Red Cross

[cadetat6]

Any one have any info on Red Cross during WW2 in South Pacific.?I had a broth-in-law who was a Marine Officer in Bougainville and after the war ,he would not give to Red Cross but would give to Salvation Army. I found the following in a Web Site


Another reason to hate the Red Cross comes from my maternal grandfather who fought in the Pacific theater in WW2. The Red Cross was selling our GIs *one* cigarette for a *dollar* in 1943, while the Salvation Army and USO was crawling through mud and under artillery fire to deliver hot coffee and donuts to our guys in foxholes on the battlefield *for free.*

cadetat6

[Dakotaman]

I had several uncle's in that same war who said the same thing,the Red Cross charged for everything the Salvation Army free. Several members of my family are still Captains in the Salvation Army today, It's a wonderful organization,of course God is their Captain.

[firemedic]

I agree with your take on the Salvation Army. A great book about the organization is "The General next to God", about William Booth, the founder. I had the privilege of meeting his grandson many years ago. A great organization!

[39mto39g]

Red cross --sucks
Savation Army---Good

Ron----Auug

[colmurph]

Red cross sold me a carton of "Donated" Camels when I was in the 312th Evac Hospital in Chu-Lai. I paid 2 bucks for the carton and when I opened it I found out that it had been donated by a VFW post in the states. I was taken out for some treatment and when I came back my smokes were gone from the bedside table. I got the ward nurse to call for the "Gray Lady" and when she came back she sold me a carton of camels for 2 bucks. It was the same carton she had sold me about 3 hours before.

The donut dollies used to come out to the firebases and sell us coffee that they had gotten from our mess halls. The donuts were probably made by our cooks as well.

You all probably remember the "Other Business" that the donut dollies conducted at $65.00 a pop, or one month's hostile fire pay.

BTW did you know that the Red Cross "Sells" blood to the Military Services for around $75 a pint? This is the blood that folks Donate. Most of the regional bosses in the Red Cross are pulling down a 6 figure salary every year.

I gave my last pint of blood to the Red Cross around 15 years ago, and my last dime to them when I was in Vietnam. I'll donate to the Salvation Army because the folks there are not "Skimming the take" for themselves.

[Jimmyjet]

$75 a unit doesn't sound too bad. I had recent surgery and had to supply a unit for my own use. Blood Bank charged me $235.00 to donate my own blood. Not a bad business to ge into.

[revwardoc]

Jimmyjet,

I had surgery a couple of years ago and had to donate 2 pints of my own blood, which they never used. I asked what they did with it and they said they threw it out! And this was during a blood drive!! I don't mind them taking it but, damn, at least give it to someone who can use it. It's good stuff. I was also told it would cost them $65 to test each pint for what-ever-it-is they test them for, and they didn't think it was worth the price. I wonder how much of a price they put on someone's life.