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WWII 32nd Station Hospital | WWII Africa to Caserta Italy
| Willard O. Havemeier WWII
Dr. LOUISS LINN
Dr. Louis Linn. Our psychiatrist in Algeria. Dr. Linn is
still active in his New York City Practice.
MORE FROM DR. LINN
Captain Joseph Dolgin, a surgeon in our unit.
(see Dr. Linn's letter)
NO INTEGRATION
During all my time on active duty in WWII
we never had any black soldiers assigned to our unit and had
none as patients. The military was not integrated at that
time. Growing up in Minnesota I had had no opportunity to
meet black people. I saw my first African American when
I went to a high school gymnastics meet. In North Africa we
had many different nationalities as patients: soldiers fighting
as our allies. I never felt any different toward them.
We did have German and Italian prisoners of war as patients.
While operating in Italy we never had any black patients.
These black musicians played big band music
for officers' parties. Enlisted men never saw them or
heard their music. They were from the USO.
First Lt. Herman C. Needles, our registrar. Smoking was the
"in thing" those days. At one time he wore a pencil
moustache trying to look like Errol Flynn, the handsome movie
star of those days. He took a lot of kidding and shaved
it off.
The writer, Red Cross worker, Dorothy Clark, and John
Jones, a fellow worker in the registrar's office. Taken on
the roof or our hospital building.
Three of my favorite friends. From left:1st Lt. Herman
C. Needles, our registrar; our Red Cross worker, Dorothy
Clark, and Warrant Officer Thomas Haggerty, personnel officer.
Picture was taken on the roof of our hospital building.
Needles and I became great friends and after all these years
we still speak to each other on the phone several times
a month. Sorry to say that both Haggerty and Clark
have passed away.
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