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The Rouen Post Base Hospital 21 Collection

10-1947 The Rouen Post, October 1947

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Recommended Citation "The Rouen Post, October 1947" (1947). The Rouen Post. Paper 110. https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/rouen_post/110

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Base Hospital 21 Collection at Digital Commons@Becker. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Rouen Post by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Becker. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE ROUEN Base Hospital 21- World War I POST 21st Gen. Hosp. - World War ll

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GRETHE KNUDSEN REPORTS city-at lovely homes-dinners at restau- ON EUROPE • rants, and balls-just a glorious mad round of pleasure-and I loved it. The 12th of June I left Denmark by air and flew to Prague, it only took three hours. It was a beautiful plane, good service but 3 Grethe Knudsen and rough ride. I sat and ate lunch while four Dinah •. • Miss Knud­ gentlemen were sitting around me, giving sen was a member of their all in nice little paper bags. You know the 21st General Hos­ me, never miss a meal, especially a free meal! pital Unit of World After two days in Prague with friends and War n. She now four days in Klatovy near Pilsen with a malrns her home in doctor's family I knew, I went back to Chicago, Illinois. Prague. Next day I went sight-seeing on a bus in true tourist fashion. But it was so hot! After five hours of seeing castles, churches, statues and views I was one tired puppy. I I rebelled on Count Wallenstein's castle and sat me down in the court yard, refusing to move. The guide was much perturbed and kept waving to me thru each successive win­ dow as the other poor tourists kept climbing -up and up-to see some elegant view. I Now, I am back in good old U .S.A . again shook my head "no" and I know from the - and while I love to make tracks to other looks I got that people thought I was being places. the U.S.A . looks better and better rather -'acrilegious not following them fur­ each time I come back home! As I passed the ther. Statue of Liberty, I inadvertently thought of the countries and the peoples of other coun­ One sight very commonplace in Czechslo­ tries that I have recently visited; and realized vakia is the daily communistic parades and how those people would give their souls to gatherings. They, the workers, adore going see that Statue. knowing they were to live in thru the streets in work clothes. with the our wonderful land-away from ruination. Soviet salute on high (clenched fist held starvation, uncertainty, political upheaval. high) singing their raucous and unmelodius economic distress and many other smaller songs. President Benes, whom the majority miseries. had such faith in, has been a big disappoint­ I want to thank Major Spalding and ment. He has been to Moscow, received his others for the friendly telegram which orders and has communists in high offices of awaited me in my cabin on the Gripsholm the government. However, folks were hope­ when I sailed in May. I only hope our group ful because they made so many mistakes in received my cable sent from Copenhagen, to governing that they hoped the communists all of you at the reunion. I was there-in would soon blunder themselves out of office. spirit! But I'll be there the next time. That day is yet to come. Meanwhile, com­ I had a perfectly marvelous time in Den­ munism ~s r~ising it's ugly head-and getting mark-parties, good gab-fests with old away with it. friends and reunions with relatives-staying The stores are full of very poor merchan­ at country homes-at the seashore-in the dise, at fantastic prices, for example, $35.00 for a little cheaply made suit. Shoes, ordi­ OCTOBER 1947 nary novelty shoes, for vacationing, crudely THE ROUEN POST made, $25.00 and $30.00. These prices are with paltry rags at the windows. Naples is in American dollars, therefore, almost im­ slowly being reconstructed, with public possible for the ordinary Czech to buy. So buildings first. then larger apartment build­ much for Czechoslovakia. I did have a grand ings and much later the private homes will time while there because I knew such fine be repaired-perhaps? Their transportation people. is pretty well under conrol and that is a great The next hop was to Rome. I might say in job done. passing that the Czech planes needed reno­ In the afternoon I took a taxi to T erme vating and so did the stewardess. Things Agnano, our old home. The place is going weren't as super neat and in ship-shape as great guns, with all the sulphur holes un­ they were on Danish, Swedish, Dutch and plugged and the lovely odor of rotten eggs American planes. In Rome I stayed with the again mixes with the wistaria bloom per­ Danish government representative at the fume. The first person to greet me was Enzia Danish Legation. I lived like a queen-being Alfiero the nice looking little waitress we had waited on hand and foot. And I loved it. Ele­ in our mess hall. She rushed towards me in gant little "intime" dinners on the terrazzo her effusive Italian fashion and called me by at 9:30 in the evening, in their lovely mod­ name, much to my amusement. She asked ernized 15th century home, overlooking the about everyone, Colonel Cady, Colonel Tiber and the Coloseum, with swallows Drake, Major Spalding and Sergeant Willis. whizzing all around us. Very different and I took pictures inside and outside and will very Capesetic. Believe me, I ate it up. I send you copies for the Rouen Post. (Miss adore being waited on. Who doesn't? After Knudsen, we have not yet received them.) two days there I went shopping with Mrs. Enzia sent fond greetings to every one and Bull. my hostess. We wandered thru the assured me she missed us all. She would like well-stocked shops and saw gorgeous linge­ to have some one write to her at T erme. rie, clothes, shoes-everything elegant, ex­ An attendant there informed me that now quisite-and, for Americans, with prices in they had all new tubs and had the place normal limits. The lira was quoted at 550 lira clean-after the way we left it. I certainly to the dollar at banks but 730 lira to the dol­ told him that the 21st were not the final oc­ lar on the street, if you had American dollar cupants and that we cleaned the place to a bills not larger than ten dollar denomina­ sparkling brilliance before leaving. If it was tions. I bought fresh fruit and lucious choco­ left dirty some one else was responsible. lates to take back to Denmark with me. I also Good thing I got there to keep our good bought lingerie, shoes and a cute beach bag. name shining. It looked sort of sad though to~ether with other novelties. to see the lame and the halt wandering about. Next day I took the electric train to sniffing the horrible fumes of sulphur in the Naples where I visited the Contessa Bal­ hopes of gaining health and straight, strong samo, a lady of Danish birth, whom I met bodies. At least, we looked better than that, during our stay in Naples when the old 21st even after the grind we had in Italy. was in the fairgrounds. The trip by rail was I then drove past the fairgrounds- I could very smooth and comfortable-three hours not get in as it is completely encircled with from Roma to Napoli. Talked and shared barbed wire and impenetrable-to keep lunch with a very interesting Italian profes­ homeless people from squatting in the empty sor who had attended Cambridge and Ox­ buildings while the government makes up it's ford, who had just returned from the U .S.A . mind what to do about it. Rumor has it that He had worked on the atom bomb develop­ a permanent exposition will be placed there ment with Professor Ferme' of Italy. The to attract tourists. All of the buildings and "road to Rome" looked just as we left it­ walls are now painted crudely with Viva Formia - Velletri - Itri - N ettuna - Anzio - Umberto and Viva la Republica instead of Cassino - Aversa - Capua-all just as I re­ Viva ii Duce-as when we were there. membered them-ruined-wreckage strewn Back to Rome, on to Geneva, Switzerland about-not a sign of a brick having been for a day and then from that little story-book picked up or any repairs done. People are country to Amsterdam. Holland. One day in living in the shells of bombed-out houses Amsterdam and then " home" to Copenhagen THE ROUEN POST

