45th Portable Surgical Hospital - The Original 45th PSH

The Original 45th PSH

The first 45th Portable Surgical Hospital was activated 31 May 1943 at Camp White, Oregon with 33 enlisted men and 4 officers who were surgeons. Captain Carl Whitbeck was the commanding officer, Captain Mainella was the adjutant. Captain Michael J. (Mike) Dardas, of Bay City Michigan, was one of the surgeons. A fourth surgeon joined the outfit late in 1943 and left before the hospital went over the Ledo Road to Burma. His replacement, Captain Katzinelson, a surgeon and anesthetist, joined after the unit arrived in China in December 1944.