Reception Station
the Franklin Evening Star - 10 July 1945

Sandwiches, American sandwiches, Look Good to T/5 Elmer R. Hardy right, of Washington. Ind., who left Germany 15 days ago and arrived at the Reception Station here this week after 15 months overseas.  Frank Huber, Columbus, assistant manager of PX No. 13 (left) is still amazed at the quantity of food returnees "put away." In the background, Pfc Joel A. Thompson, now assigned to the Reception Station, recalls how food looked to him when he first returned from overseas. 

One of the first things overseas returnees are told when they hit the Reception Station here is the location of the two unit Post Exchanges. And take it from Capt. A. Gillespie, Exchange Officer, veterans take full advantage of that Information. Especially when it comes to food.

In spite of receiving three square and abundant meals a day during their short stay at the Reception Station, returnees feel impelled to start catching up on the "snacks" they missed overseas. And some "snacking" it is. 

On an average day, veterans of combat theaters can polish off 2,200 egg sandwiches - as a starter. This, of course. is in addition to the meat and cheese sandwiches and the 1,850 pies they consume.   PX employees often wonder if all theaters are in desert areas.  The un-satisfied thirst displayed by returnees would seem to indicate that. Over 1,800 bottles of plain or chocolate milk are sold daily,  which is only a drop in the bucket -- or bottle--compared with 6,000 bottles of soft drinks daily to help quench this colossal thirst. Nor is beer neglected.  300 gallons of it is drawn between 1630 and 2100 every day. 

Ice cream falls into a category of being consumed at all times of the day and night to tune of 1200 pints a day, of which occasioned one PX to remark, "Well. if they fight like they eat, it shouldn't take long to beat the Japs.

Franklin Evening Star - 30 July 1945
New Commander at Camp Atterbury Reception Station Takes Up Duty

CAMP ATTERBURY, July 30
The assignment of Lieut. Col. Donovan McCoy as Assistant War Department Personnel Center Executive Officer and the appointment of Lt. Col. Clarence G. Hull, Jr as Commanding Officer of the Reception Station were announced the week by Brig. Gen. Ernest A. Bixby, Commanding General. In the new arrangement. Col. McGee any Col. Hull switched posts.

Commissioned in the Reserve Corps upon graduation from Virginia Military Institute in 1930, Col Hull was called to active duty in October, 1941. He spent a year at Ft. Benning, Ga before transferring to Camp Sutton, S. C., where he activated the 19th Replacement Bn. The replacement unit arrived in North Africa in February, 194.1. and later was assigned to Italy. Col. Hull received a bronze service star for the Rome-Arno campaign. He was also awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

He returned to the States in February. of this year, to attend a 10-week course at the Command and General Staff School at Ft. Leavenworth Kan. He reported to Atterbury on July 1 and was assigned to the War Department Personnel Center as Assistant Executive Officer.

Col. Hull is a native of Greenwood, Miss., where he was in the lumber business before the war. He is married and has two children, a daughter age 11, and a son, 7.

As he assumed his new post the new Reception Station Commanding Officer declared: "The policy of the Reception Station is to get the returnees out as soon as possible and I will make every effort to see that this is done. However, appreciative and considerate handling of these overseas veterans will not be neglected in accomplishing this huge task."

Just off the train, these overseas Veterans are "zeroed in" immediately at an orientation meeting in the huge warehouse recently converted into an Initial Receiving Point for the Reception Station.  Capt. Leslie B. McAtee , in charge of the section, is shown explaining the procedure.

In and out of the Initial Receiving Point in an hour and a half, these returnees are now partially processed and ready for a bus ride to the Reception Station for further processing before leaving for home on furlough.

Franklin Evening Star - 25 August 1945
Reception Station Starts Speedy Returnee Processing "On Arrival."
To further reduce the time necessary to process overseas returnees before going home on furlough or to the Separation Center for discharge. The Reception Station recently established an Initial Receiving Point in the large warehouse building which also houses the Post Transportation office.

