Joe Vaughan Explores Emotional Story of Kansas Surgeon in World War I with New Tribute Book

KANSAS CITY, Kan., May 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Col. Hugh Wilkinson, M.D. of Kansas City, Kansas volunteered to go to "the Great War" 100 years ago because, he said, "I've got to get the Kaiser…"  The 40-year-old surgeon gave up a thriving medical practice because he was motivated to save lives in one of the world's worst wars of human suffering and sacrifice. Read his story in a new book titled Colonel Wilkinson's Diary: A Kansas Doctor in World War I France.

Wilkinson had been educated at the highly-regarded Bowden Prep School in Maine, the Rice Medical College in Chicago and the Fort Leavenworth Medical Officer's Service School. His first assignment was Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D. C., where the worst or most seriously injured soldiers were being returned for treatment.  Dr. Wilkinson, either brilliantly or stupidly, depending upon one's view, kept a detailed diary of his time in the service. No one knew of his secret notes on the daily happenings wherever he was during the war. The gifted surgeon recorded both the great work his fellow medical men were doing and the bumbling of others – even referring to one as, "…the Army's prize boob…"                              

Maj. Wilkinson was promoted to lead an Army Mobile Field Hospital in SE France. Once there, the devastating killer flu pandemic and typhoid broke out. Human losses at times were as great from the deadly diseases as they were from the battlefield conflicts. A century ago, battlefield medical technology had advanced very little from the Civil War era.  The Walter Reed surgical wards had no air conditioning in steamy, humid Washington and penicillin didn't come until 1928. Two decades later in World War II, medical technology had advanced tenfold over World War I.

After the November 11, 1918 Armistice was agreed to, Maj. Wilkinson was returned to Walter Reed to assist in treatment of the badly injured soldiers. Wilkinson was discharged with the rank of Colonel. He returned to his family in Kansas City, Kansas and reestablished his surgical practice. ORDERS: Amazon.com and RainyDayBooks.com

Author Joe H. Vaughan, Jr. is a well-known Kansas City area broadcast journalist, author, publisher and past elected public official. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Journalism and a past-president of the Kansas AP Broadcasters Association. He is a member of the Greater Kansas City Media Legends group. In 1990, he founded a Kansas sole-proprietorship in Prairie Village. This is his 5^th book. He has authored some 20 books, newsletters and booklets for several area municipalities. NOTE: Vaughan is Wilkinson's grandson. The two men never met. Col Wilkinson died of a fatal heart attack in 1934, almost two decades ahead of Joe Vaughan's birth.

SOURCE Joe H. Vaughan