Wounded US Naval Heroes Treated at Yosemite in WWII

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mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Topic Author's Original Post - May 25, 2015 - 09:31pm PT
Some of the story--
http://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/historyculture/navy-hospital.htm

But there were more parts to it. The US naval command knew there had to be war with Japan sooner or later and some arrangements for treatment centers other than standard hospitals were made in advance of the Pearl Harbor attack.

http://www.med.navy.mil/bumed/nmhistory/Pages/showcase/WWII_Convalescent_Hospitals/BUMED%20History%20Showcase--Convalescent%20Hospitals.pdf

http://www.historicresources.com/reps/arrowhead_springs.pdf

http://www.thecascadiacourier.com/2014/04/hey-sailor.html

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ya5WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=n-gDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6625,4159972&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=d-JXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X_UDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7345,449188&hl=en


Thank neebee, for this was her idea.

Thank you, Nurse neebee!
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
May 25, 2015 - 09:49pm PT
hey there say, mouse... wow, for the memorial day week-end, this is perfect timing...


for health, a great thing, even though the initial mental health idea, did not work out... as the article said...


i just got done reading and hearing many things from the survivors of the uss indianapolis disaster... :(

the emotional trauma is much harder to heal than the wounds, that is for sure...


say i HOPE that some folks here, at the taco, will have family or someone, that can share stories about STAYING at the ol' yosemite recovery-room...

a room made by glaciers, ;)

i just HEARD a story from the connection to the uss indianapolis, so see:

the stories ARE still out there...
by those that served, and THEY know the stories of THOSE that never came back...


:(



folks all went on home, back to the walks of life, of whence they came...
trying to start back in...
many stopping places of healing, along the way...


who will share... :)
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
May 25, 2015 - 11:15pm PT
hey there say, mouse... just saw this... to go with your post here...


https://ofshipssurgeons.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/the-u-s-navy%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cphantom%E2%80%9D-world-war-ii-hospitals-in-california-part-ii/
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
May 27, 2015 - 03:52pm PT
hey there say, mouse... not sure if you had seen this link:

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2236

was really hoping we could find someone's MEMOIRS, :)


HERE IS the closest i could find, so far...
i love the stories from the old timers...
from whatever experiences... they have so many things to share,
that make you think...


well, all i found was SOMEONE, looking for more info, on someone...
this lists things, as well, from nearby area, but not the actual
yosemite situation... (though BOTH are mentioned)

http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=30&p=localities.northam.usa.states.california.counties.mariposa
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2015 - 05:44pm PT
We got no response the first time around. Try and try again.

Another link for those interested who live out in the Rockies.

http://ofshipssurgeons.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/u-s-naval-convalescent-hospitals-glenwood-springs-colorado-and-asheville-north-carolina-asbury-park-nj/

When I checked the link neebee posted about the Hot Springs Rehab Center in Arkansas today, I lucked out and found this video. I was fascinated first of all, because Julie Petty is so pretty, but then found how articulate and matter-of-fact she is, in spite of her cerebral palsy.

[Click to View YouTube Video]

Gnome Ofthe Diabase and I were speaking of this same condition just last night.

Weren't we, Gnome?

I was being rather candid about the guy who coached the Ripon Christian HS basketball squad back in my HS days. I'm all awkward and abashed now, as you can imagine. If Rahm Emanuel can apologize for inappropriate terminology, then so can I. I'm sorry. But that's just between you and me, otay?

After watching the video, I googled this, dated 12/2011.

http://news.uark.edu/articles/17416/university-alumnus-named-to-presidential-committee-for-people-with-intellectual-disabilities


I've been holding out. I knew about this clip. I forgot to post anything about the Caine Mutiny and the Ahwahnee, I think.
[Click to View YouTube Video]Robert Francis and May Winn.

I believe May may have pointed to the Washington Column half-way through.


neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
May 31, 2015 - 05:54pm PT
hey there say, ... wow, this is a great link here...

edit: just had a fast moment, to see her video, say, she sure has a lot of great stuff to share, and she is very open... great gal, and a great gal to learn from...

younger, kids, these days, that are SO impatient as to a VAST number of things, and timing, and getting what they want, could do well to listen to her stories...



i thought this was so cool, how the national park idea, to help soldiers happened...

i still hope that some folks will share, here, but sadly, much of that generation is gone now... :(


i sure love when older folks share their stories, but, i learned a lot by the links, to the survivors of the USS indianapolis, that many vets from those years, did not share at all, with their families... (not meaning all, mind you) but SO many did not... :(


it is a hard thing, for soldiers, returning home... :(
lost buddies, etc, and having to shift gears, from survival-mode, to
daily duties, of home life...

but you never know... some one here, may have family that DID spend time here, in some... it just takes time to find them...

hope to see some nice stories, later down the line...
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2015 - 06:02pm PT
I may try to find some information from the local newspapers about the participation of the people of the San Joaquin Valley communities who gave of their time and substance to help out the swabbies in Yosemite.

