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A FEW OF OUR PATIENTS

The Internet has brought about many wonderful reunions. Some of these have been just by e-mail and are terrific but probably the greatest for me was the night in December 1998 when I received an e-mail (passed to me by Sister Search) from John Thompson an Australian Soldier we took care of in May and June 1967. John was severely wounded and after he returned to Australia we had been told by his mates that he had died. John has since told me that several of them were sent to jail after attending his wake...but he is indeed alive and many of us saw him in San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Oklahoma and Washington DC in 1999. He and his wife Perle returned to the states for our reunion in October 2002. Since the 2002 reunion John has had heart surgery and is suffering from deterioration of his spine and shoulders. John's leg amputation is a hip disarticulation and wearing the prosthesis very uncomfortable. For all these years John has been using crutches. We're hoping John and Perle will join us in Iowa in 2008

BUT: We have amazing news. John tells me we don't have to call him SIR! .

My name is David McKenzie and I was a patient in the 36th Evac hospital in March 1968.

I was an Australian soldier serving with the 3rd battalion Royal Australian Regiment and was wounded in the Long Hai hills late in the day on the 20th March 1968 - I was part of a group of assault pioneers that had been sent in to clear a safe area for an infantry operation to clear out the local VC -We missed a mine and I was wounded and initially lost both my legs. - Under terribly dangerous conditions the Americans sent in a helicopter and me and my partner were winched to safety. The next stop was your hospital - The admitting officer was a CPT Kelley MC - I think a surgeon named Homer C. Groves did the patch up job and later on had to do some further cosmetic work on me.

Some of your staff may also remember that during this time I had two Aussie ladies that used to visit me every day and they were my mother and her best friend, apparently the Aussie Government decided to send them across because they thought I was going to die. It didn’t happen and 32 years later I am still going strong - married with two grown up children and still working a full time job.

I remember Dr Groves and I remember Clarine Weighill the rest are faces but never forgotten - I would really like to get in touch with Dr Groves to say thanks and especially Clarine who was so good to me and would like your help in locating them if possible.

I have a great photo of Clarine and myself in hospital and will email this to you shortly. Of course I would be very happy to hear from any other of your staff that remember me during my stay which was from the 20th march 1968 thru to the 8th April 1968. For the record I am a triple amputee having lost my right leg above the knee, my left leg below the knee and my right arm above the elbow. What I have been able to do with my life since the 20th March 1968 started with my stay in the 36th Evac hospital and for that I will always be so grateful. I will never forget the wonderful care that I received from the doctors and the nursing staff during this period of my life. Best regards David McKenzie

Clarine and David were able to contact each other before Clarine's untimely death Sept. 9 2001

Just another ex-patient who found your page surfing the net. I can't tell you what a thrill it was to see the pictures of the place and some of the people who helped me out in a bad time. Came to the 36th. in July of 68 with falciparum malaria and was "out of it" for several weeks losing 45 pounds in the process. All I remember was the cute blonde nurse who I hope you can identify in the picture I will try to include. I remember having a 105 temp but wanting a blanket to wrap up in. After falling down in several attempts to get my own out of a closet at the end of the ward this nurse gave me one only to get chewed out by a tall redheaded Major for doing so. She was in my dreams for several years and has been in my thoughts for many more Her care and that of all the 36th. EVAC people helped many a boy live to become men. Hopefully you can give me her name and let me know how she has been. My old outfit (C co. 3/187 101st Airborne ) just got a hold of me after no contact since 7/68 and I'm heading to West Virginia in May for a reunion. I read that the 36th. will be in the D.C. area at the same time with your reunion. Can a old soldier stop by and have a cocktail ?? I may try to get up to see the "wall" Monday 5/29 and would like to drop by to see some of you 36th. folks.

Hope to hear from you soon. Les Outman Sacramento, Calif.

Ringo was a great patient