It is easy to become creatures of habit. We hear of places and it seems to go in one ear and out the other. We hear names, some that are very familiar to us but do we ever take time to look beyond the name and find out more about that name? We hear names of places on the news and although quite familiar, we really don’t know much about them or why they are called what they are called.
I dare say that for many of us that may be said of the Walter Reed Army Hospital. That’s one of the most well known hospitals in our country but do we know why it is called “Walter Reed Army Hospital”? Well I learned a lot more about the man behind the name on our recent visit to Virginia.
My sister lives near the town of Gloucester, VA and on the way to an appointment she had one day, she asked if we would like to make a special stop. Of course, I said yes because the area is so full of history.
On a very unassuming corner there was a small white wood frame house with two chimneys. As we drove in the driveway she said this is the home were Walter Reed was born. I said, “You mean the Walter Reed of Walter Reed Hospital?” Yes, she said. Here is what I learned.
In the 1800s, the Methodist Episcopal Church became the largest denomination in the U.S. In rural areas circuit riders like Lemuel Reed traveled between churches and his circuit included Gloucester, Mathews and King & Queen Counties. The Reed family of six lived in this small house when Walter was welcomed into the family, November 13, 1851.
When he was born there were only just over 1 billion people on earth as compared to almost 8 billion today. His father preached several different circuits but when he preached near Charlottesville, Walter went to the University of Virginia. He was only 15 years old! He studied medicine and graduated when he was 17. He also studied medicine in New York. He joined the Army Medical Corps as a first lieutenant in 1875.
First, he was a doctor in the western territories. Next he came to the Army Medical School in Washington, D.C. He studied bacteria to learn how germs spread in military camps and made many soldiers sick. He was sent to Cuba to investigate yellow fever. Many people were getting sick and dying from it. Some thought dirty sheets or pajamas might be the cause but one man, Dr. Carlos Finlay thought it might be from mosquito bites. The two doctors performed many experiments and determined Carlos was right. It was caused by mosquitos!
He became famous for his work and when he died many people wanted to name the Army hospital after him. Many liked him as he was both friendly and smart. They wanted to name it Walter Reed Army General Hospital but today it is known as The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and is in Bethesda, Maryland. It is for all military branches and not just the army. The hospital in Gloucester, VA also carries his name. After all, it is the home of his birth.
