Ruth Clifford Engs, Editor/Author. The Field Hospital That Never Was: Diary of Lt. Col. Karl D. Macmillan's, MD, 96th Field Hospital in China-India-Burma Theater 1945, WWII. St. Petersburg, FL: Booklocker.com, 2015
A forgotten war, a forgotten medical unit, a forgotten physician
Lt. Col. Karl D. MacMillan, physician and commanding officer of the 96th Field Hospital in the almost forgotten China-India-Burma theater of World War II, provides vivid impressions and observations in his diary. The unit slogs over the treacherous Ledo-Burma and the Burma Road in China and battles against deplorable sanitation, fatal accidents, and virulent tropical diseases. Confusion reigned as the Field Hospital was depleted to provide personnel to war-weary units. The diary provides a unique insight into MacMillan and the many public health and military challenges he faced during the winding down of WWII.
Amusing experiences on a Navy troop ship, fighting disease carrying insects, shopping for exotic Asian goods, war torn towns, and flying over "the Hump" in an Army Air Force plane are also described.
The editor includes comments concerning the CBI Theater, a list of individuals encountered by MacMillan in his unit and travels, a biographical timeline, maps, and an extensive bibliography and index.