From the Medicine Chest

Author: Kent Nakamura
Puka Puka Parades, September 1960, vol. 13 no. 9

Short anecdote of how Shigeichi “Chicken” Kawaoka talked his way into being a medic and the reasons why.

During the days of the campaign in southern France, an ambulance squad made up of non-100th personnel, was attached to the Battalion Aid Station. There came a day when a litter squad led by Captain Kometani returned from a trip up front. I was sitting outside the station door.

A harried-looking G.I., a participant in the evacuation action, flicked his thumb in the direction Doc had gone and asked, “Is he really a dentist?”

“Yup”, I nodded.

“You mean he can stay back in the rear area fooling around with teeth and he comes up here?”

“Well, there’re not too many teeth in a battalion, and I figger the Captain gets tired of polishing bicuspids, so he is up here to be useful.”

“Man, oh man,” the G.I. groans, “I gotta be with a guy who doesn’t have to be here. And worse, I gotta go with him.”

All of a sudden, I began not to like the fellow and was getting ideas about how much more not to like him, but I managed a “Please explain.”

Noting that my last words had the warmth of a good Martini, the G.I. hastily went on, “You got me wrong. The Captain’s a darn good man, but you know, when you’re out there, you want to hurry. The Captain –he never hurries; he just won’t or can’t move faster.”

I understood. I had to chuckle, and I had to agree that Doc was no speed demon.

Addendum: Now, fifteen or so years after this previously mentioned episode, I kinda think “Kome” wasn’t as slow as all that.

Kent Y. Nakamura

From the Medicine Chest

During the days of the campaign in southern France, an ambulance squad made up of non-100th personnel, was attached to the Battalion Aid Station. There came a day when a litter squad led by Captain Kometani returned from a trip up front. I was sitting outside the station door.

A harried-looking G.I., a participant in the evacuation action, flicked his thumb in the direction Doc had gone and asked, “Is he really a dentist?”

Yup”, I nodded.

You mean he can stay back in the rear area fooling around with teeth and he comes up here?”

Well, there’re not too many teeth in a battalion, and I figger the Captain gets tired of polishing bicuspids, so he is up here to be useful.”

Man, oh man,” the G.I. groans, “I gotta be with a guy who doesn’t have to be here. And worse, I gotta go with him.”

All of a sudden, I began not to like the fellow and was getting ideas about how much more not to like him, but I managed a “Please explain.”

Noting that my last words had the warmth of a good Martini, the G.I. hastily went on, “You got me wrong. The Captain’s a darn good man, but you know, when you’re out there, you want to hurry. The Captain –he never hurries; he just won’t or can’t move faster.”

I understood. I had to chuckle, and I had to agree that Doc was no speed demon.

Addendum: Now, fifteen or so years after this previously mentioned episode, I kinda think “Kome” wasn’t as slow as all that.

Kent Y. Nakamura