I have been receiving correspondence from WWII vets and/or their children, who served here on Tinian during the war. They have shared with me info and pictures of their time here, that I would like to pass on to those interested.
I feel it is important to share this information, so no one will forget the sacrifices that were made here. Perhaps it will remind other veterans of an important time in their lives, or perhaps it will give their children and grandchildren a glimpse into what was done in their behalf.
So, for all who are interested, here is a letter I received from Bob 'Wags' Wagner:
TINIAN REMEMBERED
As I mentioned in my entry on your blog site, I have been following your blog remarks for some time and would like to share my memories with you and your readers. I was stationed on Tinian from December, 1944 until February, 1946 when I returned to Oahu for four weeks. I then went to the mainland for discharge from the Army.
I was assigned as a medic to the 374th General Hospital (or 374th Station Hospital as it was sometimes referred to) which was situated on the high level area on the north side of the island overlooking North Field where the B-29s were located.
The hospital was built to handle some 1200 patients which were attended to by about 550 personnel, including 25 doctors and 50 nurses. This was the first area of treatment where the soldiers were sent after being wounded after our troops went into battle on the forward islands. We received large numbers from Iwo Jima, Okinawa and other islands as the war moved closer to Japan.
Some were returned by air but most came by hospital ships (the Faith, Hope and Charity) which were assigned to the combat area. We also took the wounded returning from B-29 missions or crashes that occurred while taking off from North Field as they left to bomb Japan every other night. On the alternate nights, the planes would depart from West Field.
I have not been able to find out what has happened to the 374th after the war ended. I had heard for a while it was used as a leprosarium. After the war ended in August of 1945, the patients returned to the Hawaiian islands for repatriation to the mainland. Many were sent to Schofield Barracks on Oahu. Prior to the end of the war, the Navy had built a 4000-bed hospital at the south end of the island which was in the area of Carolinas Point and Suicide Cliff.
The beaches referred to in your writings are very familiar as many of us would swim there when we had time off from our duties. As I can best recall, the road back to the hospital from San Jose was Broadway. On the right was a compound area with housing for the local island people. After passing this area, a road on the right went up a rather long steep hill until you reached the top and the entrance to the hospital and barracks that housed the personnel.
If you can find out what’s going on now in this area and what happened to the hospital, I would greatly appreciate hearing about it. Keep sending your reports on the island and its people. Although I missed my home and family while I was there, I have very fond memories of the 15 months I spent on Tinian.
Most sincerely,
Bob Wagner
As I mentioned in my entry on your blog site, I have been following your blog remarks for some time and would like to share my memories with you and your readers. I was stationed on Tinian from December, 1944 until February, 1946 when I returned to Oahu for four weeks. I then went to the mainland for discharge from the Army.
I was assigned as a medic to the 374th General Hospital (or 374th Station Hospital as it was sometimes referred to) which was situated on the high level area on the north side of the island overlooking North Field where the B-29s were located.
The hospital was built to handle some 1200 patients which were attended to by about 550 personnel, including 25 doctors and 50 nurses. This was the first area of treatment where the soldiers were sent after being wounded after our troops went into battle on the forward islands. We received large numbers from Iwo Jima, Okinawa and other islands as the war moved closer to Japan.
Some were returned by air but most came by hospital ships (the Faith, Hope and Charity) which were assigned to the combat area. We also took the wounded returning from B-29 missions or crashes that occurred while taking off from North Field as they left to bomb Japan every other night. On the alternate nights, the planes would depart from West Field.
I have not been able to find out what has happened to the 374th after the war ended. I had heard for a while it was used as a leprosarium. After the war ended in August of 1945, the patients returned to the Hawaiian islands for repatriation to the mainland. Many were sent to Schofield Barracks on Oahu. Prior to the end of the war, the Navy had built a 4000-bed hospital at the south end of the island which was in the area of Carolinas Point and Suicide Cliff.
The beaches referred to in your writings are very familiar as many of us would swim there when we had time off from our duties. As I can best recall, the road back to the hospital from San Jose was Broadway. On the right was a compound area with housing for the local island people. After passing this area, a road on the right went up a rather long steep hill until you reached the top and the entrance to the hospital and barracks that housed the personnel.
If you can find out what’s going on now in this area and what happened to the hospital, I would greatly appreciate hearing about it. Keep sending your reports on the island and its people. Although I missed my home and family while I was there, I have very fond memories of the 15 months I spent on Tinian.
Most sincerely,
Bob Wagner
The pictures above are of the following, listed in order:
1. Hospital Wards
2. North Field viewed from hospital
3. Hospital entrance
4. Personnel barracks
Those who are currently working at the Tinian Hospital were thrilled to see the old hospital used by the servicemen here on the island. We intend to frame the pictures and the letter for the hospital wall! Thanks so much!
33 comments:
Bob Wagner - I think I remember you. I was also with the 374th from the time we landed on Tinian, until we broke up after the war. It was good to see your pictures. Would lke to hear from you.
