Army Medical Specialist Corps,

Although the Army Medical Specialist Corps was only established by the Congress a scant twenty years ago as the Womens Medical Specialist Corps and, as such, is the newest of the six corps of the Army Medical Service, I am delighted to note that the editors and authors have wisely given proper perspective to the dimensions of the achievements of the corps by incorporating in this historical account the period from 1917 to 1961. By the inclusion of material concerning the growth of this important adjunct to the Army Medical Service team, one learns of the 1,500 pioneer women who served as dietitians, physical therapists, and occupational therapists in Army hospitals, both at home and abroad during World War I and of those who continued to serve, as civilian employees, until World War II. It is particularly interesting to me, as I am sure it will be to others, to contrast the position of the members of the Army Medical Specialist Corps today, with their well-deserved recognition, compatible promotion policy, long-range educational and training program, and the like, with the poorly defined and frequently misunderstood and frustrating experiences of the World War I era and for many years thereafter. The fact that the Army Nurse Corps had been established in 1901 did not, it is surprising to note, insure general acceptance of other women specialists in the Army and for several decades the laborious struggle for recognition and status continued. It was achieved, of course, in 1947, and in retrospect, one might say it was long overdue.