Any tribute to the medical profession of Brodhead seems both
difficult and needless. The eloquence of the conduct of
our doctors far surpasses that of words. When the call of
humanity came, there were six physicians in our city. All six
volunteered to go to the front to minister to the sick and to
relieve the wounded. The record of Brodhead, in its medical volunteers,
is one hundred percent. Dr. J. L. Fleek, the dean of his profession,
was rejected because of the age limit. However, Dr. Darby, Dr.
Looze, Dr. Mitchell, Dr. Rowe and Dr. Sutherland were immediately
commissioned, and later Dr. Roger Mooney volunteered, and was
commissioned as First Lieutenant in the Dental Corps. All six
saw service abroad. Clearly, in the war record of its medical
profession, Brodhead occupies a unique position. Besides the
six officers which the medical profession of Brodhead contributed
to the great cause, there were three other commissioned men.
The other three were Rodney Baxter, Marvin Goul and Ray Lyons,
who were advanced from the ranks to the grade of Second Lieutenant.
Our record then, as a little city of sixteen hundred inhabitants,
was nine commissioned men.