During both World War II and the Korean War, the two hastily built military bases of Atterbury Army Air Field and Camp Atterbury did their parts to secure the Blessings of Freedom for all Americans and the Citizens of the World.

Atterbury Army Air Field, originally constructed in 1942 as a base for fighters to protect sprawling Camp Atterbury from enemy air attack, was instead converted to glider training, bomber training and troop transport.

Camp Atterbury, also built in 1942, trained thousands of men and women for duty in units around the world.  Included among the hundreds of units, were the 83rd, 30th, 92nd and 106th Infantry Divisions, all famous in their own rights and each with a story to tell of bravery and self-sacrifice.  During the Korean War period the 28th and 31st Infantry Divisions trained here.

Also at Camp Atterbury was Wakeman General Hospital, one of the largest convalescent hospitals in the nation.  Known world-wide for the innovative plastic surgery procedures devised and performed by Colonel Truman Blocker. 

Closed down at the end of World War II, the hospital sat idle until the outbreak of the Korean War.  Reopened merely as the U. S. Army Hospital, they began receiving wounded soldiers from the Korean battlefields.

Flown first to U. S. soil, the wounded were transferred to C-47 planes and flown into Atterbury Army Air Field, by then re-named Atterbury Air Force Base.

The patients were unloaded from the planes and loaded into ambulances and litter carriers for transport up U. S. 31 to the Camp Atterbury hospital, a distance of about 20 miles.

During this time period the government experimented with different vehicles trying to find the most efficient for patient transport.

In the early 1950's, one thousand Willys Overland Jeep Station Wagons, a popular civilian family car, and the first true SUV, were purchased, outfitted in olive-drab paint and distributed to various Army hospitals for testing as litter-carriers.

One such Jeep, serial number 36620 ended up at Camp Atterbury.  Almost daily, the Jeep, now fitted with room for two litters and a nurse's seat, made the trip between the landing apron at Atterbury Air Force Base and the hospital at Camp Atterbury, faithfully carrying wounded Heroes to treatment.

After the war came to a close, the hospital, along with Camp Atterbury was closed down for the second time.  Men, women, and equipment were transferred to other bases and a few items sold to the general public.  Included in that sale in 1954, was the original 1951 Willys Overland Jeep Litter Carrier.

Bought by a local farmer and used for farm duties for years, it eventually came to rest behind the barn, sitting in weeds less than 5 miles from the site of its former glory.  Discovered only when the farmer decided to bush-hog the weeds, the Jeep finally came back to the light of day.

Sitting with four flat tires, the roof riddled with rust holes, and remnants of a former raccoon family living under the hood, the Jeep bore little resemblance to it's former life.  But $250 later, a tow home, new battery and a can of gasoline poured into the carburetor, 'Willy' came to life once again, the big straight-six engine coughing but settling down to run just as it did some fifty-two years ago in service to it's country.

Muscle-aching sanding, some metal replacement and a can of bondo later, 'Willy' began the slow climb back to respectability.  Painted in the original Korean War era military colors of Olive-Drab semi-gloss and flat black and out-fitted with all the appropriate Red Crosses and markings, 'Willy' is a tribute to the many service men and women wounded while fighting in a war they never asked for, but fighting to defend America and the freedom of the world, just the same.

I choose to mark 'Willy' as belonging to the 388th Evac Hospital, which was really a WW2 unit at Wakeman.  My reasoning was that I had a lot of information about the 388th and knew several members of that unit.  Information on the hospital units during the Korean War is much harder to find.  In appreciation, 'Willy' was asked to join the 388th Evac's reunion earlier this year, but Canada was just a little too far to drive.

Equipped with three-on-the-floor, four-wheel selector and High/Low range, the floorboard bristles with gear levers.  Outfitted with the original 5.35 running gears, it is capable of a blazing 40 miles per hour if you can stand the whine.  Called a rock-climber due to the gearing, it can climb up and over most obstacles.

