The Boy Scouts of the Field Hospital

The Oakvale Troop has everything perfectly planned for their summer camping trip: mountain scenery, running water, and a full week of adventure ahead. Then their scout master is called away due to a family emergency, and the boys must fend for themselves. But trouble arrives faster than they expected. A labor strike at the nearby cement works escalates into something far more dangerous, and suddenly these young scouts find themselves in the middle of adult conflict they never asked for. When a near-drowning incident forces the boys to put their first-aid training to the real test, they discover that leadership isn't about age, it's about stepping up when it matters. Robert Shaler captures a fascinating moment in American history, when boys barely into their teens were expected to be both responsible and brave, and the line between childhood adventure and adult consequence blurred entirely.