A visit to the dentist.

Stories about fighting in all theaters of WWII. I ask that these be stories directly from veterans and not previously published material.
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armydriver
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A visit to the dentist.

Post by armydriver »

My friend, neighbor and designated relief driver of my CCKW, Betty Boop , Bob Talbot, related the following story to me and it demonstrates the human side of war we so often forget.

It happened during the invasion of Siapan that Corporal Bob Talbot, a combat veteran of Guadalcanal and Red Beach One on Tarawa, found himself engaged with a determined enemy and yet was suffering from an intense toothache. His platoon leader sent him back to the beach to find the dentist and get the bothersome tooth taken care of.
Bob trudged back to the beach littered with supplies, trucks, amtracks,and other Marines searching out the dentist tent. He finally found it and the dentist was in, but his supplies were not. No dental chair, dental tools and most of all no pain medication of any kind, yet the tooth needed attending to.
The dentist apologized to Bob, but informed him that the tooth had to come out. He instructed Bob to take out his canteen cup, then opening his footlocker he produced a bottle of Scotch whisky and poured some into the empty cup. He then told Bob to hold some on the tooth before swallowing it, then he poured himself some in his canteen cup. After they had both swilled down the potent brew the tall lanky corporal wrapped his legs and arms around the center support pole of the tent, and the dentist began to pull on the tooth with the only tool he had, a pair of pliers he had gotten from a Sea Bee on the beach.
After what seemed an eternity to Bob, the dentist stopped his torture of the young man and poured both another drink of the Scotch. When they had finished this second cup of liquid, Bob assumed his previous position ready for more of the dental action. This time the tooth came free and Bob slumped to the sandy floor with relief. The relieved doctor pouired them both another cup to kill the possiblilty of any infection setting into the open gum.
As Corporal Talbot picked up his 1903 Springfield to head out the door of the tent an air raid sirene began to scream and the sound of machine gun fire was heard. A Japanese fighter was straffing the beach, but a Navy fighter pulled in behind the Imperial Son of the Beach, and blasted him from the bright blue sky. In celebration, the Navy dentist called to Bob and offered him one more slug of the pain killing medication from the near empty Scotch bottle. Toasting each otherl, Bob returned the now empty canteen cup top its proper place on his ammunition belt and began to laborously trudge back towards his platoon inland. Semi drunk but with no more tooth pain he eventually made his way back into the hell of fire and death, with the days events still swirrling in his head. A smile came to his face as he crawled into a shell crater with his buddies.
52 M38 Willy's
Former owner and restorer of CCKW353 " Betty Boop"

proud father of a career Army officer/Blackhawk pilot/ War in Iraq veteran
Retired high school history teacher at Lt. Colonel Robert G. Cole CMH High School, Fort Sam Houston Texas
proud great grandson of four Confederate soldiers.
great great grandson of a War of 1812 veteran
great great great grandson of 2 American Revolutionary war veterans
42cckw
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Post by 42cckw »

Hey army
I think he should have gotten the purple heart for that one :lol: :lol:
armydriver
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Posts: 2595
Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:10 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas

Post by armydriver »

Yes, him and the doctor. It is funny how the doctor needed pain killer also to perform the tooth extraction. :lol: :lol: Thanks for the feed back. I never know if people are enjoying these stories that I have gathered over the years from veterans.
52 M38 Willy's
Former owner and restorer of CCKW353 " Betty Boop"

proud father of a career Army officer/Blackhawk pilot/ War in Iraq veteran
Retired high school history teacher at Lt. Colonel Robert G. Cole CMH High School, Fort Sam Houston Texas
proud great grandson of four Confederate soldiers.
great great grandson of a War of 1812 veteran
great great great grandson of 2 American Revolutionary war veterans
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