Angels Amongst Men-The Combat Corpsmen

Even on the home front, I found my corpsmen to be well trained and invaluable. I am honored to have had them serve with me.

The best level 4 paramedics that worked for NYC-EMS "This was before the FDNY-EMS" merger were corpsmen in Vietnam's forward mash units and LRRP's. They well proved their skill in New York City's version of the "Knife & Gun Club" slaughterhouses like Coney Island, Kings County, Harlem, Cumberland, Lincoln, Jamaica and North Central Bronx. Bar none these angels of mercy were true trauma specialist.
 
Yes that is it. Incredible courage under fire. While he continued to go to wounded soldiers to tie a rope around them so he could drag them to the edge then lower them down to waiting troops he kept going back to rescue anyone still alive. The troops on the ground had long abandoned the top of that hill and using ropes lowered themselves to safety. Eventually he tied the rope to himself and climbed down.
Everyone here should read every word of his citation. The movie did not have the time to cover all of his rescues or it would have run four hours.
 
Way back when the Mets won the World Series in the 60s, I was stationed as a corpsman. at St. Albans Navy Hospital, NYC. We were told to put on our dress uniform and report for a duty. Turns out we were to be guests at that years Sports Writers Dinner. We were sent to this enormous hall in this high end hotel. (They even had rest room attendants. I had no idea people did that). We were sitting at a table with heads of TV networks, CEOs of mega corporations, etc. At the start of the ceremony, they began by introducing the well known and famous. Mohammed Ali was there. all the Mets, and the people you saw on TV. Then, the spot light was on us enlisted guys. I heard, " We introduce 8 Navy Corpsman" The people at the table told us to stand up. Everybody in the hall stood up, and applauded. And they kept on applauding. And applauding. And applauding. We knew it wasn't for us, but who we represented., And they just kept on applauding. It went on for a long time. It would die away, and rolls of applause would come back. When I think of the honor they were bestowing of the memory of Navy Corpsman, it still brings tears to me
 
TRIBUTE TO A COMBAT MEDIC
When you are a combat soldier, you are forced to depend on many things beyond your control. You accept that the artillery folks are well trained and accurate, you believe the Huey’s will arrive for extraction, you have some confidence that the jets will drop their bombs where they aim and not on you or your unit, you build a bond with your fellow soldiers that they will protect you flank and rear.
However, the one thing you trust above all others is your unit MEDIC. He carries his hospital on his back or in a pack. Sometimes he carries a weapon and sometimes he doesn’t. He slugs it out with you and the unit enduring the same danger and challenges of an infantry soldier.
He is there with an aspirin for a headache. He is there to treat minor burns, scratches and rashes. He is there when you “Medcap” a village to treat the children and adults in the local Vietnamese population.
But the one thing that he is there for is his main job. He is there to respond when the dreaded call “MEDIC!” is yelled. He will risk life and limb to be at the side of a wounded soldier. Often he will stop the bleeding and administer shots for the pain. He will assure the wounded that all is well even when it is not. He often may have the privilege (burden?) of being the last person a soldier will see before he expires. He will hear the cries to Mom or God from a soldier in mortal pain. :( Many times he will never know the soldier’s name; he will often never know if the soldier survived or died after Medevacked to the hospital. Other times he will know the soldier as a brother in the same unit and have memories of the good times they had (yes you can have good times in a war). He will carry that burden with him for the rest of his life. (y)
 
TRIBUTE TO A COMBAT MEDIC
When you are a combat soldier, you are forced to depend on many things beyond your control. You accept that the artillery folks are well trained and accurate, you believe the Huey’s will arrive for extraction, you have some confidence that the jets will drop their bombs where they aim and not on you or your unit, you build a bond with your fellow soldiers that they will protect you flank and rear.
However, the one thing you trust above all others is your unit MEDIC. He carries his hospital on his back or in a pack. Sometimes he carries a weapon and sometimes he doesn’t. He slugs it out with you and the unit enduring the same danger and challenges of an infantry soldier.
He is there with an aspirin for a headache. He is there to treat minor burns, scratches and rashes. He is there when you “Medcap” a village to treat the children and adults in the local Vietnamese population.
But the one thing that he is there for is his main job. He is there to respond when the dreaded call “MEDIC!” is yelled. He will risk life and limb to be at the side of a wounded soldier. Often he will stop the bleeding and administer shots for the pain. He will assure the wounded that all is well even when it is not. He often may have the privilege (burden?) of being the last person a soldier will see before he expires. He will hear the cries to Mom or God from a soldier in mortal pain. :( Many times he will never know the soldier’s name; he will often never know if the soldier survived or died after Medevacked to the hospital. Other times he will know the soldier as a brother in the same unit and have memories of the good times they had (yes you can have good times in a war). He will carry that burden with him for the rest of his life. (y)

Very well said squatting dog, very well said. May GOD Bless you for you have said a wonderful thing.
 

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