If They Could See Us Now
The Story of Charlotte's 38th Evacuation Hospital
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©2008 Chris Hudson Productions. All Rights Reserved
A Brief History of 38th Evacuation Hospital
Pisa, Italy 1944
"Some of the higher up people thought we had moved and we had not, so they blasted the dam to save the ammunition,
and when they did, it came right through our hospital area," said Beatrice Johnson Hogan. "If I remember correctly we
had several hundred patients, but we did get them all evacuated without losing any."
"Well I had figured that being wet and cold all that night, thought I would be sick," said Polly Bell White. "One of the
nurses, I don’t know where she got it, but she had a bottle with her, and I say the only reason I didn’t get sick was because
we all had a little snort out of that bottle."
After Pisa the 38th made their way to Montecatini where they treated thousands of soldiers and POWs. On May 1st, 1945 the
38th Evac got word that Hitler had died and days later Germany officially surrendered.
The 38th continued to take care of patients and in late June, the 38th Evacuation Hospital was officially dissolved.
"I was gone so long that it took me a while to get oriented," said Beatrice Johnson Hogan. "I had to take a postgraduate
course to learn how to work in buildings."
"Each of us did the very best that we could, I’m sure, under the circumstances in which we found ourselves. So, I am proud
of that," said Martha Pegram Mitchell.
Polly Bell White, with tears in her eyes, missed her 38th Evac Family when she came home from World War II.
"It was wonderful to be at home and be with my family," said Polly Bell White. "That’s what I wanted, but I missed my military
family. We had been just so close."
and when they did, it came right through our hospital area," said Beatrice Johnson Hogan. "If I remember correctly we
had several hundred patients, but we did get them all evacuated without losing any."
"Well I had figured that being wet and cold all that night, thought I would be sick," said Polly Bell White. "One of the
nurses, I don’t know where she got it, but she had a bottle with her, and I say the only reason I didn’t get sick was because
we all had a little snort out of that bottle."
After Pisa the 38th made their way to Montecatini where they treated thousands of soldiers and POWs. On May 1st, 1945 the
38th Evac got word that Hitler had died and days later Germany officially surrendered.
The 38th continued to take care of patients and in late June, the 38th Evacuation Hospital was officially dissolved.
"I was gone so long that it took me a while to get oriented," said Beatrice Johnson Hogan. "I had to take a postgraduate
course to learn how to work in buildings."
"Each of us did the very best that we could, I’m sure, under the circumstances in which we found ourselves. So, I am proud
of that," said Martha Pegram Mitchell.
Polly Bell White, with tears in her eyes, missed her 38th Evac Family when she came home from World War II.
"It was wonderful to be at home and be with my family," said Polly Bell White. "That’s what I wanted, but I missed my military
family. We had been just so close."
The 38th had ended a notable career of service. I wonder if people today realize that we handled some 50,000 patients. - Dr. Lawrence E. Fleming
