xt7xks6j2258_31 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7xks6j2258/data/mets.xml https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7xks6j2258/data/rankin4kdl.dao.xml Rankin, Fred W. (Fred Wharton),
                    1886- Cubit feet ? 7 boxes This collection comprises six scrapbooks (plus one box of miscellaneous items) of letters, newsclippings, and photographs documenting major milestones in the career of Lexinngton, Kentucky surgeon Fred W. Rankin, M.D. archival material English unknown This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed.  Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically.  Physical rights are retained by the owning repository.  Copyright is retained in accordance with U. S. copyright laws.  For information about permissions to reproduce or publish, contact the Special Collections Research Center. Fred W. Rankin, M.D. Scrapbooks Correspondence –– Rankin, Fred W. (Fred Wharton),
                1886- American Medical Association Military Medicine –– History –– United
                States American Surgical Association American College of Surgeons Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Michael E. DeBakey, Assistant                                 Director, Surgical Consultants Division, Army Service Forces,                                 Washington, District of Columbia, to Fred W. Rankin,                                 M.D text Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Michael E. DeBakey, Assistant                                 Director, Surgical Consultants Division, Army Service Forces,                                 Washington, District of Columbia, to Fred W. Rankin,                                 M.D 2012 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7xks6j2258/data/rankin4kdl_1/rankin4kdl_1_26/i1-26-1/i1-26-1.pdf October 11, 1945 1945 October 11, 1945 section false xt7xks6j2258_31 xt7xks6j2258 _ aaaeg- ~ MEDeB:GSF
U t A nn, ALL COMMUNICATIONS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO "THE SURGEON GENERAL, U. S. ARMY, WASHINGTON Z5, D. C."
'   ICTORY
E, AVE  T . a v R    
”‘ ‘*"·T   ’° ARMY SERVICE FORCES    
EN REPLY REFERTO SPMCR OFFICE os THE SURGEON GENERAL r  
' _ wnsn-uucrou zs, ¤. c. · t
. ll October IQM5. I
Brigadier General Fred W. Rankin, M.C.,
Cave Hill Farm,
Harrodsburg Pike, ` e
Lexington, Ky.
Dear General Rankin: —
I have intended writing you for several days but an acute coryza ‘
forced me to postpone it. I —
Before giving you some report of the office activities I would like
to tell you briefly of the profound emotional effect your departure_had
upon all of us here in your office. I don't want to seem maudlin and
yet in trying to express both my personal feelings and those of the others
who were so closely associated with you I find that I begin to border on
that state. As you know, I am not usually atea loss to express my thoughts
r (at least in writing) but I find that on this occasion I am encountering y
great difficulty. Your departure left in its wake the emotional turmoil
which would inevitably result from the great loyalty, sincere devotion
and deep love that you inspired in all of us here (and which I would like
tn add personally was increased with time) during the period we were
privileged to work with you. I would like for you to accept as a tribute n
to what we consider your greatness of character and intellectual capacity ·
the lasting impression you have made both in our minds and in our hearts.
In our minds, the firm knowledge of the magnitude of your contributions
to this war and their far—reach1ng significance in American surgery. In
our hearts, the undying love and loyal devotion of a magnificent character.
And now to give you as concisely as I can some of the major activities
that have taken place since you left the office. Glen and Barnes are
V devoting more and more of their time to the history and are apparently mak-
ing real progress. Glen has proposed a new idea concerned with the manage-
, ment of pos —traumat1c epileptics and the plan, which Eli is going to im-
t ~ plement, is that all these cases will be sent to Cushing where Earl Walker
and his co—workers will treat them. `
, Lloyd Mousel is now in the office and has started working on his part
of the history. Ralph Tovell has completed about all of his work that he
can do here and will be separated on the 15th. Harry Beecher has already
gone home. Incidentally, Lloyd has asked me about what can be done on his·
promotion and, frankly, the prospects do not seem too good. It seems a
pity, particularly since other anesthetists like Bishop who have not con-
tributed as much have received their Lieutenant Golonelcy, This is just
_ another example of typical Army practice, the most humiliating feature of · .
which is that it cannot be explained to one's civilian colleagues and friends.

