The 92nd Evac and the Great Raid (48)

     The daring raid of Cabanatuan was over.  All of the prisoners, even the deaf, bewildered British man discovered alone in the compound the morning after the raid (and one other that I'll tell you about Friday!), were safe.  The heroes, brave Filipino guerrillas who had borne the brunt of the Japanese assault and provided rear guard protection, and American Rangers and Alamo Scouts who had planned and carried out the raid, could take their well-earned rest.  The work was just beginning for the 92nd Evacuation Hospital.  Here is their story, as reported in the Trinidad (Colorado) Chronicle News:

Gene's photo of the arrival of the trucks with the prisoners freed from Cabanatuan

Trinidad Doctor With Army Medics Who Treated Americans Freed From Jap Prison In Philippines: Capt. (Dr.) E. F. Pfile With Staff of 92nd Evacuation Hospital On Luzon Who Helped Fill Heroic Episode Of Rescue Of Long Imprisoned Men

     When the now famous Sixth army rangers had liberated the hundreds of American prisoners from Cabanatuan prison in the Philippines some time ago, and the liberated soldiers and civilians had reached Guimba, Luzon - the end of the route in its 23-mile journey to freedom - one of the small staff of army doctors attached to the 92nd Evacuation hospital who were waiting there to administer to the ill and exhausted heroes of the tragic surrender at Bataan and Corregidor three years ago, was Capt. (Dr. ) Eugene F. Pfile, well-known Trinidad physician.  He was one of a group of Colorado doctors who gave these erst while internees clean beds and expert medical care.

     Capt. Pfile has been in the Pacific for a considerable period.  He had earlier been in service with the 92nd Evacuation Hospital when the American landings were made.  Now this small group of Colorado doctors of the medical staff were giving these wretched looking mortals the care and comfort they had been denied thru almost three years of confinement in the vile Japanese prison pens.  Capt. Pfile was the only Trinidad member of the medical group.  Others were from Denver, Pueblo, and one from Lamar.

     Today was received direct from the scene of that pathetic rescue, a detailed story of the heroic episode.

     The sensational melodramatic raid and the freeing of the first American prisoners of the war far overshadowed all other aspects of the event; but the story of how this hospital moved in a few hours to play a part in the swiftly planned, lightning executed operation, is the story of how the Army's Medical Corps, no matter where or when, is always there ready to "deliver the goods."

     On the morning before the raid came off, the unit, which was staying near Lingayen Gulf and slated to service Sixth Army troops spearheading into Manila, was given the order by Brigadier General William A. Hagins, Sixth Army Surgeon - "Pack up and get down to Guimba by this afternoon.  Set up and be ready to take patients immediately!"

     So a several-hundred bed hospital "took off" down the road to a town nearly 50 miles distant - within a few miles of our forward infantry elements; to be ready for, exactly what, most of them did not know - though the basic details had rumorized themselves around the hospital [Gene hadn't heard any rumors, so they mustn't have been widespread].

     They quickly picked out the sprawling frame buildings of the town's elementary school as their spot, and started unpacking a few tons of equipment.  That night they had power, a supply room, operating room, laboratory, and wards with sheeted cots in neat rows - all marking time.  They were ready.

     Next day [actually two days later] about noon the trucks, which had been sent out to meet the caravan - half in native carabao carts - half staggering along on foot - rolled in with their cargo of gaunt, ragged men.

Gene's photo of the Filipina women assembling the Red Cross ditty bags

    The litter cases were taken to the wards.  Those with lesser injuries and sickness were diagnosed and taken care of.  The Red Cross, attached to the hospital, was there with hot coffee and doughnuts and "ditty" bags full of comforts - toilet articles, writing equipment, smokes, candy, gum - to further bolster the already soaring spirits of the men.

     And it was all done with such dispatch and dexterity, it seemed impossible that the hospital could have been there for any less than a couple of weeks.

     "That hospital did a great job - and took care of many functions such as securing new clothes for the liberated prisoners, processing them through registration, etc. - that were not part of their regular duties at all," points out General Hagins.

     The original staff of surgeons of the 92nd, which was originally designated the 7th Surgical Hospital, was organized by Lieutenant Colonel Paul M. Ireland, son of Major General Merit W. Ireland, former Surgeon General of the U.S. Army, early in 1940 [1942], with doctors from Denver, Pueblo, and other Colorado hospitals.

     Activated at Fort Ord, Cal., in September 1940 [actually it was withdrawn from the reserves in 1940, but not staffed until August 1942], where it was redesignated the 92nd Evacuation Hospital and drew its detachment cadre; it shortly after left for a year of intensive training in the Mojave desert.  According to detachment men, this training in the States was tougher than anything they have yet encountered overseas [but not according to the doctors!].  And they had some plenty rugged going here in the Southwest Pacific.

     They landed in Brisbane, Australia, in June 1943, operated in Australia for a few months, and then pushed off for New Guinea where they serviced Lieutenant General Walter Krueger's Sixth Army troops, leapfrogging along the north New Guinea coast.

     At Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, where they landed on D-1, they handled, in addition to our troops, the pitifully emaciated missionaries of diverse nationality which we had recovered from the Japs.

     Biak Island, where they also landed on D-1, was their roughest campaign.  There they were operating about 250 yards in back of the front lines - in front of our own artillery.  Ack ack was continually falling on the hospital, and on one occasion a Jap pilot parachuted down within its confines.

     Throughout its experience in these jungle campaigns, the hospital had often had to set up its own perimeter defense, manned by detachment men.  Its record of having had four men killed and several wounded through enemy action testifies to its continuous proximity to the actual fighting.

     Many of the original Colorado officer-doctors, who brought the outfit overseas and were with it through its earlier campaigns, have been transferred to other hospitals where their talents were needed or given higher echelon jobs because of demonstrated ability.

     List of personnel of 92nd Evacuation Hospital from Colorado:

     Major Francis S. Adams, Pueblo; Major Edwin W. Varley, Jr., Pueblo; Captain John Mihelick, Pueblo; Captain Raymond A. Netherly [sic], Denver; Captain Eugene F. Pfile, Trinidad; Captain Carl W. Swartz, Jr., Pueblo; Major Hiram E. Armstrong, Pueblo; Major Arnold C. Niemeyer, Pueblo; Sergeant Jack Hall, Lamar; PFC Louis Cohen, Denver; Pvt. William B. Rogers, Denver.

February 1. 1945  MacArthur visited.  I didn't get to see him.