Dr. Paul Switzer

"THE GOOD DOCTOR”
THE AMAZING TRUE STORY OF PAUL KENT SWITZER,Jr.MD
MUSC/MCSC ALUMNUS COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, 1941
A NOMINATION FOR DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS AWARD 2010
Submitted by H. Woodliff Sanford, MD, Class of 1965
Union, SC November, 2008

The late Willard “Wishie” Hines was a much read columnist, humorist and local beat writer for the Union (SC) Daily Times. He was also a long time patient of Dr. Switzer. Many of Wishie’s columns contained at least some mention of Dr. Switzer and his beloved office staff, “Miss Purcy,” “Miss Pearl” and others. Wishie also knew that these mentions would cost Dr. Switzer at least one dollar at the next Rotary Club meeting for having his name or picture in the newspaper. Along the way, he began to refer to his doctor and friend as “The Good Doctor,” so just about everyone in the community began to use that term. The term absolutely fits, for Dr. Switzer is a good doctor in every sense of the word—highly intelligent, very well trained (at MUSC except for Internship), an unimaginable memory, kind and thoughtful nature, great sense of humor, huge curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. Hoping to now have your attention, I want to tell the full story.

Paul Kent Switzer, Jr. was born in Union, SC, July 26, 1917, the son of P.K. Sr. and Molly Layton Switzer. His father was a physician, his mother attended Converse College. Paul attended Union public schools and graduated from Union High School in June, 1934. He entered Clemson College that fall when the school was full-time military. He adapted well to this new lifestyle, studied hard and made high grades. Later on, he was awarded the College English Medal. After three years, Switzer was accepted into the College of Medicine at MUSC, Charleston. He applied himself quite well for the next four years, graduating tenth in a class of forty in June, 1941. By this time, however, the winds of war were blowing hard across the land. Hitler’s Wehrmacht Forces had driven West to the Atlantic the previous year, occupying France, Belgium, Holland and The Low Countries. In the same June that Paul received his Medical Degree, Hitler launched an all-out attack to the East against Russia. Across the Pacific Ocean, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, and various Pacific Island chains, he had developed extensive War Plans that would become all too obvious before the year’s end. Paul’s innate curiosity was heightened by the atmosphere around the Nation’s Capitol when he arrived in Washington that summer.

Paul Switzer, MD began his Internship at District of Columbia Hospital in July, 1941 on the Georgetown Medical School Service. The obstetrics portion of the training was with George Washington Service, during which time he made quite an impression and was offered Residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology. On the “Day of Infamy,” December 7, 1941, Paul was at home in Union when he received word of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the American Naval Base in Honolulu, Hawaii. US Bases in the Philippine Islands and on Wake Island were also attacked. For The United States of America, World War II had begun. For the rest of his Internship, Paul knew that many young physicians would be called to active military service. With his success thus far in medicine and previous military training at Clemson, he also knew he should be one of them. Paul’s younger brother Jim also wished to serve his country and later became a Marine officer, fighting through the Pacific War.

Young Dr. Paul Switzer, on completion of his Internship, applied for commission in the United States Army. At his induction physical, he was told to lose 40 pounds, then sent to Carlisle Barracks, PA, for “military training.” He managed to survive the quite poor living conditions there and was sent to join the 6^th Armored Infantry at Ft. Benning, GA. After a few months there, he was issued orders to a “priority” unit, the 58^th Armored Field Artillery Battalion then located at Camp A.P. Hill, VA. This outfit was part of the Field Army commanded by the legendary LTGEN George S. Patton. The old Cavalryman was a “spit and polish” Commander. Everyone had to wear a tie and be in the proper uniform of the day. Might we imagine that these regulations were somewhat difficult for the doctors after 5 years of medical training. Paul called on his Clemson experience to adapt to all this “Real Army” stuff and muddled on through. Dr. Switzer’s medical unit formed up here and also spent time at Camp Kilmer, NJ. The organization was authorized 2 medical doctors, 1 dentist and 28 enlisted medics and other personnel. Dr. Switzer also met the other unit doctor, Irving Robinson, MD, always known to him thereafter as “Robbie.” They became fast friends, combat “buddies,” wartime cohorts and confidantes. The unit dentist was first designated as the Commanding Officer; however, a subsequent records search determined that Dr. Switzer had the earliest date of rank. He was thus promoted to Captain and given command of the unit.

