On two
occasions a light plane from Bataan dropped boxes of medicine,
ammunition and shoes. This bolstered our morale more than our
warehouses. General MacArthur became intensely interested in his first
Guerrilla Regiment, probably because things were not going well on
Bataan.
Medical Service: As former C.O. of the station hospital at Camp John
Hay, I became the Regimental Surgeon and organized a medical service
with one dental and four medical officers, all from the Philippine
Army, as my assistants. We had a dispensary at the Regimental HQ in
Jones and two small hospitals in abandoned schools in neighboring
barrios Minuri and Dibulwan hopefully out of bombing range.
In the absence of a regular source of medical supplies, our treatment
was often quite primitive. We were able to get some medicines and
surgical instruments from local hospitals, but only after the Japanese
had raided them. Local physicians and civilians
gave freely of their time and care.
Since malaria was prevalent in the Cagayan Valley, our anti-malarial
drugs were quickly consumed. Under the guidance of native officers,
the bark of certain tall trees was gathered and boiled in water.
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