Under the new system. the section receives returnees directly from from the troop trains upon arrival here.  Records are checked immediately and those eligible for discharge under the point system are screened for essentiality by liaison representatives of the Army Air, Ground and Service Forces and sent directly to the Separation Center

Other processing includes a brief physical inspection, and an orientation
talk for those returnees destined for the Reception Station for further processing before leaving on recuperation furloughs. All of this is completed in approximately an hour-and-a-half from the time the returnees pile their baggage in rows in the large baggage room until they board busses for the Reception Station.

Formerly these first steps in the processing of returnees were accomplished at the Reception Station and men eligible for discharge were then transferred to the Separation Center.

Medical officers and administrative staff of the Reception Station Dispensary include, left to right, first Lt. John F. Switzer, Capt. S. G. Babbitz, Lt. Clark W. Dougherty, Capt. T. A. Dykhujzen, Capt. Joseph Culla. and Capt. H. K. Palanker. Second row: Pfc Angelo Liburdi, Sgt. Charles M. Ferguson, S/Sgt. Alonzo C. Brewer, T/Sgt. Herbert Kurman. administrative NCO; T/4 Maurice Waxman and T/3 Harold J. Martin. 

A total of 40,000 overseas returnees are examined each month at the Reception Station Dispensary both before and after going on furlough. In addition, 3,000 men are treated at sick call each month by Captain David L. Hirst, unit surgeon, and his staff.

Although they have handled many men returning from the Pacific Area, the current run is composed largely of soldiers returning from the European Theatre. At the dispensary. almost any hour of the day one can see men opening their mouths. raising their arms. and going through other gymnastics incidental to an army physical examination.

Group histories of men returning from the South Pacific are compiled and forwarded to the War Department to supply information about tropical diseases. To aid this effort, a laboratory has been equipped and technicians trained in tropical diseases. T 4 Anthony Spech is the NCO in charge of the laboratory.

Not all the emphasis is on tropical diseases, however, as the dispensary staff have, at one time or another, been called upon to treat almost everything in the world that affects humanity.

Becomes Separate Unit

Originally the Reception Station Dispensary was a part of the Reception Center and, as such, was serviced by the Clark Street installation. In the early fall of 1944, however, the Reception Station became a separate unit. There were no medical officers provided for the' new unit until December, at which time Captain Hirst assumed command.

Lt. Col. Albert W. Frink, veteran of two years' foreign service in the African and European theaters, has assumed command of the Reception Center, succeeding Lt.-Col. Lysle W. Croft who has reverted to an inactive status.  Sent overseas in August, 1942, as a member of the famed First Infantry Division, Col. Frink participated in the landings at Oran, Tunisia, and the early fighting in Sicily, after which he was returned to the United States on rotation leave one year later.

In May. 1944, he was shipped to England with the 35th Infantry Division and saw his first combat action on the continent in the battle of Saint Lo, France. He remained with the 35th until VE-Day having fought through France, the Rhineland, the Ardennes and Central Germany. At the time of Germany's collapse his own unit--the 137th Infantry was at Tangermude, Germany, on the Elbe river just 60 airline miles from Berlin.

A short period of occupation duty followed and when President Truman visited the occupation troops on his way to the Big Three conference at Potsdam Col. Frank's regiment served as honor guards accompanying the President from Antwerp to Brussels.

In August, 1945, Col Frink returned to the United States, going to Camp Breckinridge, Ky., where his unit was recently inactivated. After a short leave, he was sent here for his present assignment. He holds the Bronze Star medal With cluster for his action in the African and Normandy campaigns and also eight battle stars. He is married and has one child and hails from Los Angeles, Calif.

Camp Atterbury Reception Station was Reception Station #6, as per orders from Marion Ray, 106th Division, on his return and release there.

Page last revised 04/14/2022
James D. West
www.IndianaMilitary.org