Description

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"They call you a battalion surgeon. I didn't know surgery; really, I was simply trying to save lives." (Audio Interview)

William M. McConahey graduated from medical school in 1942 and enlisted with the Army in 1943. He attended medical field service school and served as a battalion surgeon with the 357th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division.

In March 1944, McConahey and the division deployed to England in preparation for the D-Day invasion of France. He landed on Utah Beach with the 359th Infantry Regiment two days after the initial invasion. There, McConahey served at a first aid station along with 32 fellow corpsmen, treating the many casualties. As a battalion surgeon, he stabilized wounded men near the front line before sending them to the rear for more intensive treatment. Besides attending to the physically wounded, McConahey treated men suffering from combat stress, assessing their mental state and sending them to the rear if necessary. The men operated as close to the front as possible, often within sight of German forces, hoping the Germans would follow the Geneva Convention and not fire at them.

Following the surrender of Germany in May 1945, McConahey and parts of the 90th Infantry Division converted to an occupation force and began restoring order in Germany. During this time, McConahey and his fellow corpsmen treated liberated prisoners, including those from the concentration camp in Flossenberg, Germany.

After returning home, McConahey promoted to captain and discharged. During his service, McConahey earned several medals and commendations, including Silver and Bronze Star Medals. McConahey then began a medical fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, where he became a tenured professor of medicine. McConahey wrote and published a memoir of his experiences during World War II, Battalion Surgeon, in 1966

McConahey passed away in 2004.

About the Author

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William M. McConahey, Jr., was born on May 7, 1916, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received the B.A. degree in 1938 from Washington and Jefferson College and the M.D. degree in 1942 from Harvard University. He was an intern at Philadelphia General Hospital from 1942 to 1943. During World War II, Dr. McConahey entered active duty on July 17, 1943, and served as a battalion surgeon in the Medical Corps of the U.S. Army, which is the subject of this book. Assigned to the 90th Infantry Division, he landed in the Allied assault against Nazi-held Fortress Europe on D-Day Plus 2: Thursday, June 8, 1944. Dr. McConahey served in France, Germany and Czechoslovakia and attained the rank of captain. Battalion Surgeon concludes with his honorable discharge on September 28,1945. Dr. McConahey entered Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education in 1946 and received the M.S. degree in medicine from the University of Minnesota in 1948. He was appointed a Mayo Clinic consultant in medicine in 1949 and served as chair of the Division of Endocrinology from 1968 to1974. Dr. McConahey advanced through the academic ranks to become professor of medicine at Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, University of Minnesota, in 1966 and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in 1973. He had a special interest in diseases of metabolism and the endocrine system and published extensively in medical journals and textbooks. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Thyroid Association in 1973 and the Alumni Association of Washington and Jefferson College in 1978. Dr. McConahey retired from Mayo Clinic in December 1985 and died on April 22, 2004.