Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1241832
22 Working Nurse l WorkingNurse.com April 27–June 15, 2020 In a 1945 letter, Lt. Sophia Monteville, RN, described a typical scene aboard the Relief after picking up wounded troops: Enemy combatants were also sometimes patients. Monteville described one encounter with Japanese POWs: WORLD WAR II ENDS ✚ As the Allies made progress across the Pacific, Relief served as a fleet base hospital in the Philippines. Toward the end of the war and for about two months afterwards, she was accompanied by minesweepers as she assisted efforts to rescue Allied prisoners of war being held in Manchuria, including many who had survived the infamous Bataan Death March. "They didn't let them come right aboard. They had to be deloused first — fumigated and then given showers," Capt. Ann Bernatitus, RN, recalled. "I remember the supply officer who was in charge of food came to me and said that the senior medical offi- cer was going to give them sandwiches and I said, 'Listen, if you can't give them a steak dinner and ice cream, we ought to be ashamed of ourselves.'" By war's end, this weary ship — affectionately called the "White Lily" — had sailed the equivalent of four times around the world, evacuating 10,000 fighting men from virtually every battle fought in the Pacific and earning five Battle Stars. She was decommis- sioned in the summer of 1946 and sold for scrap in 1948. Although the Navy's present Mercy-class hospital ships, USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy, are almost twice the size and seven times the tonnage of their WW2 ancestor, with 1,000-bed capac- ity and far more modern equipment, both vessels are converted supertankers, not purpose-built hospital ships like the old USS Relief. WN A HOSPITAL AT SEA On one of our missions, we took care of 250 Japanese prisoners, war casualties from Saipan. … We asked our interpreter, a young Marine officer, to ask them what they thought of the treatment and care they were receiving. They smiled and bowed, saying our food was too rich for them. After that, we fed them rice, tea and fish, which they enjoyed much more. I was pleased to have them see how we take care of our men, and hoped that for the treatment we gave them, they would be a little kinder to our prisoners. When the patients came on board, they often told us how good it was to see a big white hospital ship in port while they were fighting. They felt that if they were hurt and sent to us, everything would be all right. … If the nurses and corpsmen were busy, the ambulatory patients would help each other. They also helped to feed the boys who were blind and those who had had amputations. They passed out drinking water and assisted in cleaning the wards. Everyone worked with us, even the seamen, who acted as stretcher bearers. MH20-0084 Join a talented, friendly team of nurses dedicated to providing excellent and compassionate care for our patients. - Award-winning community hospital - Sign-on bonuses up to $10,000 - Great learning environment - Work / Life balance - All shifts available To apply today, go to www.methodisthospital.org/careers 300 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia CA 91007 Your New Coworkers are Waiting for You! BE PART OF A GREAT TEAM Sending Heartfelt Thanks to Our Nurses as We Celebrate Nurses Week! Steve Tubbs, RN EMERGENCY ROOM