US Naval Hospital Corps School - Yearbook (San Diego, CA)

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P 4 , A X 9+- m..,,,M rug Q? :W 5 Q . gf ,T f K Y STAEF MEMBERS: R. E. Bertka, Ensign, MSCg Ernest READING BRIEF: Chief Tank, Ensign COURT REPORTER: rliqflatlhishlilgfllg E. R. Kraber, HNg H. J. Weitzel, HNQ C. E. Berlka. Lillian Salyers an , , most of the services provided by the civil law branch are performed directly by the legal assistance officer. These include counseling persons in various fields of law, some of which are domestic relations, injury due to negligent situa- tions, contracts, federal-state taxation, landlord and tenant regulations, real estate transactions, agency, wills, partner- ships, trusts, and negotiable instruments. Under certain conditions, letters relative to legal disputes in which they are involved are prepared for the signatures of the persons seeking legal assistance. The legal assistance officer may not file pleadings or make court appearances for such persons or otherwise actively represent them in legal controversies. ln those occasional instances in which it appears the services of a civilian attorney are necessary, the person seeking the legal assistance is advised, after his case has been discussed with him, to obtain the services of a civilian lawyer of his own choice or, if he knows none, he is directed to a civilian agency established for the purpose of referring persons to civilian lawyers upon request. The number of persons availing themselves of the services of the civil law branch has steadily increased in the recent past, and now averages eighty persons a month. The legal assistance officer also prepares opinions on various medico- legal matters for the Command from time to time as the, need therefore arises. The reporting and secretarial unit, as its name implies, furnishes to both the military law branch and civil law branch all clerical services. This includes the taking, trans- cribing and typing of records of courts-martial and of investi- gative proceedings and hearings. Also, all correspondence initiated by the officer in charge of the Office of the Counsel and all legal documents prepared for persons who have sought assistance from the civil law branch, are dictated to and typed by personnel of this unit.

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LEGAL DIVISIO The Office of the Counsel provides legal services for the command, and for active duty and retired military and naval personnel and their dependents upon request. This office consists of two main branches, a military law branch and a civil law branch. It also has a reporting and secretarial unit whose personnel consists-of two civil service employees. All other persons assigned for duty in the Office of the Counsel are members of the naval service. The officer in charge has dual titles, legal officer and legal assistance officerf' The title legal officerv has application to his being head of the military law branch. Whether he bears the title of fclegal assistance officer or legal assistance referral offi- cer depends upon Whether or not he is a qualified lawyer, the former title being applicable in the event he is and the latter being applicable in the event he is not. The incumbent is a fully qualified attorney. The function of the military law branch is to handle all official matters of a legal nature pertinent to the command. It handles liaison with other military and civilian law en- forcement agencies, and is responsible for receiving, inter- viewing, and assisting all persons who come aboard this station on legal matters, including naval and military in- vestigating officers, police officers, adjustors, attorneys, and other individuals in similar capacities. Likewise, the cases of military personnel attached to this command, staff and patients, who have been reported for commission of alleged offenses, are processed through the military law branch in preparation for disposition by the LIEUT. COMDR. WOLFGANG E. KLOSTERMANN, Msc, UsN Chief, Legal Division commanding officer. The military law branch also prepares appointing orders for courts-martial and various types of investigative boards, and prepares such reports and other correspondence as are necessary to carry out its mission. At the present time, there is an assistant legal officer as- signed to the Office of the Counsel for training purposes. He assists the legal officer in matters over which the military law branch has cognizance and, in the legal officeris absence, takes action on such military law matters as he is qualified to handle. The enlisted members of the military law branch are under the direct control and supervision of a chief petty officer whose responsibility it is to see that the Work assign- ments given by him to those members are carried out, and to assist in the smooth functioning of this branch. The function of the civil law branch is to provide legal assistance for active duty and retired military and naval personnel and their dependents who have personal legal problems. By regulation, service personnel who are not law- yers are prohibited from counseling individuals in respect to personal legal problems and from rendering any other legal service ordinarily provided by an attorney. Accordingly,

