The Stolen Ambulance

by Bill Smith

A True Story

I recall a trip that Corpsman Bob Piper and I took to northern Michigan, Chippewa county in the fall of 1956 or 57. We were assigned to pick up the body of a deceased Navy Pilot and bring the Deceased to the Coroner’s office in Detroit.

On the way back, with the Deceased in the back of the ambulance, we stopped for lunch at a small place along the roadside. While were inside eating, at about 10 am, the ambulance was stolen from in front of the little diner.

As we got ready to call the base Medical Department and tell Chief Triff that our ambulance had been stolen along with the Deceased, we heard a loud noise.  The ambulance came skidding to a stop on the gravel just in front of us. Two young Chippewa males jumped from the ambulance and ran into the woods nearby.

Apparently they had taken the ambulance down the road somewhere and started nosing around inside where they came upon the body of the Deceased and that was the sudden end to their adventure. They must have been superstitious as they brought the ambulance back to exactly where they drove it away.

Life was sure fun when we were young and invincible, hey?