Frank Adamo (1893–1988) was an American doctor honored for his medical service during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel and was awarded a

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

medal for his service. Adamo was born and raised in

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

. As a pre-teen he went to work rolling cigars. After the cigar strike of 1910, he moved to Chicago and resumed his schooling, eventually enrolling at the Chicago College of Medicine and Surgery. He returned to Tampa in 1919 for his internship and joined the Army Reserve in 1923. Adamo went on active duty in 1940 and served in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

as a surgeon. After the Japanese attack on

Bataan Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entir ...

, Adamo went to

Corregidor Corregidor ( tl, Pulo ng Corregidor, ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of the Province of Cavite. Due to this location, Corregidor has historically b ...

, where he treated many casualties. Many patients suffered from

gangrene Gangrene is a type of tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply. Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the ga ...

. Amputation was the accepted treatment, but Adamo knew that the gangrene bacillus could not survive if exposed to oxygen, so he tried opening the wounds and applying sulfa drugs, irrigating hourly with hydrogen peroxide. The innovative treatment was effective, and Adamo was credited with saving many lives and limbs. ''

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'' called him "Bataan's medical hero." Adamo was taken prisoner after the

fall of Corregidor The Battle of Corregidor (; ), fought on May 5–6, 1942, was the culmination of the Empire of Japan, Japanese campaign for the Philippines campaign (1941–1942), conquest of the Commonwealth of the Philippines during World War II. The f ...

and participated in the infamous

Bataan Death March The Bataan Death March (Filipino: ''Martsa ng Kamatayan sa Bataan''; Spanish: ''Marcha de la muerte de Bataán'' ; Kapampangan: ''Martsa ning Kematayan quing Bataan''; Japanese: バターン死の行進, Hepburn: ''Batān Shi no Kōshin'') was ...

. As a prison camp physician, he treated diseases and conditions such as

beriberi Thiamine deficiency is a medical condition of low levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1). A severe and chronic form is known as beriberi. The two main types in adults are wet beriberi and dry beriberi. Wet beriberi affects the cardiovascular system, r ...

dengue fever Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. These may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characterist ...

dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

, and

malnutrition Malnutrition occurs when an organism gets too few or too many nutrients, resulting in health problems. Specifically, it is "a deficiency, excess, or imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients" which adversely affects the body's tissues a ...

. In his book ''P.O.W. in the Pacific: Memoirs of an American Doctor in World War II'', Dr. William N. Donovan credits Adamo for saving his life. Adamo was liberated in 1945, and returned home later that year. Tampa celebrated "Frank Adamo Day" on April 27 with a parade. He has a street named after him, Adamo Drive, a 7-mile section of State Road 60 connecting the

Channelside District Channel District is a residential neighborhood in the City of Tampa that includes an entertainment complex, just east of Downtown Tampa, Florida. It is bordered by Ybor Channel on the east and Garrison Channel on the south. Channelside is a nic ...

downtown Tampa Downtown Tampa is the central business district of Tampa, Florida, United States, and the chief financial district of the Tampa Bay Area. It is second only to Westshore regarding employment in the area. Companies with a major presence downtown ...

and South Falkenburg Road on the western edge of

Brandon Brandon may refer to: Names and people *Brandon (given name), a male given name * Brandon (surname), a surname with several different origins Places Australia *Brandon, a farm and 19th century homestead in Seaham, New South Wales *Brandon, Q ...

.Mormino, Gary R
"Remembering Frank Adamo: Doctor and war hero"
''

Tampa Tribune ''The Tampa Tribune'' was a daily newspaper published in Tampa, Florida. Along with the competing ''Tampa Bay Times'', the ''Tampa Tribune'' was one of two major newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area. The newspaper also published a ''St. Pe ...

'' (July 18, 2010) He returned to private practice as a surgeon, and was for a time the president of the county medical association. He was honored in 1960 with a trophy as the "Most Popular Doctor" at a local hospital. Adamo retired in 1973, at the age of 80.

References

Notes {{DEFAULTSORT:Adamo, Frank 1893 births 1988 deaths United States Army Medical Corps officers United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army officers American prisoners of war in World War II World War II prisoners of war held by Japan Military personnel from Tampa, Florida Recipients of the Legion of Merit American expatriates in the Philippines United States Army reservists