Eskimo Scouts, In Training At Fort Richardson,
Learn Army Ways, Show Aptitude For Scouting
.A
By M/Sgi. Raymond L. Parsons
HEADQUARTERS, U. S. Army,
Alaska — A group of 26 Alaska
scouts, all but two of them na
tives, has just completed a 15-day
course in military leadership prin
ciples at Fort Richardson.
The course was comprehensive
and placed strong emphasis on
map reading, compass reading,
scouting and patrolling. One typi
cal morning, devoted to daytime
reconnaissance patrols, went some
thing like this:
A pre-patrol briefing was given
the men by SFC Clarence Allen, a
native of Noatak. Few of his words
were more than two syllables;
most were only one. After ex
plaining the problem clearly,
pointing out the objective on a
blackboard, and indicating the
route to be followed, he summed
it up very simply: “Go out, see
what you can see; then come back,
say what you see.”
The group was broken up into
four 6- to 8-man squads which
moved out separately at 10-min
ute intervals. The enthusiasm
with which the men plunged into
the problem was impressive. Many
had come from regions where
They told of tracks they had
seen in the snow, at first thought
to be “man tracks” but which
they finally decided, after closer
examination, had been made by
a moose. They told of sighting
three of the animals—a bull, a
cow, and a calf. Two very ordi
nary dogs, “one was white and
one was black,” were also very
carefully included in the account.
The audience listened attentive
ly and Sergeant Allen made cor
rective comments from time to
time. He warned the men against
frightening away any large ani
mal they might encounter, point
ing out that its rapid flight would
give away their presence to the
enemy.
One squad had flushed some
“aggressors,” strategically posi
tioned along the route, and had
exchanged imaginary shots with
them. When this was disclosed,
Sgt. Allen told the mfen that since
they were on a scouting mission
with the sole purpose of obtaining
information they should have
avoided a fight with the “enemy.”
At this point an indignant mem
ber of the squad rose to his feet
to say that his squad leader had
been in danger and it was up to'
him to protect his squad leader.
With their course of training
completed, the scouts were flown
back to their towns and Villages
and another group has arrived at
Fort Richardson for the same in
struction. If an aggressor should
strike, the Alaska scouts mean to
be ready.
Letter Asks Aid
For Mass Sickness
In Native Village
ANCHORAGE, UPi—An account
of mass sickness in an isolated
native village reached here Wed
nesday night in a postmaster’s
letter appealing for medical aid.
Reg White, the postmaster and
storekeeper at Stony Village,
wrote of the plight of the approx
imately 40 inhabitants of Lime
Village, located 210 miles west of
here. His letter said:
“I report that Katherine and
Alexandria Bobby staggered in
here yesterday evening sick and
worn out. Broke trail 35 miles.
“They have a new outbreak of
sickness with 16 in bed and seven
up who' can just get around to
take care of the others. Old Bobby
and wife, they think, are dead by
this time but perhaps a doctor
might save some children but not
I all. . .
“I request an answer immed
iately. If you are unable to give
these people medical attention I
will report to the U.S. marshal at
McGrath, who, in turn, will notify
the governor of Alaska. White
Fish Lake is 35 miles by river
from here and 12 to 15 minutes
flying.
“I for one am not going to stand
idly by and see these people suf
fer and slowly die for want of
medical attention.”
The Tenth Air Rescue Squad
ron here said Lime Village was
extremely isolated and landing
conditions for planes were very
difficult. A flight to there was
planned for Thursday with the
possibility that medical supplies
and personnel would have to be
dropped by parachute.
A light Civil Air Patrol plane
carrying an Air Force doctor left
here Thursday for Lime Village,
which was reported struck by a
mass influenza attack with sec
ondary complications.
The Tenth Air Rescue Squadron
called the C.A.P. into1 action when
it found it would be impossible
for their heavier planes to get into
the remote area.
The light L-5, piloted by Mason
Lazelle, was carrying Capt. Carl
M. Russell, a doctor from the
5005th Air Force Hospital group.
natural cover was virtually un
known, but from the way they
used trees and bushes for camou
flage an observer would have
thought they’d lived in a jungle
all their lives.
Their stealth was amazing. Not
a twig cracked; not a bush moved.
Without complaint they slithered
on their bellies through cold, wet
snow. They were almost blurs as
they sprinted across cleared areas
and quickly merged with the veg
etation on the opposite side.
When the squads had reached
their objective and returned to
the classroom, a critique or critic
al review was held.
Sergeant Allen again presided
and called on each squad leader in
turn to report on what his squad
had seen and done. In minute de
tail they described moving ve
hicles, instructors standing on the
hillsides, and roads and buildings
visible from the observation point.
There’s nothing casual about
these scouts. They take both class
work and practical work serious
ly. As one instructor put it, “It’s
kind of a funny sensation to teach
a group of these natives at first.
Their eyes bore into yours. They
have no expressions on their faces.
You’d swear everything you say
is going over their heads. But
brother, do they fool you!”