Attached to the dash are the original U. S. Government data plates.

Government Data Plates on 'Willy's' glovebox door.	Odometer shows 52,000 miles
Taking a well-deserved rest.

    See 'Willy' on display at the Annual Re-dedication of Memorials at Camp Atterbury, this Saturday, August 2nd

August 1943

Cpl Francis Thomas, of Headquarters Section, 3561st Service Unit, WAAC, receives a Letter of Commendation for her efforts in saving a drowning soldier while she was on furlough in New York.

Post Commander, Col Modisette shows 1st Officer Elizabeth A. Wilburn, new commander of the 3561st Service Unit, WAAC, around Camp Atterbury.

Shelbyville Bus Adds New Saturday "Run".  An additional Saturday "run" is available for soldiers using bus service to Shelbyville.  While the balance of the bus schedule remains the same, the extra trips have been added in time to provide more transportation to the Shelby County Fair in Shelbyville, which starts Sunday.  The new schedule goes into effect tomorrow, leaving Camp Atterbury at 1645 and arriving in Shelbyville at 1745.  Other Saturday trips leave camp at 0900, 1200, 2145 and 0100.

Post Guests Include 2-Man Jap Sub and Sailor Who Helped Capture It.  This suicide attack submarine was the first trophy of war with Japan, being captured at Pearl Harbor during the attack on December 7, 1941. The submarine stopped at Camp Atterbury for a new paint job at the Ordnance Shop.  The story of the capture is best told by Bernard Cook, machinist's mate second class on the U. S. Navy destroyer the USS Phelps, and now a patient in the Atterbury Post Hospital.  Receiving word from the Army Air Force that the sub had been sighted, the destroyer proceeded to the location and dropped depth charges while U. S. planes continued bombing runs.  The sub was forced to the surface where one member of the crew was captured by U. S. Marines.  The other crew member is presumed to have drowned.  According to Cook, one side of the conning tower was caved in by the force of the depth charges and had to be re-built before being sent on tour.  Cook's hometown is Columbus, Indiana and he became ill while visiting his family.  The sub is sixty-one feet long and six feet in diameter.

A Tribute to America -- The captured sub paid tribute to the United States, in a back-handed manner.  American scrap steel was molded into its hull.  American batteries were used to power it.  American-made valves and switches controlled its navigation and firing power.  American-made two-way radios were among the captured equipment.  American-made piping passed throughout its interior.  American-made brass propellers (two of them) - all were used in the Jap sub.  However, it has been most successful in bringing a message to the American people.  Not only has the sight of the sub made John Q. Public buy more War Bonds and Stamps, it has made him realize the treachery of the enemy.

Tower Guards.  Guards are on duty atop the high wooden watch-towers all night to report any blaze before it can gain ground.  The fire prevention routines have been a success as no fires have occurred to slow down the construction of the more than 2,000 buildings. (Mystery Solved. One of these Fire Towers appear in the Panoramic photos on the web site at www.indianamilitary.org   Until this article was found, their use was unknown.)

New Post Hospital Operating Room Constructed Under Ground.  "What's in a hole ?"  Answer - A complete operating room underneath the 231st Station Hospital's Victory Garden.  Built entirely of salvaged material, nothing has been overlooked in the underground chamber.  Everything necessary for major operation under combat conditions is here.  A camouflaged stairway leads down to a doorway just large enough to pass two litter-bearers and their load.  Once inside they find themselves in a vestibule to the operating room, which acts as an air lock for protection against gas.  The main chamber is 12 square feet in size, and can accommodate four patients resting on double-decker litter racks on the walls, another on the operating table and the surgeon and his nurse.  Used as a gas shelter, it will easily hold 30 men.

PX's 15 phones now available 'round-the-clock'.  Long distance telephone calls now can be made at any hour of the day or night from PX No. 15 at Division and Noble Streets.  This service will also be available at PX's No. 3, 9 and 13 within two weeks.  The deadline of 2130 for placing long distance calls will no longer apply, since the specially-built-phone room can be entered from outside the buildings at any hour.

