I am Jon Garrido and I live in Phoenix, Arizona.

 

On December 27, 1961, I arrived at the 34^th General Hospital in Orleans, France. At the end of my tour, I did not want to come home so I extended for another six months. In late 1964, the U.S. Army heavily recruited us to sign up for another tour to become helicopter pilots in Viet Nam. Not for me. I was ready to return home and left Orleans for home on the 15^th of December, 1964.

 

The 34^th General Hospital had a detachment at Harbor Barracks and I went there directly in December 1961. Later I was transferred to the 760^th Medical Detachment, 34^th Gen Hosp in the Caserne in downtown Orleans and from there I spent the last year back at the Hospital at La Chapelle St Mesmin.

 

I do not remember the name of the detachment at Harbor Barracks. I worked in the dental clinic as a oral hygienist cleaning teeth and rotated with 6 others as a medic working weekends in the medical clinic at the Caserne. Then there were numerous rides driving an army ambulance to La Chapelle. We used ambulances as regular vehicles for driving back and forth to La Chapelle and Orleans.

 

I have great memories of all three places.

 

In 1963, I a new VW in Paris and traveled frequently the area around Orleans going to Paris plus with the familiarity of driving the roads using an ambulance, I became very familiar with the small roads in and around Orleans.

 

In 1991, I traveled to Paris on business, rented a car and drove down to Orleans, Olivet, and La Chapelle. Without difficulty, I found La Chapelle, Harbor Barracks and the Caserne.

 

Harbor Barracks is still used I think by the French Military and the Caserne was still in good shape but La Chapelle was in ruins. Most of the windows were broken and it was a very sad sight.

 

I loved France. The people were great to us and we all know the French that worked for us were very friendly and kind to us. I remember some first names of the French from the Hospital and Harbor Barracks but not much more.

 

I rented an apartment in Orleans and another one down the road from La Chapelle along the river and the French treated us like special neighbors.

 

I also met great army buddies and each time I saw MASH, the movie or the television series, I remember that was the way it was when I served with the 34^th General Hospital.

 

I am planning another visit to Paris spring of 2010 so I went to the Internet on July 7 to remind myself about Orleans.

 

From Orleans I clicked on La Chapelle to discover what visitors have posted using 34^th General Hospital in a travel website for Orleans.

 

I then harvested the email addresses left by former army personnel and today, July 8, 2008, I bought the name 34GenHosp.US and published this website just to see if I can find old friends. I think it would great to see if I could find some of the army friends I was had.

 

I remember Charley. I can not remember his last name but he was a career army type and the type that would have volunteered for Vietnam. Each time I see the Washington DC memorial I am fearful his name is there.

 

I had a WAC girl friend named Ann Murphy at the hospital who was from NYC. I was supposed to call her when I arrived back in NYC but I was so anxious to get home, I did not call.

 

Today, I am running for the Phoenix City Council. I put up a website: www.PhxAZ.org that has the Jon Garrido story published. There I mention 34^th General Hospital.

 

All are welcome to join and send your information to share with old friends.