"They call you a battalion surgeon. I didn't know surgery; really, I was simply trying to save lives." (Audio Interview)
William M. McConahey graduated from medical school in 1942 and enlisted with the Army in 1943. He attended medical field service school and served as a battalion surgeon with the 357th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division.
In March 1944, McConahey and the division deployed to England in preparation for the D-Day invasion of France. He landed on Utah Beach with the 359th Infantry Regiment two days after the initial invasion.There, McConahey served at a first aid station along with 32 fellow corpsmen, treating the many casualties. As a battalion surgeon, he stabilized wounded men near the front line before sending them to the rear for more intensive treatment. Besides attending to the physically wounded, McConahey treated men suffering from combat stress, assessing their mental state and sending them to the rear if necessary. The men operated as close to the front as possible, often within sight of German forces, hoping the Germans would follow the Geneva Convention and not fire at them.
Following the surrender of Germany in May 1945, McConahey and parts of the 90th Infantry Division converted to an occupation force and began restoring order in Germany. During this time, McConahey and his fellow corpsmen treated liberated prisoners, including those from the concentration camp in Flossenberg, Germany.
After returning home, McConahey promoted to captain and discharged. During his service, McConahey earned several medals and commendations, including Silver and Bronze Star Medals.McConahey then began a medical fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, where he became a tenured professor of medicine. McConahey wrote and published a memoir of his experiences during World War II, Battalion Surgeon,in 1966
McConahey passed away in 2004.
Table of Contents:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
Part One
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Army
Chapter 2: Atlantic Crossing .
Chapter 3: England
Part Two
Chapter 4: Into France
Chapter 5: Baptism of Fire
Chapter 6: Across the Cotentin Peninsula
Chapter 7: Hill 122 and Beyond
Chapter 8: The Dash Across France
Chapter 9: The Battle for Metz and Lorraine
Chapter 10: The Battle of the Bulge
Chapter 11: Through the Siegfried Line
Chapter 12: The Second Crossing of the Moselle . . . . . . . . . . . 00
Part Three
Chapter 13: Across the Rhine
Chapter 14: The Dash Across Germany
Chapter 15: Czecho-Slovakia and the End of the Trail
Part Four
Chapter 16: Occupation of Germany
Chapter 17: Home Again