In about mid-autumn, 1942, Switzer’s Battalion embarked on the troop carrier USS Santa Rosa, destination unknown. Not long after leaving port, the Battalion Adjutant opened orders and informed all that they were bound for Casablanca Harbor in North Africa. On arriving at that destination, they soon discovered their assigned bivouac area at Ain-so-bah consisted of volcanic rock. Dynamite blasting was required to create even the most primitive of campsites. During this time, Paul’s medical facilities were practically overwhelmed by men in the Battalion seeking “pros,” the army term for prophylaxis against venereal disease. This treatment could be effective if used properly, but much of the medics time was occupied explaining the proper application. Following Christmas of 1942, the 58^th AA Battalion. redeployed to the area of Bir el Shif to train with their new guns, eighteen 100mm Howitzers.

On reaching North Africa, the 58^th was initially stationed around Rabac. The American Army had suffered a severe defeat in that Theatre in the first battle of Kasserine Pass at the hands of German General Irwin Rommel’s Armored Forces. This battle, however, did season, harden and helped prepare the American forces for desert tank warfare. They defeated The Desert Fox (Rommel) in the next battle at the same location. Paul’s medical unit had one large truck (6X), one armored half-trac and one jeep, the doctor’s usual transport vehicle. Two medics were assigned to each battery. From Rabac, the 58^th deployed across desert terrain to a rail depot at Maknasey. Here they entered combat around an Olive grove, firing their guns.

Shortly thereafter, Switzer was ordered, with a jeep and driver, to proceed to an area about 20 miles away to obtain malaria medication for everyone in his battalion. This mission resulted in one of the most harrowing of his wartime experiences. On the way and returning, Paul and his driver were harassed and attacked by the famous screaming German Stuka dive bombers, strafing and bombing them persistently. This particular aircraft had first been used during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. The terrible sound while diving could almost frighten you to death, even if the bombs and bullets missed. Miraculously, doctor and driver were not injured, despite having to abandon the jeep on several occasions. Later, the most maddening thing about the whole episode was that many of the men did not take the “damn little yellow pills.” They were seen discarded all over the camp. The North African Campaign continued until Rommel surrendered his Afrika Corps on May 9, 1943.

The 58^th then stood down and proceeded to an area near Lake Bizerte, where they trained for the next action. In the fall, they embarked and sailed for Sicilt, landing at Licata, near the ancient Roman Temples at Agrigento. The unit then participated in the celebrated “race” between Patton’s American Army and British Forces under Field Marshall “Monty” Montgomery, the objective being Palermo at the opposite end of the Island country. On the way, an entire Hospital surrendered personally to Captain Switzer. They reached Trabia, where they remained for about two months, providing government services and entertaining the nobility there. About this time, the unit lost two men. Lampkin was killed and Rosbach was captured. Because of the extended time in Sicily, Paul missed the Anzio Invasion in Italy. A friend of his was killed there along with many others who were trapped in the Beachhead, including a number of medical personnel. Later in 1943, the unit loaded up on a British transport, HMMS Aurangi, and sailed for Great Britain. The smokestacks of this vessel seemed to continuously belch flames, alarming the passengers about possible detection by German U-boats. They did arrive safely in England close to Christmas. There they were quartered in “Atterbury,” an old Manor House that had been the home of the Duke of Beeclough. Paul saw snow again after a long time. He was away from combat, but tried not to think too much about home. He knew that Hitler had to be defeated on the continent of Europe and he would be there before long.

The 58^th AA Battalion trained again near Cornwall, preparing for anything they might face in the months to come. Surprisingly, they once were attacked from the sea by a U-boat. Paul took the opportunity to tour London, Oxford and Barbury. He bought a number of books and brought them back to camp.

In the spring of 1944, Paul was transferred to a different unit, the 29^th Infantry Division. Training intensified with 20-mile hikes, weapons tests, tactical exercises, packing and re-packing stores and supplies. The Army then moved into “D-camps” with all their equipment. Here they were protected and restricted by British and Canadian troops and given intelligence briefings about the invasion of France.

The Normandy Invasion originally was launched on June 5, 1944, but shortly after the fleet left port, it became obvious that severe weather would greatly limit an amphibious assault at the landing points. The operation was cancelled, but clearing weather allowed re-launch the next day, the most famous date of World War II,

D-DAY, June 6,1944. On the way in to Paul’s landing site at Omaha Beach, his landing craft was twice hit by shells, disabling it and requiring the soldiers to swim to shore. Struggling to get in through machine gun fire, Paul heard someone get hit behind him. He tried to get others closer to the wounded man to help him, but no one would risk it.

