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Percy James Carroll By: Mary

I have interviewed my grandfather(Thomas Fox) about my great great uncle, Percy Carroll. I interviewed him by sitting down with him and asking him the questions provided by my teacher. My grandfather wrote his responses down on a blank sheet of paper. I interviewed him on Wednesday, the 30th of January 2008. My grandfather was 6 years old when the war started and 10 when it ended. Percy told many stories about his experiences and achievements and even my mother could remember dinners with him and his stories. The most difficult imes for my grandfather were that slow passage of time and, usually 3 and a half years without much news is long. The reason I chose to interview my grandfather about my great, great uncle is because I knew that my grandfather and Percy Carroll were very close given that Percy was his uncle and godfather and acted as a role model for my grandfather because of my grandfathers fathers death, and I found out that my great great uncle was a very important man in the army and I wanted to learn more about him. Percy James Carroll was born February 8, 1891 in East St. Louis, Ill. He spent his childhood growing up in St. Louis. He graduated from St. Louis University Highschool as well as St. Louis University school of medicine class of 1914. He played football for there team and was positioned as quarterback. One moment that Percy had told my grandfather about was how Percy’s coach did not like calling him Percy so he said, “You got a middle name?” and Percy replied, “James.” And the coach said “Good, now your Jimmy” After graduating Percy Carroll served his intership at the St. Louis City Hospital. When the War Department began to organize the Medical Reserve Corps of the army a recruiting officer came to St. Louis and asked for some participants. He asked for a show of hands and Dr. Carroll raised his hand. They had explained to these men that there probably wouldn’t be any real Army activity involved. Just about six months later he received a telegram saying that he must report immediately to Houston, Texas at a base hospital. Here he received a uniform that was completely unfitted and a nurse named Lillian Ryan said something. He agreed that the new uniform was better. In March of 1918 Percy was ordered to France as a Medical Officer during World War I. He cared for the wounded who were by then gassed with mustard gasses and chlorine. He was ordered back to the U.S. in 1919. In 1920 he was ordered to the Philippines and was assigned chief of the surgical service on Corrigador. He was responsible for the medical are of 10,000 troops and 8,000 civilans. He experienced and preformed new things such as emergency caesarean section to a mother and child and shark attacks on soldiers. In November 1922 Dr. Percy Carroll returned to the U.S. where he married my great great aunt Helen in 1923 in Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. He then helped the CCC and recreated it into a huge satisfying success that rehabilitated young poverty stricken early aged men with proper education. After his yet another success he was reported to the Philippines. He invented the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital while he was in the Philippines performing battlefield surgery. He was ordered by General Douglas MacArthur to escape the Japanese attack and take 225 wounded American soldiers to Austrailia with a huge red cross flag ( which I have) that floated through storms, and winds, through nights and days. They arrived in Sydney in early 1942. He retired in 1946. He became the dean of Creighton University in Omaha. Unfortuneately Percy James Carroll passed away from old age in October 1987. Second Hand Source: (Tom Fox answers…) -Who was your connection to the war? “Brig. Gen. Percy Carroll, M.D. chief surgeon for Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur in southwest pacific 1941-1944.” -How/ what did you learn from your source? “Word of mouth- he was my uncle and godfather.” -What was his role? “He preformed battlefield surgery in New Guinea after his escape from manila with 84 wounded American soldiers. After arriving in Australia he set up Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals (M.A.S.H.) for which he received the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest non-combat award in the U.S. Army. “ -What are the best things about the time for your connection? “Listening to his stories. I was six years old when the war started and 10 when it ended.” -What are the worst/ most difficult things about the war for your connection? “The slow passage of time. Three and a half years with not much news is a long time.” -How did this war change this person? “Not very much- he had been a medical officer in World War I in France, So he was prepared mentally for World War II.” -Anything else? “He was convinced that the U.S. must maintain a strong military from now on, which it did not do between the wars.”

Myself and other people should learn that many people in you area or around you most likely were involved in the war. That they all have great stories to tell and would be more than happy to tell you about themselves. Percy Carroll was a hardworking man who saved lives. And in a a St. Louis University Medical Care Article from the winter of 1982 student had interviewed him and how he accounts for his successes, “he looks you in the eye and says,” ”I was in the right place at the right time. “