Keith,
No reason whatsoever to doubt your Dad's explanation.
I found the following confirmation of the procedure online.
Lester Dragstedt, later famous professor of surgery at U of Chicago, was an Army pathologist in 1918. He participated in many cases of draining the lungs by puncturing. The procedure evidently was used on severe cases, so many of the patients died anyway. Your father was a fortunate man.
You might want to do a web search on Dr. Dragstedt or the U of Chicago medical branch for more information.
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