Roberts - The Life and Times of Charles A. Roberts

refugees, the terrible food. constant daily bombings. and the crowded living situation after eight years of war. was painful to observe. The political situation between Nationalists and Communists. who also were fighting Japan. had become more serious. August 1945 saw the war with Japan end. Charles wanted to be in Changsha as soon as the war was over to claim H.B.I. property quickly and reorganize the new program. Young Dr. Prentice. from the Yale Hospital in Changsha. offered to fly him to Changsha in his own plane. Charles was too sick to go, and so Dr. Prentice went alone in a drizzling rain storm. On the way the plane crashed, and the young doctor was killed, leaving a wife and two children in the U.S. Charles returned to Changsha shortly thereafter. This was one of the rare occasions when he became sick, having contracted Dengue fever. During the war the American planes had bombed Changsha, the Yale Medical School. as well as H.B.I. where Japanese troops had been housed. Charles accepted the assignment as chairman to the relief committee of the United Nations effort (CNNRA) to distribute food to the thousand of refugees, orphans, and homeless in the city. The multitude of construction jobs and repairs were horrendous. Materials were almost impossible to obtain, For the next two years. the Communist Party was in conflict with the Nationalistic Party for control of China, complicating efforts to rebuild the city. He resigned after 2 years having organized much of the program and felt certain that Chinese were capable to do the rest. where Dede and Janet had maintained the family home at 60 I Wing Street. Glendale, California. There they celebrated Christmas with the whole California family. Grace underwent serious surgery in February 1949 and was critical in recovery. Again. Charles endured the trauma of crisis and prayed. holding her hand at bedside for the next 3 days. Shortly afterwards. Biota invited Charles to speak at their graduation where he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity. He was most appreciative of the honor for he had never had the opportunity to pursue a professional graduate education. However, 20 years of sharing the In August 1946, Grace arrived to help with school and church work. Later in 1948 she became ill and needed surgery. Charles and Grace were able to return home to Los Angeles

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