Eugene R. Hammond Collection, 1933-1987 | Archives of the American Field Service and AFS Intercultural Programs

Eugene Ralph Hammond was born on May 3, 1921, in Denver, Colorado, to Fred David Hammond and Eula Irene Whittemore. Hammond attended Randell School [sic] in Denver, Colorado and Browne Nicholes School [sic] in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1939 he entered Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, and in the spring of 1942 he became a technical assistant to the Director of California Flyers at the Los Angeles Municipal Airport (now LAX.)

After Hammond’s number had been drawn by the United States Draft Board, he applied to become an ambulance driver with the American Field Service (AFS) in May 1942. The Draft Board approved his service with AFS and Hammond departed from New York on the MS Selandia in late June. After three months of training at sea he arrived at Port Taufig in the Suez Harbor, Egypt, and was attached to 15 Coy (Company). Hammond drove wounded soldiers and supplies to casualty clearing and advanced dressing stations across Egypt and Libya in late 1942, and then in 1943 he became NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer) of Section #6 in the A Platoon of 567 Coy. He was repatriated to the United States in July 1944 before reapplying to go overseas with AFS again in October. In March 1945 he was promoted from volunteer to 2^nd Lieutenant and advanced to Lieutenant in June before being issued a movement order from AFS Headquarters to report to Rome. In September 1945 his local draft board approved a transfer for Hammond to be released from service with the American Field Service in order to work with the Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees, an international humanitarian organization created in July 1938. Hammond received an Africa Star with Eighth Army Clasp, the 1939-1945 Star, and the Italy Star for his service with AFS during the war.

Eugene Ralph Hammond died on May 23, 2002, at age 81.