour younger and happier land. Then th e lighter sidewas constantly recurring possibly just because it was so

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142 BASE HOSPITAL T H I RTY-E IGHT

incongruous. The walks to nearby villages, dinners withnewly made French friends, the discovery of a good cookwhere the omelette was particularly appetizing and thewine of moderate price and st ill more moderate quality.The exchange of information on these new "finds" andth en th e rapid deterioration of th e "find" under thestrain of popularity.

U nder such conditions men made good friendshipsthat endured, learned one another 's strength and weak­ness, admired the one and forgave the other, found lifeinteresting and everything worth while. It was exhila­rating to venture, to abandon many present satisfactionsfor the sake of a distant good, to hold t rue to our tradi­tions amidst th e novel and often enticing attractions ofa foreign land.

One recognized that the men of our unit were abovethe average in intelligence and character and naturallymade a creditable showing, bu t it also may be said of ourpatients that the great majority were min dful of thefact that they represented the country and gave as goodan account of themselves in our back area as they hadalready done at the front. It is to be hoped that a moreconventional life has not erased from the minds of com­rades how greatly they were and are admired for theirconscientious work and cheerful fellowship ; if we wereever peevish and dealt in trenchant English it was allowing to the state of the liver, and our hearts now warmat the memory of our few slight discomfor ts and many

FROM THE CHAPLAIN'S PEN 143

pleasures shared together. Those of our family who diedunder the pressure of service we shall ever recall as highexamples of faithfulness and feel a strengthening ofhearts as we salute their memory.

To recover something of the atmosphere of the time,the Chaplain may be permitted to quote from a letterwhich he sent to his home parish on October 27, 1918:

This is Sunday afternoon-visiting day at the hospital-and French families for miles around are walkingthrough our "streets," looking in windows and doors,inspecting everything, but chiefly inspecting the Ameri­can soldiers, who are not averse to the inspection. Inspite of the fact that the girls are generally chaperonedby their entire families, new acquaintances are beingmade among our boys and friendships of some standingare being bettered.

This afternoon we expect a regimental band to playfor the patients and the French visitors will have the

benefit of the concert.In the distance someone is using a piano, others are

singing, the convalescent patients are walking about orbeing wheeled in chairs and there is laughter and talking.The sun is out at times and the men are revelling in itswarmth. You would certainly think this a holiday ifyou walked along our streets, and maybe you would ifyou went into some of the wards; but if you wouldretain the impression you must not enter others, and itwould be well to keep away from all when the wounds

1440 BASE HOSPITAL THIRTY-EIGHT

are being dressed. The rheumatism, grippe, and pneu­monia wards might not distress you, though the patientslook very sorry for themselves.

Maybe you would like to know what I have been doingtoday. Well I arose about five o'clock and after dressingin the dark, arranged the officers' mess hall for the earlyCommunion. We had two altar lights, and the menlike them because they are a promise of light that isto come out of our present darkness when the Kingbrings peace again to the world. There were not manyat so early a service because the men love to sleep whenthey have an opportunity and because the place of ourmeeting is so often moved; but they were earnest anddeeply appreciative of the opportunity.

At 9.30 there was the more popular morning service,here we had about two hundred men and they sang th ehymns in a way that would have shaken the roof of St.Paul's. 'They are good listeners too and one feels thegreat responsibility and the great privilege of speakingto them. This evening at seven o'clock we have the thi rdservice and at this there will probably be about threehundred men and the singing will be with a greater willbecause the men select the hymns.

After the morning service I visited a few of the wardsto distribute fruit that I bought yesterday with some ofyour money; chiefly grapes, with a few peaches andapples. In one ward of about 54 beds I was able to g iveevery man a small bunch of grapes; you should have

FROM THE CHAPLAIN'S P E l 145

seen th eir smiles, forgetting for a moment amputations,severe fractures, deep holes and long gashes with ugly

irrigation tubes protruding. They have to cry out attimes, especially when wounds are being dressed, butthey are wonderfully gritty. The peaches and appleswent to men who found it difficult in th eir wasted condi­tion to eat army fare. One man held his apple close tohis face with half-shut eyes, enj oying the perfume; Ileft him still smelling it.

In another ward I visited th ere were three men towhom I could only give flowers. One is holding on tothis world by a very slender thread , after having passedthrough terrible experiences; he was five days in a shellhole unattended, with both legs mangled, and his condi­tion when he reached our hospital was such that youwould not read the account should I write it . He is aRussian Jew surrounded by peopl e whose ideas are dif­ferent from his own; he would like to have seen a R abbibut consented to let me act as his Rabbi, and seemedcomforted when I gave him the old H ebrew blessing.

The two others have fractured jaws, one having hadmost of the lower jaw shot away and must be fed throughhis nose. When I first saw him he was in g reat agonyand gripping the frame of his bed to hold himself to­gether. I offered my hand instead and he grasped iteagerly, while I told him of my gratitude and your grat­itude for all the anguish he was bea ring for us. .Of

course he could not speak to me but his big brown eyes

146 BASE HOSPITAL THIRTY-EIGHT

looked into mine as I told him of the Christ who had suf­fered so for him; and he seemed to understand betterthrough his own pain. As I was leaving he reached theother hand from under the cover and stroked and pet tedmine between his. The responsive pressure of his handwas as grateful to me as mine could have been to him.When I recall some of these poor mangled, disfiguredmen, some of the ache is taken away that came with thegolden stars on our parish flag.

They might have been disfigured, instead th ey aretransfigured. The parish has made the supreme gi ftwith its very best and we claim the privilege of making ,with those who loved them closest, a thanksgiving toGod for their lives-served faithfully-crowned glori­ously. At the Holy Communion we shall ever rememberthem as part of that "Company of Heaven" with whomwe sing, and whose sacrifice has saved our idealism.They lived because they were willing to die.