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Mission and History of the U. S. Naval Hospital Corps School The primary mission of the Hospital Corps School is to train selected men in the basic duties of the Hospital Corps. The present Hospital Corps School was established at the U. S. Naval Hospital, San Diego, California, on 1 September 1928 and operated until April 1935, when it was placed in an inactive status. ln April, 1935, the school was re-activated and has been the only Hospital Corps School in continuous operation since that time. On December 7, 1941, the school was located in Building 119 on the hospital reservation. It had a student body of 327, and the staff consisted of six male officers, four nurse corps officers, and seventeen enlisted men. In January, 1942, the school was moved to Buildings 211 and 219 in the hospital annex of Balboa Park. During 1942, the average number of students was increased to 616 and 6,476 hospital corpsmen were graduated that year. In 1943, the average number of students increased to 1,3003 9,544 were received and 8,918 graduated. The year 1944 brought many changes to the school. To meet the needs of a rapidly growing organization, the school was again moved to Unit No. 3 of the hospital, which was well suited to the needs of an expanding school, consisting of 33 acres of park land in Balboa Park. Five former exposi- tion buildings were utilized to house administrative offices and berth a majority of the personnel. One tent section was retained to house approximately one thousand men. Five ad- ditional buildings, built while this area was occupied, were utilized as heads, showers, commissary, and mess-halls. Thirty-two temporary buildings were moved into the area and equipped as classrooms. During this year, a total of 10,245 students were received and 8,897 graduated. In July, 1944, the Hospital Corps School, Great Lakes, Illinois, was closed and 456 students were transferred here from that school command to complete their course of in- struction. 1n 1945, the school reached its peak enrollment, with an average of approximately 3,400 students on board. During this year, 13,332 students were enrolled and 14,907 were graduated. The staff at that time consisted of eighteen male officers, thirty Nurse Corps officers, 200 enlisted men, and 27 civilians. .. In 1946 the average strength dropped to approximately 600 due to demobilization. In J une, 1946, the school vacated its quarters in Balboa Park and moved to its present loca- tion on the hospital reservation. From 1 January 1947 to 1 July 1948, the average student strength dropped to 337, and the staff was reduced to six male officers, five nurses, eighteen enlisted men and five civilians. In February, 1949, enlisted women began reporting for instruction. They were trained under a co-educational plan until August, 1953, when all basic training of enlisted women was undertaken by the Hospital Corps School, Bainbridge, Maryland. A total of 678 enlisted women were graduated from here. Since moving to its present location in 1946, the Hospital Corps School, San Diego, has operated under four different training schedules: an 8 week schedule consisting of 320 hours of instructiong a 12 week schedule consisting of 480 hours, a 16 week schedule encompassing 640 hours of in- struction, and a 20 week schedule with 760 hours of in- struction. At present, the school operates under two schedules, a 16 week course for volunteers, and a 12 week course for reserv- ists. There is also a 2 week accelerated course for inactive reservists performing annual training duty. There are presently 8 classes under instruction, classes ranging from 45 to 80 students each. Among the students there are members of friendly foreign services undergoing instruction. At present, there is a Chief Hospital Corpsman from the Chinese Navy, and also a Mexican physician. ln the past, the school has graduated members of the Korean Navy, Colombian Navy and Peruvian Navy. During the past year, an average of 1,260 students gradu- ated. They were transferred to naval hospitals, station hos- pitals, and large dispensaries, for additional practical train- ing before going to sea or to duty with the Fleet Marine Force. The subjects taught are Anatomy and Physiology, Minor Surgery and First Aid, Preventive Medicine, Principles and Technics of Patient Care, Materia Medica and Toxicology, Pharmacy and Metrology, Basic Bacteriology and Elementary