Skip to main content
Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

The Navy Department Library

Related Content
Sources

Adapted from "Captain Malcolm Wesley Arnold, Medical Corps, United States Navy" [biography, dated 18 March 1960] in Modern Biographical Files collection, Navy Department Library.
 

 
Topic
  • Medicine
  • Cruises, Deployments, and Exercises
Document Type
  • Biography
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
File Formats
Location of Archival Materials
  • NHHC-Library

Malcolm Wesley Arnold

31 December 1904-[no death date]

Download PDF Version [2.4MB]

Malcolm Wesley Arnold was born in Batesville, Mississippi, on December 31, 1904, son of Lex and Minnie (Hamilton) Arnold. He was graduated from Batesville High School in 1922, and received the degrees of Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1926, and Doctor of Medicine from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, in 1931. Commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Organized Reserve Corps, US Army in 1926, after four years’ participation in Reserve Officer Training Corps at Louisiana State, he resigned to accept a commission as Lieutenant (junior grade) in the Medical Corps of the US Navy after graduation from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine on June 22, 1931.  Through subsequent advancement he attained the rank of Captain, MD, USN, to date from March 25, 1945.

Serving a rotating internship at the US Naval Hospital, Washington, DC, from June 1931 to June 1932, he remained there until May 1933 as a Resident physician in training in Urology. The next seven months were spent as a Camp and District Surgeon of the Civilian Conservation Corps, under the Army, in Maryland, Wyoming, Virginia and Pennsylvania. In January 1936 he reported to the Naval Hospital, Philadelphia, for duty as Assistant Ward Medical Officer in Urology Service, and four months later he joined USS Henderson, in which he served as Assistant to the Medical Officer while a passenger enroute to Guam, Marianas Islands, for duty.

He remained in Guam from July 1936 to December 1938, serving first as Assistant in Surgery and Chief of Urology at the US Naval Hospital there, with additional duty as Medical Officer of USS Gold Star from October 1936 to February 1937, and during the last eighteen months as Chief of Laboratory Service, Urology Service and Health Officer, as well as Assistant in General Surgery. Upon his return to the United States he was assigned to the US Navy and Marine Corps Recruiting Station, Baltimore, Maryland, where he served for seven months as Medical Officer. In July 1939 he was transferred to the US Naval Hospital, Annapolis, Maryland, where, at the outbreak of World War II in December 1941 he was Chief of Urology Service, and was also in charge of all Dermatology and Syphilology.

Detached from the Naval Hospital, Annapolis, in March 1942, he reported a month later to USS Cincinatti, a cruiser of the Atlantic Fleet, as Senior Medical Officer. He served in that capapcity until December 1943, and from January to July 1944 had similar duty at the US Naval Training Centerm Gulfport, Mississippi, when the military censes was 19,000. The next five months were spent at the US Naval Ammunition Depot, Crane, Indiana, as Senior Medical Officer, and there the military and civilian censes was 11,000. In January 1945 he returned to Annapolis, ansd throughout the remaining months of the war period and until August 1946 he was Medical Officer in Charge of Sick Quarters, Bancroft Hall, and as a Member of the Permanent Medical Examining Board.

From September 1946 until June 1949 he was Chief of Urology Service at the US Naval Hospital, Aiea Heights, Honolulu, T.H. While there he was a member of Surgical Watch for thirty-three months and President of the Summary Court Martial seventeen months. Returning to the United States in June 1949, he was ordered to John Hopkins University and Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, for a postgraduate course in Urology at the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute which he completed in April 1950. When detached he reported to the Naval Hospital, Great Lakes, Illinois, where he served until June 1953 as Chief of Urology Service. While there he also was Chairman of the Intern and Residency Training Committee, and was for thirty-three months on the Surgical Watch List.

Ordered next to the Naval Hospital, St. Albans, New York, he served for two years as a President of the Physical Examinations Board Associate (as such he reviews and made suggested correction in Clinical Board Reports from all Services of the hosptail) and as Chief of Urology Service. Detached in September 1955, he reported in October to the Navy Department, Washington, DC, for duty in the Bureau of Medicince and Surgery.There he served as Assustant Head of the Training Branch, Professional Division, Member of the Naval Retiring Review Board, and President of the Bureau’s Deferment Board (re the RCA Program). He also served as Officer in Charge of BuMed’s portion of the MA Program for foreign Naval Medical Officers of NATO and SEATO, and on various committees and boards. On December 1, 1959, he assumed the duties of Director, Professional Division, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.

On March 18, 1960, Dr. Arnold reported as Commanding Officer of the Naval Medical School National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.

During World War II as Senior Medical Officer, Captain Arnold participated in Atlantic blockade, convoy and anti-submarine service. He has the American Defense Service Medal; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal; American Campaign Medal; World War II Victory medal and the National Defense Service Medal. In December 1943 he was awarded a Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons (F.A.C.S.), and in 1949 he became a member of the Association of Military Surgeons of the USA and Canada. Since 1952 he has been an active member of the North Central Section, American Urological Association.

END

Published: Mon Sep 28 08:03:53 EDT 2020