Joe Lawler
jjlonthecape@comcast.net
My Father in Law was stationed on Tinian. Before I married I had never heard of it. Please check out my blog for the history of Tinian, my father in law and the Enola Gay. It is amazing you walked where he did.
Roy Dains- My father Roy Dains Sr. served as a driver, both ambulance and munitions. His military marker (VA) records tech 5 374 general hospital and I have a photo of him on a beach with two other GIs He was from St. Louis perhaps someone remembers him....tagger51@hotmail.com
My mother was 2Lt Dorothy Mae "Dottie" Siemen who was one of the 50 nurses stationed at the 374th Station Hospital on Tinian. She arrived with the first contingent of medical staff in January 1945. As a small boy I remember her telling me stories about her service as a US Army Nurse on "Tinian in the Marianas", but her experiences as a ward nurse on that tropical paradise cured her of any ambition to continue her nursing career after the war...she wanted nothing to do with the medical profession after that! She suffered from malaria and "combat fatigue" and was evacuated as a patient herself back to the States in June 1945. She died in 1974 at the age of 52 in the Veterans Hospital at Downey, IL from medical complications due to her service on Tinian.
greetings ! I'm excited i finnaly found a site where maybe i can locate a ww2 vet that may know or remember my father. he was a cook in the army air corp. he made greeting cards from metal of wrecked planes and he hand engraved on them and soldiers purchased them from my father.
greetings ! I'm excited i finnaly found a site where maybe i can locate a ww2 vet that may know or remember my father. he was a cook in the army air corp. he made greeting cards from metal of wrecked planes and he hand engraved on them and soldiers purchased them from my father.
My mother, Marion, was stationed at the 374th station hospital from January 1945 to January 1946 as an army nurse. She served there proudly. She spoke of how at first they had to drink water from lister bags and how because of the volcanic earth all their uniforms turned pink from the water and about the bed bugs and the rats that came off the French ships and the tarantulas but also of the dances and the picnics on the beach and how she ate a lot of canned peas on the ward and of having to leave light bulbs burning in their lockers so their clothes wouldn't mildew and about how one night a plane coming back from a bombing run thought the lights between the quansets was a runway and almost landed on top of them..... I've always wanted to go there and see the island... the pictures I've seen on line are beautiful. Apparently now there is a casino there and the airfield is completely grown over. The island has quite a history and the interesting latte stones that James Michner mentioned in his novel, the Source, are there.
My Father was U.S Army M.D. stationed on Tinian 1945-?. His name was Harold.C.Jenkins. I would really love to get more information if any one has any. Unfortunately my Dad passed away in 1996 and really didn't like to talk about the war. I do have some pictures I would gladly share also. Does anyone know how I can obtain Army records? Thanks in Advance for any help. this blog is so interesting!
For Mitzi, and anyone else interested, you can download Standard Form 180 (Google it on the internet) and request your loved one's military records. The problem is, there was a huge fire in the military records storage facility in St. Louis in 1973 and most WWII records were destroyed. I requested my mother's records via this form and they were unable to provide them. I also requested my father's records from the Korean War and they, too, were unavailable through the Standard Form 180, but I contacted the Pentagon using the Freedom of Information Act and was able to get a partial record of his service. Good luck!
Marion's (son/daughter) remembers Marion talking about the night a B-29 returning from a mission nearly landed on one of the walkways of the hospital. The walkways were parallel to the landing strips on North Field, but at a higher elevation. From an altitude, they could be mistaken for one of the strips, particularly if they weren't lighted at that moment. I remember the incident well, since I was walking on the walkway at the time, and thought I was the target!
Joe Lawler, veteran of the 374th
Ok! I have discovered that My Dad was with the 308th Gen. Hospital on Tinian and there is another entry -47 Gen Hosp. If anyone has info about this please let me know. Thanks again
For Mitzi again...
The 374th General Hospital was the only US Army general hospital on Tinian. If your father was with the 308th General Hospital it wasn't on Tinian. I've searched for the 308th on the internet and can't find it anywhere. I did find a story about a nurse who served with the 374th on Tinian and then with the 309th General Hospital on the Japanese island of Kyushu after the war. Perhaps he served in a similar hospital after he left Tinian.
WAGS-FOR ADDITIONAL PICTURES OF THE 374th GENERAL HOSPITAL ON TINIAN SEE "WAGS' TINIAN BLOG 1945" MY DAUGHTER AND I VISITED TINIAN IN AUGUST OF 2008. THE HOSPITAL AREA IS COMPLETELY OVERGROWN. YOU CAN DRIVE UP TO WHERE THE ENTRANCE TO THE HOSPITAL WAS, BUT NATURE HAS TAKEN OVER. ONLY MEMORIES LEFT. WAGS
Wags - I believe that Lou from Pompton Lakes, NJ in your blog is Lou Gerbasi - ?
