American Valor Quarterly Issue 11 - Fall 2014 | Page 14

Sometimes they would just put white
sheets over that.
I don’t know the proper term but
it was basically patchwork. All they
wanted to do was stop the bleeding
and firm up any breaks so I didn’t do

any additional damage to myself and so
they could get me in an ambulance to a
field hospital. The 15th EVAC was the
aid station. I don’t remember the field
hospital in Florence. I asked them both
times not to amputate my leg because I
was a ballplayer. I did a lot of pleading
to keep my leg.
They had me in the field hospital and
then the general hospital in Florence.
Of course, all I was thinking about was
getting it over with and going home
and getting back to the things I loved
to do. Baseball was a big part of my life.
So my first thought was, if you’re going
to play, you have to have a leg. You can’t
be without a leg and play. I had to make
sure they didn’t take it. I just pleaded
with them, “Don’t take my leg off. I’m
a baseball player and I need to play after
the war. Just don’t do it.” But it wasn’t
an order; it was a request.
Florence kept me for a day and
then sent me on to the 300th General
Hospital in Naples. It’s where all the
worst cases go before they go back
home. I got to Naples on Dec. 10.
So I spent three and half days there.
I was flown to Naples and arrived
there in the afternoon where I met Dr.
14

Brubaker. He first operated on me the
morning of Dec. 11. I wound up having
23 surgeries throughout my baseball
career to be able to play. I was hit in
13 different places. Dr. Brubaker gave
it a great deal of thought and came up
with a new approach. The following
year, he was presented with a surgeon
general’s certificate of commendation.
He was recognized as doing something
extraordinary.
I stayed in Naples hospital until
March. Captain Sears cam H