Shown here, are all the comforts of the "big city" as provided in the new telephone room that is open 24 hours a day at PX No. 15.  T/4 Silas L. Logsdon (left) relaxes on one of the large comfortable chairs while looking up a phone number.  T/5 William C. Gallatin (center) takes it easy waiting for his long distance call to come through, and Pfc Stephen Norwak steps from the booth, having completed his call.  All are members of Quartermaster Section 1560th Service Unit.

The little vehicle at the left is the quarter-ton "4 by 4" Command and Reconnaissance Car, while the big vehicle next to tit is just a 'bus".  Many other vehicles of intermediate sizes are available at the Post Motor Pool. Pvt Vincent Brazytis wipes the windshield of the small vehicle while Sgt Vernon L. Wallace watches from the cab of the bus.  Both are from QM Section, 1560th SU.

August 1943

Cigarette Money will buy a $10,000 G. I. insurance policy.

Code Experts Foil GIs Sending Secrets.  North Africa (CNS) - Military censors are becoming expert at detecting and decoding enigmatic codes, ciphers and amateur "secret" messages which soldiers write in their letters to let the folks back home know where they are stationed.  Disclosure of locations of military units here is strictly taboo but soldiers writing home have tried ways of informing their families of their whereabouts.  One man tried to spell out "Tunis" by writing five consecutive letters to his mother and giving her five different middle initials.  Unfortunately the five letters arrives out of sequence, the initials spelled "Nuts" and the bewildered parents wrote back taht they could find no such name on their map of North Africa.  Payoff letter was from a soldier who wanted his folks to know he was stationed in Casablanca.  He wrote that for months he had been singing "As Time Goes By".  His mother didn't get it.  She wrote back that she was sending her son some new phonograph records so that he could find another song to sing for a while.

V-Mail Gets there first - Use it when writing overseas.

Night flying began this week for the upper classmen of 43-H.  This makes them feel that graduation is just around the corner.  All classes are glad that the Cadet Area will soon have honest-to-goodness sidewalks instead of puddles of mud to jump.

Wanta Swim - Play Ball - Go to Freeman's own Beach-on-a-Creek.  For a hot weather haven deluxe we recommend the beach-on-the-creek, favorite rendezvous of enlisted personnel at the post.  Formal opening of the beach, located about five miles northwest of Seymour on the White River was held Sunday, with a large crowd on hand to give the hideaway its initiation of the season.  Facilities which the area offers include picnic groounds, complete with tables and benches, softball diamond, bathing in a roped-off area with a lifeguard in attendance and beach chairs.  Free transportation to and from the grounds in Freeman's new busses has been arranged.  Those who plan to return directly to the field following a swim will be permitted to wear fatigue uniforms.  If a stop in Seymour is contemplated, soldiers must wear the class "A" uniform.  Busses will leave the bus station on the post daily at 0930, 1330 and 1820, returning at 1130, 1600 and 2030.  Present plans call for enlarging the baseball diamond and construction of bathhouses adjacent to the bathing area.
 

August 1953

Division To Get New Assistant Commander.  Brig. General John G. VanHouten will become assistant division commander of the 28th Infantry Division.  General VanHouten has been commandant of the Rangers Training Center at Fort Benning, Ga.

New Civilian Mess Opens August 13.  The new civilian mess, located at the corner of 31st and Milton will open August 13.  Free doughnuts and coffee in the morning, free pie at lunch and gratis cupcakes in the afternoon will feature the first day in the new location.  Mrs. Cecilia Wood, concessionaire, said this week.  Hours of the new mess will be from 0615 to 1930.  The mess is pen to civilian employees, guests and enlisted personnel.

"Look what my Daddy won," exclaims three-year-old David Forties as he points to ribbons worn by SFC Robert Forties, Camp Atterbury's most decorated soldier.  Wings on left were won as a member of the British Airborne Brigade.