WWII sailor who removed appendix dies

AP ^ | 4/19/5

[SmithL]

Sailor, Rest your Oar!

[SmithL]

One active Ping

[Red Badger]

[Mark in the Old South]

Bravo Zulu

[GovernmentShrinker]

What did they use for anesthesia????

[Ditto]

But there was also anger over Lipes' actions among physicians from the Navy Medical Corps and talk of a court-martial by the U.S. surgeon general, who was forced to set protocols for appendectomies on submarines.

Excuse me? What was he supposed to do? Let the appendix burst and allow the sailor to die a miserable, painful death from infection?

I have a feeling this lowly Pharmacists Mate made a lot of Navy Docs look bad.

RIP and Good Bless, Seaman Lipes.

[PAR35]

History Ping.

[massgopguy]

Wasn't this dramatized in Destination Tokyo?

[Tax-chick]

NC ping?

[Professional Engineer]

ping

[Yo-Yo]

Apparently this isn't the only appendix removed on board a submarine during WWII.

It also happened aboard the U.S.S. Silversides that is permanently docked in Muskegon, Michigan, and which I've slept aboard on three occasions with my son's Cub Scout Troop.

The Operation

The war's most publicized operation was performed on board SILVERSIDES. Pharmacist Mate Thomas Moore successfully removed a gangrenous appendix from crew member George Platter. Moore had never performed an operation before, but armed with makeshift instruments and a volunteer surgical team, he performed the operation successfully. The patient recovered admirably and was standing regular watch duties just six days later. The operation was reenacted in the movie Destination Tokyo.

[rawhide]

Whatever happened to the guy he operated on? How long did he live after that, and did he suffer any consequences as a result of that operation.
This guy who did the operation should have gone on and got the schooling needed to become a surgeon.

[Alia]

Tax-chick? Fer Sure! :)

NC *Ping*

Please FRmail Constitution Day OR TaxRelief OR Alia if you want to be added to or removed from this North Carolina ping list.

[Tax-chick]

Thanks ... good story about one of the good guys!

[Yo-Yo]

Apparently it happened three times during WWII.

The most dramatic accomplishments of submarine hospital corpsmen were three who had to do surgery while submerged. Pharmacist’s Mate First Class Wheeler "Johnny" Lipes performed a successful appendectomy aboard the USS Seadragon on 11 September 1942. Lipes, who had been a surgical technician, used improvised instruments made from mess deck utensils and instructed assistants as the procedure went on in the officers’ wardroom. PhM1c Harry Roby performed the same act on the USS Grayback as did PhM1c Thomas Moore aboard USS Silversides, both in December 1942.

[SmithL]

Whatever happened to the guy he operated on?

...Rector was back on duty in 13 days. He died two years later aboard a different submarine, the USS Tang, when the Tang fired a torpedo that circled back and struck the vessel.
From Deseretnews.com

[PAR35]

Apparently the right movie; possibly the wrong sub. See Posts 11 and 15.

[IonImplantGuru]

One active Ping

If we're gonna ping, let's ping the whole dang family! 'STeely-eyed Killers of the Deep' (((PING!)))

BTTT

[Dog Gone]

He died two years later aboard a different submarine, the USS Tang, when the Tang fired a torpedo that circled back and struck the vessel.

That's a REALLY bad case of friendly fire.

[armymarinemom]

Both men had plenty of courage! God rest their souls.