Approximately April, 1945. Naval Air Station, Arcata, California. Aft of the dispensary in front of our Packard ambulance. "Three goofy corpsmen. Rad, PhM3c (20), Dick, HA1c (19), and Bob (22), PhM2c.
We were "at ease in dungarees, complete with denim jackets and me with a white hat dyed blue. Notice the wartime construction of the unpainted lumber dispensary building behind us. That building contained the administration offices with the captain and XO offices as well as the ship's office, and the OOD and the medical department complete with a surgery, a dental office, records office, medical officer's office sick bay compartment, a ward, and a kitchen or galley. We had one physician, a flight surgeon, and one dentist Our corpsman quarters were on the second floor complete with bunk room and showers. Very comfortable. During flight operations two of us would be in our OD painted Dodge field ambulance on the flight line. Aircraft were F6F Hellcat fighters and TBF Avenger torpedo bombers. We had two ship's company aircraft, and SBD Dauntless and a Howard DGA air ambulance.
"Nice work if you can get it."
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