Army chow is something that
most soldiers complain about. Not
so with the Eskimo scouts. Even
though many of them have never
eaten anything but meat and fish,
when they go through the chow
line they take some of everything
on the menu. They eat it, too.
Probably very few of us could
take to Eskimo dishes as easily
as they take to ours. Their favorite
dessert is, quite logically, ice
cream.
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ISOLATED KING ISLAND
HAD NO "FLU" THIS WINTER
Isolation may have its prob
lems and drawbacks but it has
[ its advantages too.
The ANS office here, which
communicates with isolated King
Island, have ascertained that
there has not been a single case
of flu on the island this winter.
Except in’ case of emergency
‘his small community does not
have plane service in the winter
ond are completey isolated from
the rest of the world except by
radio-phone operated by the ANS
teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Ras
musson. They are the only white
people on the island along with
Father Carrol, the Catholic priest.
No flu cases were reported from
Igloo, either.
Edgecumbe Medical Chief Denies
Program Is Imperiled; Dr. Moore
Decries Chief s ‘Arbitrary Orders’
By JIM HUTCHESON <
JUNEAU, UP)—Dr. Duncan- Chal
ihers, chief medical officer at Mt.
Edgecumbe Medical Center, de
clared Wednesday “there is no
basis in reality at all” for a doc
tor’s statement to the Alaska leg
islature that the institutions’s
medical program is imperialed.
Dr. Philip H. Moore, orthopedic
surgeon for the Territorial Health
Department, sounded a dire warn
ing of irreplaceable staff losses in
addressing a joint session Wed
nesday.
Moore, who is president of the
Alaska Medical Association, asked
for an inquiry into the whole Bu
reau of Indian Affairs’ medical
program.
Chalmers told a reporter the
“center has a half dozen surgeons
who' can adequately carry on its
program in all forms. The Wash
ington office of the Bureau of
Indian Affairs has assured us
there are plenty of competent sur
geons available for any necessary
replacements in either orthopedic
or thoracic fields.”
Chalmers denied a Moore alle
gation that his order for a doctor
anesthetist to stop administering
anesthesia in orthopedic cases had
stopped such surgery for two
weeks until the order was over
ruled.
Chalmers asserted a nurse-an
esthetist was available for ortho
pedic surgery; that she had done
it prior to her absence on a train
ing course, and on her return he
(Chalmers) ordered the doctor
anesthetist to resume work with
thoracic cases and the nurse-an
esthetist to take over the ortho
pedics.
There was no reason for stop
ping of surgery,” he declared.
He submitted his resignation
last August “but I’m fighting now
to stay until I can resign and walk
out gracefully; not be pushed out.”
Another doctor figuring in the
controversy is Dr. Fred Codding
ton, thoracic surgeon and tuber
culosis specialist at Edgecumbe.
>
He announced at Sitka last Fri
day he was resigning because of
what he called the “incompeten
cy” of the chief medical officer.
Dr. Moore recommended the leg
islature bring whatever pressure
it can for inquiry by qualified
individuals who have no connec
tion with government agencies
and “have no iron in the fire.” He
strongly urged they ask the Am
erican Medical Association to aid
on the medical aspects orf the in
quiry.
Senator Jones asked: “You mean
there is a danger the whole pro
gram may be popped out the
window?”
“Yes sir,” Moore replied, “that’s
it.”
Moore said the surgical pro
gram is coming to an end in mid
March when Dr. Coddington is
leaving, and ending that program
would mean an end to the supply
of bones used in the orthopedic
program.
Dr. Mooore placed responsibility
1 foT the conditions on divided auth
ority of the Alaska Native Service,
U.S. Public Health Service, and
the Alaska Department of Health,
and what he described as arbi
trary orders of the chief medical
officer, Dr. Chambers.
He said one order brought a
two-week shutdown in the ortho
pedic operations until the ANS
office overruled the medical of
ficer. «
In response^ questions, Moore
said getting the whole Alaska pro
gram under one territorial head,
with federal financial assistance
continuing, would be desirable, as
such a step would allow elimina
tion of the whole policy of segre
gation and racial discrimination.
Arctic Sanitary Service
Phone RED 181
m—ii in mil..
j/aziy 7//T/&X, Director, GAINES DOG RESEARCH CENTER
DOCS HAVE BEEN DROPPED BV
C/V/L AIR PATROL parachutes in
COLORADO AND UTAH TOSHEEPHORDERS
WHOSE DOGS HAD BEEN KILLED BV WOLVE
FROM THE IT*CENTURY UNTIL I860
PEKINGESE WERE RARELV SEEN
OUTSIDE THE ROYAL PALACES OF CHINA
—-—-_ *>«.» a "
MAJOR dW.COLCSMITH, BRITISH DOG JUDGE,
COVERED HO00 MILES IN 25 DAYS TO"
ATTEND POC SHOWS IN BOMBAY, ^ // ?
HONGKONG AND CALCUTTA
© 1953. Games D^g Research Center N Y C
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