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Jim Callahan is beginning to make some progress on the orthopedic
,history, Oscar Hampton arrived a few days ago, went on his leave, and
s twill return to colloborate with Jim on this section, He has a considerable
· part of his material in excellent shape and the completion of this work
should not be too difficult. He also brought with him copies of the
“monographs“ which Churchill has organized and prepared, He stated that
Churchill will arrive sometime around the 20th to the 25th of the month,
It is apparent that Churchill has some ideas regarding these "monographs"
but I suppose we must await his arrival to learn his real intentions in
this matter. r ’  
I had Colonel Condiit Cutler come here for one day to discuss his I
assignment on the preparation of the hand section for the history. We
considered the various questions he had raised in his letter to you on
this matter and developed a working program which he would follow in col-
lecting source material and in approaching the problem. I am very much
impressed with the way he works. In this connection, he recently submitted
his report of his activities as a Service Command Consultant for the his- i
tory and I donlt see how it can be excelled. I am wondering now if he
would not have been a better selection than John Flick as sub—ed1tor of
this section.
I p I recently received a rather childish letter_from Mather Cleveland
informing me that he would like to come here on l November for a period
of 2 months to write the orthopedic history (although he didn*t see how
he could do it 1n such a short period of time) and asking me to send him
his orders as a Civilian Consultant. He added, too, that he had not had
time to obtain some civilian clothes and, therefore, would like for me to
arrange it so that he could wear his Army un1form.‘ I suppose this might
_ _ be done by dying his uniform blue. Do you think the condition has pro-
gressed to the point where it deserves reference to Bill Menlngeri
Seriously, though, I'm in a spot on this and I need your advice. I don‘t
want to hurt his feelings and yet I don*t think it is wise to have him
ordered here. I
I find that my time is being taken up with so much administrative
and personnel matters that I am able to devote very little of it to the I
history. This has disturbed me so much that I am beginning to worry E
about it. I have tried in every way possible to dispose of these matters `
I but it seems practically impossible. More and more people are constantly
streaming through the office and I have not yet gotten to the point where Q
I can be rude. Besides, I doubt that it would work. ‘ §
ii
Personnel ls still the major problem and the interesting paradox is d
that although we still have some ¤§,OOO doctors in service all the Ser- E
vice Command surgeons and C.O.'s are crying about their shortages. You E
can readily see that confusion still reigns supreme and will probably con- é
tinue to do so until the last man is out. In this connection, the office g

 K/ v3-
recently had a telephone conversation with Denit (and Durward Hall who is
out there), They asked for several thousand doctors, a large number of
which were surgical specialists. When they were told that we could not ,
supply these men, pompous Hall (big-shot) helpfully replied that there
must be some mistake in our figures and advised us to review them. I am
glad to report that General Bliss and Eli were adamant in their answer
and subtly indicated that the war was over. It seems difficult for these
people to fully grasp this apparently complicated fact and to realize that
the lush and once—fash1 mable empire building era has come to an abrupt
and timely end. `
` I am enclosing a copy of a memorandum which expresses an idea that
seems to me to deserve consideration. I am sure that your first reaction
to it, and I am the first to admit it, will be that M1ke's missionary
spirit remains undampened. At least, you must give me credit for the con-
tinued possession of insight and the sanity that this indicates. Of course,
I realize that like many other such memos probably nothing will come of
this one but we will have the consolation of having proposed it, perhaps
like the congressman who thinks he has accomplished something by merely
inserting It in the record.
e I am enclosing also a copy of a draft of the constitution and organ1za»
tion of the Consultants organization which Francie Dleuaide and I have
worked up. He tried to embody the ideas which you and General Morgan ex-
pressed. The first three paragraphs are similar to those which I had pre-
viously prepared and which you sent to General Cutler. The remaining para-
graphs have been added since then, I shall give a copy of this draft to
to General Gutler when he arrives.
There is little in the form of news. General Morgan and Francis
Dieuaide are leaving Sunday for Japan and apparently will be gone about
2 months. General Bliss and Eli are also leaving in a week or so to visit
China and Japan. Don't ask me why; all that I am sure of is that they are
not concerned with surgical problems.
` This letter has already assumed far greater proportions than I had
anticipated and yet I still have one more thought to tell you ef which to
me is the most important in this letter. I want to express to you again .
my sincere and grateful appreciation for the many klndnesses, the gentle
consideration and the gracious hospitality you extended me during my
‘ pleasant association with you for the past three years. Although I am
certain I gained much by my work here, I know that I gained much more by
1 the privileged opportunity to discuss with you a wide variety of subjects
and problems. The former provided me with happy memor1es,with more realistic
perceptions, and with a better appreciation of surgery; but the latter.
provided me with broader vision, with profound intellectual stimulation,
and with greater understanding of many things. For these cultural and

 c `· ` V — ,4 _ I _ ` c
We character developments, I shell always be in your debt but I shell V
always take pride in it,
{ Diana joins me in sending you end. Mrs. Rankin our very best
l wishes. ‘ , » I
Sincerely, I  
MICHAEL E. DeBAKEY,
Lieutenant Colonel, Medical Corps, D
Assistant Director,
‘ Surgical Consultants Division.