Paul then went back, grabbed the man and dragged him onto the beach. A superior officer happened to observe this act, later wrote it up and Paul was awarded the Silver Star for valor in action. Once on shore, Switzer ran up and took cover behind a wall with a group of medics and other men, most of which had no weapons. Original plans for the medics to treat casualties on the beach and the cliffs above thus now had to be scrapped. Through heroic efforts by the Army Ranger units and small soldier groups willing to proceed under fire, the German beach defenses were finally breached later that day. Once defending enemy fire was suppressed, massive amounts of men and equipment poured ashore from the Invasion Fleet. The Navy Beach Commanders were initially overwhelmed by this flow, but by nightfall had managed to gain some control. Captain Paul Switzer set about collecting the survivors of his medical unit and identifying still serviceable supplies. During the night, fighting lessened, but the next day it became much worse as the American forces reached the Normandy Hedgerows around the farmlands. The German Panzer and Grenadier forces were dug in and threw up heavy resistance along a broad front. Casualties were heavy. Conditions did not allow much treatment in the field, so dead and wounded were sent to the rear as soon as possible. Paul had some morphine syrettes in his medical bag which he used to control pain until the wounded could be evacuated. After troops finally broke through the hellish hedgerow region, Paul’s unit went through the Battle of St. Lo, where South Carolina native

and Citadel graduate (’29) Major Thomas Dry Howie was killed. The Major had led the attack, so his troops placed his body on the hood of a jeep to lead the march into the town.

After St. Lo, Paul’s unit had a few days off. They then went to St.Malo where they had the rare privilege to enjoy a good meal, including wine. Then they were recalled and sent to an area South of Paris known as the “Purple Heart” region, where many casualties occurred. They then went into Belgium and on to Northwest Germany at Aachen, a small town where the 1^st Infantry Division was headquartered in a bar. They stayed there for several months, often enjoying the products of local breweries in the area. They often obtained this lager and stout in 5-gallon “Jerry” cans.

On December 16^th, 1944, Sergeant Rano came to Paul’s tent with The word. “Captain, we are leaving in one hour to go to St. Vith.” Neither Paul nor the Sergeant knew where that place was. They soon heard that area was called the “Bloody Thicket,” occupied by the 28^th Infantry Division. Soon after departure, their progress was interrupted by German bombing and 88mm artillery fire. While stopped at a store near the Shrine of Lourdes, the men saw 88 shells hit both Paul’s jeep and the unit half-trac. Two artillery officers, Capt. Montana and Lt. Rousseau, were talking with Paul when he decided to take some cover in a ditch. They seemed amused at his action; however, an 88 shell almost immediately impacted where Paul had been standing, instantly killing the two artillerymen. They came upon many vehicles parked 2 in a row, finding the 6^th Armored Division just down the road. Paul located an empty ambulance and got in, but 2 of the tires had been shot out. Germans were attacking quite close. Some slit trenches had been dug nearby, so Paul got in one. Soon he thought to himself, “I should not stay here.” He exited the trench and his former spot was promptly hit by a mortar shell. Someone had told Paul that only the American artillery had muzzle flashes, so he followed gun flashes during the night and came upon the 101^st Airborne Division, headquartered in the town of Bastogne. Paul had no way of knowing that this place very soon would become the central fighting ground for The Battle of The Bulge, the last major German offensive of World War II. Here he also found his “home” unit, the 58^th Armored Artillery Battalion.

During this time, Dr. Switzer also had developed a severe dermatitis on his hands. This essentially disabled him as a physician treating casualties. Someone said, “Doc, your relief is here.” Paul had forgotten during all the combat that he had requested temporary replacement to get his hands treated. He was sent about 20 miles to a clearing station where he encountered his cousin Fred. “Paul, what are you doing here?” He went on to Liege, Belgium and boarded a train to Paris, arriving there on Christmas Day. At the port of Le Havre, he boarded a Polish ship that took him to England, where he went to a hospital at Hereford. He was surprised to be admitted to the venereal disease ward, but soon learned that was where skin disease was treated. The dermatologist, Dr. Cormier, substantially cured his dermatitis with radiation treatments. While there, Paul “put on his doctor cap” and learned a lot about dermatology.

