REFLECTIONS ON PAST SNOWY NEWYEARS EVES.

As I sit and look out at the deep snow, memories of other New Years flash through my mind.

1948 was marked by the Blizzard at Christmas followed by the area paralyzing Ice Storm of New Years. In those years doctors made house calls, in fact they were on call 24/7. One was obligated by professional belief to respond to a patient's emergency even in the middle of the night. The answering machines did not instruct the caller to go to the emergency room. Instead either the doctor had a phone bedside or if there was an answering machine it referred to the Physician's Answering Services which were just starting up. One  was even "manned" by the Plainfield VNA, the other privately owned. 

When  the telephone wires came down that day I breathed a sigh of relief, I could not be reached and would not have to go out to a call. If the Hospital needed me the Police would have provided transportation.

The other memorable snow bound New Years Eve was in 1944.The 944-45 winter as one of the coldest I have ever experienced. In December 44. the 17th Airborne was still in England and I was visioning a short leave to visit Wales. Instead those damn Germans launched an attack resulting in the Battle of the Bulge.

Our Division received orders right after X-mas to get to France. That was the first Mass movement of a fighting Division by Air. I believe that I have previously posted a story about that time.

To make a long story short, On New Years Eve I had set up a small Aid Station with 4 medics to support A Company which had been detached to protect a B ridge over the Meuse River.  I had set up our station in a village house which was in the middle of an attached row of houses. I knew that gave us some protection form the Guns of Bed Check Charlie on their nightly overflight.

Early in December the 18th Airborne Corp which was headquartered in the same camp as our Regiment had flown in a plane load of Portuguese brandy. Our officer shad received a "ration" of one bottle each. I was able via a poker game to corner about 4  bottles and when we loaded the Jeep on the plane my bedroll contained those bottles. So New Year's Eve in France the officers of A Company and I celebrated with one of the bottles.