The Medical Department: Medical Service in the War Against Japan (United States Army in World War II: The Technical Services)

The Medical Department: Medical Service in the War Against Japan is the third and concluding volume on the overseas activities of the U.S. Army Medical Department during World War II. In the Asian-Pacific theaters of operations Army medical personnel supported troops in a variety of remote disease-ridden environments, burdened by vast distances, diverse climates, and almost insoluble logistical problems. This study recounts how the Army’s senior medical officers pooled their talents with the scientific knowledge of the day to overcome these obstacles and, in the process, realized significant advances in military medicine. In the course of the long, grueling war against Japan these dedicated professionals developed new drugs and techniques for preventing and controlling disease, fielded hospitals and units uniquely equipped to support jungle and island fighting, and perfected amphibious medical support. The story of these developments, as well as of the planning and organizing of theater medical services, provides practical lessons for military students and military leaders of all ranks.