FORMER SIOUX CITY PHYSICIAN HEADS ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT OF MIAMI HOSPITAL
Capt. R. C. Mugan Has Fine Overseas Record
Formerly on the staffs of St. Joseph’s and St. Vincent’s hospitals in Sioux City, and in general practice here for three years before entering the army service in July, 1942, Capt. Robert C. Mugan has been named administrative head of the unit at the A. A. F. Regional and convalescent hospital, Miami Beach, Fla., district, which discharges physically disabled men from the service.
Capt. Mugan has seen service in six countries. He was group surgeon with an air service outfit that followed the British Eighth army across north Africa from Egypt into Libya, Tunisia and Italy and then was transferred to India and finally to China.
According to public relations office release, within six weeks he had begun a 17,000-mile and 42-day boat trip from New York to Suez, and before returning to the States had traveled 30,000 miles. His journey home by air from China took only eight days. His work was to look after the health of 1,200 men in the air service group to which he was assigned, and in two years only one soldier was lost from sickness. Capt. Mugan also established a 50-bed portable hospital which kept moving ahead as the fighting progressed across north Africa into Italy. Casualties from air combat and the medically sick all were evacuated through the portable hospital to more permanent medical facilities in the rear.
Leaving Italy in February, 1944, Capt. Mugan’s group moved to India and then to China where it brought in supplies to the B-29 airfields then under construction. From March to October the Captain set up 20-bed dispensaries at Superfort bases before his rotation back to the States.
The separation unit at the A. A. F. hospital with which the Captain is connected recently was expanded, making it one of the main sections of the Miami Beach medical installations, which is by far the largest A. A. F. hospital in the United States.
Capt. Mugan is a member of the American Medical association and the Iowa State Medical association. In Sioux City, the Captain lived at 1624 18th street with his wife, Hazel, son Robert Jr., and daughter, Anita. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. John R. Mugan, live in Omaha.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, April 3, 1945 (photo included)