He was sent on to Birmingham, where he was told he would not return to combat. He was temporarily assigned to an Army Criminal Prison where he held sick call, including “short arms inspection.” This patient population was multicultural, multihued and multicharged. Dr. Switzer happened to use lava soap, which made his hands worse again. Paul did return to France, however, and headed for an area near Paris. He missed his train stop and was bound for Marseilles. The conductor advised to get off at Avaranche and return to his original destination. In Avaranche, he saw a building with a sign reading 222^nd Transportation Corps. He knocked on the door and someone answered “who dat?” Paul thought, oh I’m home now! These kindly folks took him by truck to Paris. Eventually, he was sent to a Replacement Depot in Belgium. This was located in a cave that also had a wine cellar. He was transferred again to the 121^st Evacuation Hospital, ending up in Wurzburg, Austria. He accompanied the Chaplain on a jeep ride down into a salt mine. They discovered stacks of uniforms and evidence of much sexual liaison. Later, they found stores offering books, paintings and other desirables. The next day, Paul packed up his treasures and was taken to an airport area at Lentz. A concentration camp was located there. The medics were not skilled in treating starved, malnourished patients, so they overfed them, making many sick and causing some deaths. Ultimately, trained medical personnel were sent in and managed to save some lives. Paul and those with him were then able to relax a little. They played cards and attended parties in both the American and Russian compounds. Paul ran into Ralph Baker from Newberry. About then, word was received of the end of the war in Europe.

Paul returned to Le Havre and boarded a ship for America. He landed at Norfolk, VA and proceeded to Fort Bragg, NC, where he found Dr. Bob Little, a dentist from Union. After a short period of re-acclimation, Paul was sent to Bastrap, near Austin,TX, a barren area with mesquite and tumbleweeds. Here Paul and others were to train for the invasion of Japan, however, with the use of 2 atomic weapons, President Harry Truman and the US Armed Forces convinced the Japanese to surrender unconditionally. World War II ended, Paul Switzer mustered out and returned home to Union.

Dr. Switzer soon requested an internal medicine residency at MCSC in Charleston. He was accepted, but initially was not really impressed with the program. Things improved greatly with the arrival of the great clinician, Dr. Vince Moseley, and Paul’s interest expanded significantly. After 3 years in Charleston, Paul entered practice with his father in Union. For several years, he returned to Charleston

every week for teaching and work in the chemistry department with Dr. William “Whip” McCord and chemist Bartow Culp. Paul passed his written and oral internal medicine board exams, quite an achievement at the time. He remembers driving to the Cleveland Clinic for the orals in his new yellow mercury convertible. After this, Paul was accepted as a Fellow in the American College of Physicians, one of the most honored among physician organizations

Paul practiced medicine with his father until the elder Switzer’s death in 1962. His mother died the following year. His active medical practice continued and he pursued other occupations, including a dairy farm near Cross Anchor in Spartanburg County. Paul and his brother Jim were given the farm by their uncle, Sam Layton. They often showed their best cows at fairs and cattle shows in the region. This enterprise continued until 1986. They still own the farm.

After many happy and successful years practicing medicine in Union, Paul Switzer married Clinton native Toccoa Bailey Switzer, his brother’s widow. I believe he will honestly admit to always loving her and would not have wed anyone else, but he was also the epitome of the discreet Southern gentleman and would not even consider such an event until an appropriate time after brother Jim’s death. I am convinced that the marriage has been wonderful for both of them. It also delighted all their many friends and neighbors.

Approaching 90 years of age, Paul decided to retire from medical practice, the other love of his life. Of course his patients were very disappointed, but he assigned them properly to other willing physicians and distributed all the charts and other information.

I will close with a few other words about “The Good Doctor.” As before written, Paul was awarded the Silver Star at D-DAY and was given the Purple Heart for injuries in Europe. Various other ribbons and medals were attained for his service in North Africa, Sicily and Northern Europe. In research at MUSC, he published several papers on Sickle Cell Disease with Dr. William McCord and on cholesterol with Dr, H. Rawling Pratt-Thomas. Other publications were on Rheumatic Fever and Diabetic Necrosis of the Breasts. Paul and wife Toccoa are long-time members of Grace Methodist Church in Union. He is a faithful member of the Union Rotary Club. In 1988, he recommended the author for Rotary membership. I was accepted and am currently serving as President. Dr. Switzer reads everything and recalls practically all of it. What a life this man has known!

I wholeheartedly and without any reservation recommend Paul Kent Switzer, Jr. MD,FACP for the MUSC 2010 Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Sincerely,

H. Woodliff Sanford,MD,FACR, MUSC, 1965