Serving in the Panama Canal Zone
June 6, 2008 – 6:00 amI now have accounts from three separate people who served in the Panama Canal Zone. For those of you who have read my book, We Knew We Were at War: Women Remember World War II, you may recall my sister-in-law’s story of her military service in the Army Nurse Corps.
For a portion of her service, Naomi was at Fort Amador in the Panama Canal Zone. Many of the patients were soldiers who had been on jungle expeditions and returned to camp suffering with malaria. She recalls covering the men with blanket after blanket to help ease the intense shivering. Also, some of her patients were training casualties from a paratroop division stationed nearby.
I have learned about another soldier who served there. Through a mutual acquaintance, I have received the book, Love, War & Polio, the Life and Times of Young Bill Porteus, by Timothy James Bassett. Bill Porteus was also stationed at Fort Amador. He describes the fort as “a very nice facility, with all wood buildings, including a day room with a pool table, a ping pong table, card table, and the latest magazines and papers.” Bill oversaw the clearing of the jungle on a regular basis, and also the building of tennis and volleyball courts. (I have in my possession a photo of Mary playing tennis on one of those courts.)
It appears Bill also had some responsibilities with errant soldiers. I have the idea that life could be pretty boring, and it was necessary to keep the young soldiers busy. The father of one of my friends served there also. His major memory seems to be playing football and baseball. Mary mentions that the nurses had regular drills and the men went out on patrols regularly. Although this was never a war zone, Bill points out the strategic significance of protecting the canal, since millions of tons of military supplies passed through it during the war years.
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