The Poplar Standard

to a military hospital in the United States. Although he could see, his face and eyelids were in need of much plastic surgery. His hand muscles were contracted. He was in great pain. The doctors and nurses were there with their skillful and considerate attention. But also at his side were those team mates of the medical staff, the Red Cross social worker and recreation worker, and their trained volunteer aides.

The boy's mother, who spoke no English, was anxious to visit him. He wanted to see her, but wished to wait until more plastic surgery could lessen the shock of his appearance. The Red Cross helped him in planning for his mother's visit and in writing letters to her.

Then it assisted him and his mother through the trying experience of her visit, and helped him keep his courage up when he realized that his disfigurement and crippling of his hands were permanent.

Later, the Red Cross planned with him and his family for his vocational and social adjustment on his return to civilian life, and assisted him in filing his claim for pension. All this involved many cooperative activities with doctors, nurses, and rehabilitation personnel of the hospital, and constant correspondence with the Red Cross chapter of the boy's home town.

I cite these stories to show that the serviceman has in the Red Cross an understanding counselor and ever present friend, working with the military, but not an organic part of it. A great civilian agency, one helpful arm extended into the serviceman's setting, the other reaching into the home.

One arm is made up of Red Cross field directors and their staffs at military stations and hospitals in the United States, and overseas. The other consists of the wide network of Red Cross chapters throughout this country and its possessions.

Field directors and chapters work together as a team, enlist the assistance of thousands of competent volunteers, and cooperate freely with all related public and private agencies.

The military community has in the Red Cross field director a channel to all the facilities of the national organization and its chapters, such as Home Service, Volunteer Services, Safety and Health Services, Disaster Services, Junior Red Cross and College Units.

The civilian community through the Red Cross chapter has available for the families of service personnel all of those services in which the chapter is engaged, and in addition the services of the field directors at the military installations where the men and women from the community are on duty with the armed forces.

Services rendered include communications in illness or other emergencies; information as to the location and welfare of the families at home or the men away from home; financial assistance in emergencies to service personnel and their dependents; reports for commanding officers on the welfare of dependents; verification of emergency leaves; and personal counsel and guidance to service personnel and their families.