where I stayed until August 8. After travel­ We might add that the Corrubia's of Tul­ ing all over Denmark, talking and eating my sa are a couple of busy people. Mrs. Corru­ head off. My mother met me in New York bia is physical education director in the pub­ City and we had three days sight-seeing, etc. lic school system. On Tuesday evenings both I returned to Chicago the best-looking lil' ole she and her husband attend meetings at the city in the World. I am now dieting and rest­ Sketch Club at Philbrook Art Museum. ing at our summer place, getting acquainted Tuesday and Thursday afternoons Paul has all over again with my super deluxe niece. classes at Tulsa University and on Thurs­ Pookie, and nephew, R. J. The dachshund day evening a class in "Arts and Crafts" in pooch, Dinah 11 of Lindely, has also come the Downtown College. Other activities in in for much attention. Well. my 21 sters which both engage are the Little Theatre there's your "Report on Europe" that you plays, university plays and lectures. Paul asked for. Hope you like it. Best regards sends best wishes to all. to all. * * * * ANOTHER MARRIAGE PAUL E. CORRUBIA Paul was a member of Base Hospital Unit Colonel Cady ever on the alert for "news" 21 of World War I. After the war he elected of former members of his command has made to study architecture following in the foot­ another contribution which we quote: steps of his brother, now deceased, who was Dear Bill: very successful in that field. He finally set­ Announcing the marriage of tled at Tulsa. Oklahoma and put out his shinHle as ARCHITECTURAL DELINE­ JOAN SCHWOCHERT ATOR where he too has been very success­ to ful. Mr. ROLAND R. De MUNBRUN Since it was not possible for Paul to attend Saturday, 11th October, 1947 our reunion he felt he should make some sort of a contribution. That he did in the form of Las Vegas, New Mexico a large sketch of ROUEN CATHEDRAL At Home copies of which were distributed to all those Plaza Hotel present. Others who have learned of it's ex­ Las Vegas, New Mexico. istance have asked for copies. Such a request came from Geneva Book of Topeka, Kansas Address: Box 600, Las Vegas, New Mexico for a friend and it was complied with. We Sergeant De Munbrun was the "long-suf­ quote from a letter Geneva received shortly fering" and patient confidential secretary to thereafter. "By golly, every time I look at Colonel Cady during the Italian and French my new sketch I can hardly believe it. I real­ campaigns. ly was so surprised last night and so pleased Decorations: Good Conduct Medal and that I almost choked and didn't even feel like the Bronze Star Medal. talking about it. I know that I'll always like it very much. It seems so alive to me. I can Avocation: Poetry (American, his own) • sit and look at it and imagine all kinds of and study of French history, and the lan­ scenes associated with it. If you have an op­ guage. portunity you can tell whoever did it that I Although De Munbrun is engaged in writ­ shall enjoy it and most of all it's you I ap­ ing a book, a pretty nice book could be writ­ preciate for your thoughtfulness." ten about him and his service with the 21st The writer has one of the copies framed General Hospital. He joined the unit in and it is adorning the walls of his office. Vis­ Africa on 30 November 1943 after being itors have noticed it and have asked ques­ through the Tunisian Campaign mill. tions. One of the nation's leading architects, and quite a delineator himself, Harry Ihmsen After De Munbrun left the unit in France Hellmuth, studied it for several minutes, and following V-E day, he spent several months pronounced it "a fine work". Belatedly, we in Germany before returning to the USA. send thanks to Paul,...... and our compliments. Sincerely, Lee D . Cady THE ROUEN POST

