| Summary: | Bob Erskine was born 5 December 1924 in Brooklyn, New York. Before the war he was enrolled at Syracuse University studying to become a veterinarian. When the war started, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and trained to be a medic. He joined the 78th Infantry division and saw combat at the Battle of the Bulge. He explained the injuries from combat at times were overwhelming; however, he felt the weather inflicted as much pain and suffering on the soldiers as the fighting did. Sgt. Erskine also explained how the medics treated just as many cases of trench foot and dysentery as injuries resulting from combat. Sgt. Erskine went on to explain the military assigned one psychiatrist for every 15,000 men. A psychiatrist asked Sgt. Erskine to work with him and he did. Sgt. Erskine then took a personal interest in helping soldiers suffering from combat exhaustion/combat fatigue. These men Sgt. Erskine felt were at times just shells of themselves, not having the ability to communicate, just existing. Sgt. Erskine worked in a clearing station which was well away from the front lines. He felt he was fortunate in that regard; however, he could not explain the horror of the injuries he witnessed. When the war concluded he was on leave with a friend in Paris. He said the celebration was incredible. When Sgt. Erskine returned to the United States, he continued his study of veterinary medicine.
|
|---|