Joe
Hello Joe - Shavaun Kidd here - Marion Schroeder Kidd's daughter. I was so excited to read your post about the B29. My mom recounted that story to me many times. I could almost hear the plane's engines as it roared over their heads. It's so exciting to me to find someone who was stationed on Tinian when my mom was there. She was a 1st Lieutenant and like I said was there for the entirety of 1945. I have lots of her pictures. She always talked about the good times and little about the bad. I asked her why, and she said she worked on the "head and belly" ward, and it was not pretty. So many young boys....so many lives lost. She did love that island and was so proud of her service to our country. I would love to hear more of your stories.
Shavaun Kidd -
Yes, I would like to communicate with you. I believe I worked with your mother on an acute surgical ward where life was more than interesting!
Joe Lawler
I am so glad I found this site, my Dad O.J. Fisher 1st Lt. USA served on Saipan, Tinian and Guam,44-45. He also served in Hawaii and at Camp Atterbury Ind. He was in the medical corps. He often talked about his days on those Islands. The B-29's, the heat, humidity and Tarantula's. About the suicides of Japanese from the cliffs and more.
He was a proud veteran fond of the Army and his time in service. He suffered all his life without complaint with "Jungle Rot" on both his feet. He passed away in 2002 way before he could use the Internet to revisit the South Pacific. We miss him. If you or a relative served with Dad please let me know.
John Fisher
My Grandfather was, Captain Ellsworth Albert Thayer, MD but was called both "Mike" and "Doc" by everyone. He was stationed on Tinian and has several pictures of the island as well as his journal that describes his life on Tinian. He later was at the 309th General Hospital in Fukuoka, Japan. It confuses me because some of these posts on here say there was only the one 374th hospital on Tinian. I have a picture of the 309th General Hospital on Tinian but not sure how to copy it on here. tlthayer@gmail.com
My Grandfather was, Captain Ellsworth Albert Thayer, MD but was called both "Mike" and "Doc" by everyone. He was stationed on Tinian and has several pictures of the island as well as his journal that describes his life on Tinian. He later was at the 309th General Hospital in Fukuoka, Japan. It confuses me because some of these posts on here say there was only the one 374th hospital on Tinian. I have a picture of the 309th General Hospital on Tinian but not sure how to copy it on here. tlthayer@gmail.com
Rayford HAROLD Trammell Sr 304 bomb group AAF Tinian CPL was on the Tinian Aug 1945. I have just a few pictures, only one with any writing on the back. Most pictures were not allowed from what I gather, they were top secret though my dad and Thomas Schaumacher, Dale Shaw, Robert Dale Williams were mentioned by my father before he died. Dad is in a picture with Schaumacker and a couple of other AAF fliers. If anyone remembers my dad, please send comments to Gingerlead@aol.com. Thank you
Hi! My mother, Shirley O'Mara Barker Nichols, served on Tinian in August '45 as well. My dad, John Nichols, flew Hellcats off Saipan and would come to Tinian and borrow a jeep in return for getting the motor pool Sgt's girlfriend out of the barracks. He also tells a story of buzzing an Army Major's Cub with his Hellcat at 300 mph, flipping the Cub over, because the Major used to circle over the open-roofed nurses shower... Anyone who remembers either of them and wants to contact me can do so at cowcharge@gmail.com
What an interesting website! My mother, 2nd LT Virginia Mary Cronin from Lawrence, Mass was a nurse stationed on Tinian in 1945. She died in 1986, but as a child I remember her telling stories about taking care of the many patients, often with burns. She spoke of debreeding wounds and the challenges of keeping patients comfortable and on the mend in the heat and humidity. She also had some great times, going to the beach and socializing with the other nurses and the pilots. Of course the best story was the one about watching the Enola Gay take off; all the nurses suspected that something was up, but none of the crew would divulge any details at all. She remembered that everyone was hoping the war would end soon, and that maybe this mission might be the one to end it all. It's amazing to read of the experiences others had during that time on Tinian. I'd love to learn more about the island, and eventually visit.
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308th General hospital was truly on Tinian My father was there and I have his letters photo's of air base and a VJ Day pamphlet printed on pages explaining about the party who printed it and cartoonist who did the art work He was a cook and also treated medical patients as i have his photo id showing his name with MD behind it he walked around the Enola Gay when it arrived until Mp's said they couldn't be by the plane only thing said was it was going to shorten the war is all they where told.308th had a 1000 bed hospital and after the bombing where moved to a site in japan close to Hiroshima former training site for Japanese navy also have photo's of that.
My Father was on Tinian as well. I have numerous photos of this as well...but his WWII Service Compensation Form states: 303rd General Hospital, Saipan. I'm confused!!!
danruby@rocketmail.com
"Tinian is one of the western Pacific Mariania Islands taken from Japan. by the U. S. Marines in 1944. In July 1945 the complement of five U. S. Army general hospitals was shipped to Tinian to work at five hospitals being built there on the south east coast to take care of the casualties from the scheduled November invasion of Japan. The author was a 24 year old nurse with the 308th General Hospital arriving at that time. "
Does anyone remember the 308th General Hospital on Tinian?
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