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Legacy of HeroesLegacy of Heroes In February 2003 Dr. Barry Friedman ‘38 was honored at the Legacy of Heroes exhibit at the NationalD-DayMuseum in New Orleans, La. He was one of several orthopedic surgeons honored for their service during combat in World War II. The exhibit features displays and a documentary film about the role of doctors and nurses during the war. Shot in Pearl Harbor and Omaha Beach, Normandy, the film includes interviews and combat scenes. Friedman, who served as the doctor aboard the USS Russell, a destroyer in the Pacific, took part in the Pearl Harbor segment. “Making that film was an emotional experience that brought back a lot of memories,” said Friedman. The Russell took part in most of the major battles in the Pacific war. Friedman was ship’s doctor for the invasions of the Aleutian Islands, Gilbert and Marshall Islands, New Guinea, Luzon and Leyte in the Philippines, and Okinawa. “We started with 12 ships in our squadron, and when I left the Russell ours was the only ship that was neither sunk nor badly damaged. Aboard ship we had a sick bay about the size of a small table. The medical staff consisted of me, fresh out of internship, and a couple of pharmacist mates. I performed operations on the wardroom mess table. Penicillin hadn’t yet come into use, so we sprinkled sulfa power into the wounds and prayed they wouldn’t become infected. “One day we hit a (Japanese) plane and the pilot bailed out. By the time he got in the water he was like Swiss cheese. But he was still alive. We pulled him aboard. All of the seamen were standing around waiting with their knives and guns, staring down at this poor little Japanese fellow. They said, ‘Is he dead yet? Is he dead yet?’ And finally he did die. We took the Japanese pilot’s wallet into the wardroom and spread it on the table. There was a picture of a smiling young Japanese woman. It made us all stop a minute. The way we fought the war was so impersonal. We never saw the men who were bombing us, we never saw those whom we were shooting down, they never saw us. This was one of the few times we had an opportunity to actually see the face of the enemy. I went back on deck and looked at him again. He must have been the same age as all the kids on the ship, maybe 18 or 19.”