That might be a trail to follow. I'll keep this thread on the back burner, for sure.
lars johansen

Trad climber
West Marin, CA
May 31, 2015 - 06:51pm PT
Very interesting and on topic thread. Thanks Neebs and Mouse-lars
John Duffield

Mountain climber
New York
Jun 1, 2015 - 07:29am PT
Sad to say, but many of the wounded, have a shortened life expectancy. In the '50s, I remember all the damaged guys walking around everywhere in worn out uniforms. But one day in the '60s, I realized they were gone.

In my squad, a guy stepped on a mine. Hundreds of stiches to reattach the meat and thousands to sew up the skin. Having taken some injuries, I can only imagine how it would play out over time.

Thanks for posting this up. Yosemite would've been a peaceful respite for them to come to terms with the damage they'd taken.

Here in Lower Manhattan, at the end of the block, the ships used to pull in. They've filled in 2 or 3 blocks worth now, so the Hudson is further away.

But this remains across the street from me. The building on the left, was a triage center in World War One. The ships would pull in with the wounded from France. At some point, they were taken through the walkway, to the building on the right to get sent inland.

mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 1, 2015 - 08:35pm PT
Hey, thanks, John.

Many ships had large crews, so the casualty figures were very high, as in the case of the Essex class carrier USS Franklin, which suffered 807 killed and more than 487 wounded on 18 March, 1945, off the coast of Japan.

The ship was hit by two 500 pounders, causing a huge fire with over thirty armed and fueled attack planes on deck. The crew which was left after casualties were evacuated managed to sail 12,000 miles or so to the Brooklyn Navy Yard for massive repairs.

There must have been a high percentage of burn victims in that 487-man list. I am truly amazed at some of the heroic actions performed by crews of the carrier fleet.

Again, thanks for posting that and the picture.

mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 7, 2015 - 04:57pm PT
A fine Sunday afternoon, ooh, so fine!

A find, too, on a Sunday aft while perusing a new feature at the Merced Antiques Mall...a library section, with genuine OLD BEWKS!

One of which slipped into my shopping basket (small size, lately).

It is Yosemite & Its Inkeepersby Shirley Sargent, 1975, Flying Spur Press, for only six dollars.

And look here, to add to this thread, several pages on the ways YNP and YPCC coped with war and swabbies.











mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 4, 2015 - 01:26pm PT
[Click to View YouTube Video]
BBA

Social climber
Jul 4, 2015 - 02:11pm PT
Below is an excerpt from my biography of William Kat (Kat Pinnacle, Kat Walk named for him) consisting of bits from my mother's letters. My Mom, sister and I were in Yosemite at the time the Navy took over the Ahwahnee. We were staying with my grandfather, Willem Kat in the Old Village. Willem was 68 years old at the time. We visited Yosemite for a long time because my father was overseas in the Army.

Where you see "Pop", that is Willem Kat.


The Ahwahnee Is Taken Over by the Navy

All the guests at the Ahwahnee hotel must be out by June 6th. Then there will be all the packing of dishes and furnishings. This will probably take quite awhile. All the stuff will have to be stored perhaps in Fresno or Merced. Pop has had no official notice about staying at the hotel but the hotel engineer told him he is wanted there by the Navy. The management told the naval men Pop is the best darn mechanic in California. The company wants him too but Pop says his 1st choice goes to the Navy. Anyhow we have to wait to see how it all turns out. [June 4, 1943]

Today at noon the guests were out of the beautiful Ahwahnee Hotel. Then the hotel gave a farewell party to all its employees and Pop says they really spread out the food. Most of the employees will stay with the company I believe. The Navy has not requested anyone to stay as yet but the personnel man will be in tomorrow. Dr. Tresidder is moving to Palo Alto as President of Stanford and he has asked Pop to come with him to do some special work in his new home there. Pop agreed to go if the company will grant him leave. This they probably will do as Tresidder is still head of the company and has appointed an acting president during his absence. [June 7, 1943]

The Navy is up to its neck in work cleaning up the Ahwahnee Hotel. Pop has a group of 20 to 25 sailors working for him. He wants to stay at the Hotel; however, as the Navy has authorized the use of Navy personnel only except for the hotel engineers. This is a big disappointment to Pop as he really wants to stay there. Now he must move his shop to the maintenance buildings. He enjoyed working with the Navy boys too - said they were fine boys and good workers. [June 13, 1943]



More is at https://sites.google.com/site/katbiography/volume-iv , but it is not organized around finding things about the Ahwahnee so you have to sift through a lot.

mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 4, 2015 - 03:18pm PT
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxrYXRiaW9ncmFwaHl8Z3g6NTVhNDc4ZDI2YzExODdkZg

That is a tremendous accomplishment, Bill, your "Kat Chronicles."

pp. 143-145 yield a very good story about the war and sailing.

I plan on reading all i can of this today and seeing what turns up.

And I was getting bored, so it's kind of you to share with us your effort.

"Pop" would be proud. Thanks!!!!

The photo on p. 143 of the family in Yosemite on July 4, 1942, is not reproducible, as this is all PDF stuff.
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