My father, Dr. Major Henry E Hamilton (HEH) of Oak Park was with the 25th Medical Evacuation Hospital WW2 from build up to finish (1942-1945), and documented the experience.  This article reveals a small special event of the endeavor. 

Henry described to our family of running into a navy unit with a “spare” generator.  They brokered an unofficial deal and traded a large quantity of whiskey for the generator, allowing the 25th to set up lighting for the evolving hospital.  Henry told me about this story long ago. 

The extensive photos which HEH took at the jungle hospital include photos of paint cans from Chicago Glidden Paint (previously the Hamilton family founded Nubian Paint & Varnish Company of 1880’s-1921).   One of the Glidden cans had special meaning. It did not contain paint!    Henry’s  dad (Gurdon Hubbard Hamilton I) had been the Nubian/Glidden Chicago Plant Manager, and then promoted to Glidden senior V.P. in charge of Glidden Paint Sales nationwide.   Gurdon Hamilton,  shipped a paint barrel full of whiskey to the 25th in the New Hebrides.  Henry was happy to see the Glidden paint as well as the barrel of whiskey at Espiritu Santo. He took special care to photograph this occurrence. He gleamed as he recalled this event.  

Henry’s younger brother, my uncle Robert, also told me the story. He worked at the paint factory at times under their dad’s wings, and rebounded a series of emails to me about Nubian.  One excerpt which I printed from his email as follows: “Ray, I hope I haven’t bored you with this extraneous chit chat in response to your original questions about Nubian Paint and Varnish Co. (In the family we started calling the Company the “GGP&VCo” short for Greater Glidden Paint and Varnish Co.)  The business was located at 1856 N LeClaire in Chicago which was about 3-4 miles from home.  The lab there probably is where GHH had Canadian Club whiskey professionally canned with some kind of obnoxious looking vegetable label and sent the cans to Henry in the south Pacific because Henry had written that he could buy a battleship with that whiskey.“

The cans of paint and the special can of whiskey labeled as a vegetable product traveled around the world to get to the 25th at Espiritu Santo.   The whiskey was traded for a generator to provide essential power for the first forward land based Evacuation Hospital of the South Pacific counter offensive: The Oak Park/River Forest region’s  25th Evacuation Hospital of WW2.

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(There is little doubt that Hamilton’s Nubian Paint Co was an important supplier of paint to the military in WW1, and that the subsequent Glidden factory was a supplier of paint to the military in WWII. It was best to camouflage everything green while in the jungle to avoid advertising as a bombing target.  Our Aunt Ellen described the turn of the century colors which adorned the walls of the family summer home Glen Carrie as “drab military green”.)  

By Raymond M Hamilton  Dec2025

The initial Army Medical Corp 25th Evacuation Hospital staff of about 37-8 men landed at Espiritu Santo New Hebrides 29Nov42 to build the first forward position Evacuation Hospital in the S Pacific offensive.  The site was up a hillside from the ocean in a Coconut grove surrounded by jungle, near the early Navy Base.   The expected building supplies were not delivered.   They initially cut coconut and jungle trees for structural support and built up the site by hand. They erected tents and mosquito nets. The facilities were very primitive.   Power machinery was nonexistent.  Nails were difficult to find.  Henry had a kerosene lamp which is still within possession of the family. He states he used the lamp to keep his film dry. He took photos and wrote commentary to tell many facets of the 25th.  Early photos within the HEH 25th E.H. photo album shows the dark interior of early ward tents in the shade of clouds, rain,  jungle, and trees.  Patient care was very difficult.  Generators eventually provided much needed light for medical care.