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Whitehall Girl Travels From SouthAmerica To Join Army Nurse CorpsCAMP McCOY, Wis.—(Special)—A 5.000 mile journey from Lima. Peru, S. A., to Chicago and Camp McCoy as its ultimate destination.it was revealed here this weekwhen Miss Lenna C. Larson of Whitehall, Wis.. arrived at the station hospital for her examination for entrance into the army nurse corps. While still in Lima, she received her appointment as nurse for the American Red Cross.affiliated with the La Crosse county chapter.Her appication for entrance inthe army nurse corps was made nearly a year ago, but she w’as required to receive a release from her position and return to the States before it could be considered. Her release as assistant superintendent of the British-Am-erican hospital at Lima was granted by Henry L. Norweb, ambassador to South America from the United States.Ithey are directly opposite of those in the United States. It never rains nor inlt;nvs in Lima, which is fortunate as rain would causethe mud houses to disintegrate. Vegetation was irrigated in the sec-iton of South America where she was stationed and flowers aieabundant. _ .Trained At WhitehallThe nursing career of Miss Larson began in San Haven. N. D.. after graduation from the Whitehall community hospital school of nursing. Her year at San Haven was followed by six years in Chi-caco. whore she was employed at«—iSpeaks'-Miss Larson learned to speak Spanish fluently during her six years in South America, as know 1-edge of the language was necessary in her work. Because shespeaks Norwegian, she was accepted into the Norwegian colony there and enjoyed many associations with Scandinavians locatedin South America. This latter language also helped in administering to the needs of Norwegian sailors admitted to the hospital.Most marked inconvenience caused by wartime conditions in the opinion of Miss Larson was the difficulty in getting supplies for the hospital. In normal times weekly boats brought supplies, but now limited supplies are brought in by air. Except for gauze and a few other necessities.all medical needs for the hospital are imported. Miss Larson was in charge of the purchasing of supplies.With regard to the “good neighbor” policy. Miss Larson told of the work of the Rockefeller foundations and its efforts to organize hospitals for the native population.Miss Larson was in Callao, near Lima, when the city was rocked bv an earthquake in 1940. The hospital of adobe constructioncrumbled in the quake which lasted 69 seconds and did more damage than a field artillery battery. Miss Larson said. None of the patients or workers in the hospital were seriously injured, but in other sections of the valley hundreds were badly hurt and manydied.Replacing the hospital 1lt; a structure of reinforced concrete in a suburb of Lima. The new hospital is earthquake-proof.Ideal weather—neither hot norcol(j__Was described by Miss Larson. The country has two seasons—summer and winter—butLENNA LARSONthe Municipal Contagious diseasehospital. Later she worked as an industrial nurse in North Chicago.For six years, she was supervisory nurse at the infirmary at Rutgers university in New Bruns-diek, N. J. While there, she completed advanced study and helped organize the student health' department. It was at Rutgers that she received the offer to go to South America through Dr. E. L. Gage, formerly of Whitehall and now a lieutenant commander inthe navy overseas.While awaiting decision on her examination she is with her sister, Mrs. Herman K Rmglien near Whitehall. She has four brothers, three of w’hom fought in the lastwar. They are Martin of Osseo. Ijouis of Pigeon Falls and Earl of Whitehall, all World war I veterans and Helge of ChippewaFalb.During the process of examination. Miss Larson stayed with her cousin, Mrs. Carl I. Magelee ofSparta.t
Newspaper Details
La Crosse Tirbune and Leader Press
La Crosse, Wisconsin, US
Fri, Jan 14, 1944
Page 8
Full Page
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WI, USA 16 Jan 2023
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