At the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday, December 7 1941, the distinguished New York surgeon Dr Alan J Moorhead happened to be visiting Honolulu delivering a series of lectures. Like other medical practitioners he converged on the island’s main hospital to help where he could. His competence and optimism did wonders for the wounded. What did he say to one badly injured soldier?
Answer: ‘Son, you’ve been through a lot of hell, and you’re going into some more. This foot has got to come off. But there’s many a good pirate with only one leg.’
Source: Day of Infamy by Walter Lord