THE GREAT AUK history in the second 21st. They should not Recently. be material for the undertaker and the cre­ Charles matoriums-the volume should remain un­ "rabbi" Fox finished as long as a member remains alive. of West We shall be happy to publish them. Palm Beach, Florida sent us a picture THE ROUNDUP CONTINUES en tit 1 e d, To Colonel Cady was addressed this letter: "This is the Sir: I am a former member of the 21st Great Auk". and I received letters from some of the fel­ While the lows saying they had been receiving some caricature at news of the old outfit from somebody in St. the left is Louis. I was wondering if you had some not an exact newspaper or something that I might receive. reproduc­ If so, you will note I have changed my ad­ tion, the re­ dress, so if it is not too much trouble I'll be semblance is hearing from you. sufficient to illustrate Hope this finds you in the best of health. Fox's deri­ Please give my regards to any of the 21st sive re­ members you might see. marks. His picture is of a huge bird silhou­ *James Hubbard, 467 Bosworth street, etted against some trees the same shape of San Francisco, California the bird in this sketch. He has written on the *Hubbard was in the x-ray service of 21st General reverse side, "This is Bill Stack as we know Hospital. and knew him. Understand he hasn't changed only for the worse." Bill was the original editor of the ROUEN ONE OF COMMANDER BEAM'S POST, a fine writer. In addition, he is quite PALS WRITES an artist and his papers were studded with Rouen Post No. 242. Friends: his incomparable cartoons and drawings. From time to time, as space permits, we shall I am greatly pleased to receive the news reprint some of these together with copies of my old outfit the 21st General of which I of photographs of members and places of the was a member in World War 11 and to original 21st and their activities. learn what is happening to some of my old If any of you of the second unit have any friends. interesting photographs with a story or if I hear my old pal Dr. Sim Beam is still you are able to draw we would like to have around. Tell him I said "hello". I kind of the material. There must be many incidents missed his smiles when I left the army in such as the "BOAR HUNT" which would 1945. be of interest to our readers. Thinking of one's war days is like opening a great ne­ My best of wishes to all of my old friends glected volume haphazard, and reading in it. of the 21st General. There must be hundreds of such pages still A friend, Edward C. Binsfield. bright. still fresh. The earliest pictures are St. Cloud, Minn. most fragmentary, they are vignetted in the unremembered. Surely, some of you of the BILL ENGEL 21st General can turn those pages for us and 220 No. Fourth street, point out the many incidents which made St. Louis 2, Mo.