Pfc. Shawn Dickens, a new Marine, was a Navy corpsmen for about four years before deciding to join the Corps. Even throughout recruit training, Dickens was referred to as 'Doc' and aided his fellow platoon members with medical questions.
Pfc. Shawn Dickens, a new Marine shows a mural of what he calls the “Corpsmen Code.” The words read “through hell and back for a wounded Marine.” Words Dickens believes to this day.
Oct. 11, 2007; Submitted on: 10/11/2007 08:35:08 AM ; Story ID#: 200710118358
By Lance Cpl. Ubon Mendie, MCRD Parris Island
MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. (Oct. 11, 2007) -- "Through hell and back for a wounded Marine" are the words etched on Pfc. Shawn Dickens' stomach and embedded in his heart.
On his pale skin lays a mural of his life's true meaning, not given - but earned.
During training or war, he was there for Marines, nursing every wound either as the unit's doc, or just as a big brother.
Now ready to graduate recruit training, this private first class has a different story. For more than four of his last six years, he served in the Navy, and was embedded with the Fleet Marine Force. During his tenure, he lived as they did, looked like they did, but still was not one of them.
"All the guys that I served with were kids, but they didn't act like it," Dickens said. "Somewhere along the line, these high schoolers turned into these professional young men and woman, but as an outsider, you could never possibly understand what they could have been through to reach that point."
Through tough times and great smiles, Dickens learned to love the Marine Corps from the Navy ranks, but he wanted more.
At the age of 24, and the rank of E-4, Dickens decided to turn in his crow for a chance to earn the Eagle, Globe and Anchor.
"It wasn't a hard choice," Dickens said. "I knew I wanted to continue serving my country and what better way could I do it but with those I have grown to love and respect."
Dickens saw things that were very familiar after entering training. Not only did he know a lot of the training techniques, but he also was familiar with training sicknesses.
As second nature, those in the platoon adopted Dickens as the platoon corpsmen. They would consult Dickens before going to sick call and ask his opinion before they reported issues to their drill instructors.
"I had a heat rash," said Pfc. Michael Porilio, also a new Marine of Platoon 1086. "Doc, took care of it. We can trust him, and you know he cares."
Almost all the platoon can attest to him helping in one way or another.
"I had a bump on my knee and Doc looked at it for me. He told me it looked like cellulitis and circled it to watch it progress," said Pvt. Jonathan Flayntos.
Flayntos added that because of Docs recommendation to be seen, his knee was treated before it got worse. Now fully on the green side, Dickens looks forward to learning more.
Dickens plans to stay in the Marine Corps until his retirement.
"My goal is to be the sergeant major of the Marine Corps, but I'll take first sergeant as well," he added with a laugh.
I know from my time in the Corps, "Doc'" in reflection were amongst the hard core. Humping next to us and refusing to rest during our breaks and tending to us. Hauling un-believable amounts of gear in the field to care for us and generally being the Platoon "caregiver". To all you Navy Corpsmen (past and present) out there on FR; Semper Fidelis; all we Marine RESPECT YOU.
Good on you PFC Dickens and a big shout-out to my friends at 1st Radio Bn. (Al Asad) and MARSOC in Afghanistan.
This might be of interest
In every, I mean every, military unit I have ever been in, even if the medic knew only how to put on a band-aid - his name was "Doc".
That is a cool story. During my time on Parris Island in 1989, there was a Corpsman named Lively who helped me out a lot. We were both from Georgia, so there was a connection.
A good friend of mine was skiing in Colorado last year, and had a terrible fall. He broke his leg badly and was on the mountain. The ski patrol arrived with their “medical technician.” The medic took one look at his leg and recognized the seriousness of the situation. He requested permission to take aggressive steps on the spot. My friend of course agreed (he really only remembers bits since he was so groggy and coming in and out of consciousness). He recalls the medic’s face changing from professional to dead serious and setting the leg. He could start feeling the pain subsiding considerably and ready to be transported to hte hospital. The medic stayed with him to the hospital. When he got there, the doctor on call told him he would be fine (broke his femur) but that whoever worked on him probably saved his life — his leg was that badly broken, and also set the bone perfectly. The doctor claimed he had never seen such qualoty work on a ski slope for such a serious injury. All the doctors had to do in the end was cast it permanently.
Turned out that medic was a Navy Corpsman just returned from Iraq, and had started at the ski slopes 7 days earlier. He recognized the injury immediately and what it really meant. He also knew precisely what to do. A few months later, my fried was running around with his kids again. Quite a story.
It’s really nice to read about the these guys.
My dad was a Hospitalman Second Class in World War II.
Retired from the Navy in 1964.
He never told any of his six kids his war stories, but if you told anyone that he retired from the Navy, and he was in earshot, he always said “and attached to the Marines”
I always found it strange while I was growing up that he loved to fly the Marine Corps flag in our front yard with the stars and stripes. The only thing I ever got out of him about WWII was that he had witnessed the Rhine river completely red, and that was enough of that story for him.
He’s 84 now and alzheimers is taking it’s toll, and to read the comments brings a smile to my face and reminds me of the time when I had been out of high school for a couple of years and was sick of job searching and I told him that I was going to join the military.
He looked me right square in the eye, and with his John Wayne voice said “Like hell you are.”
My father was a Navy Corpsman during the Korean conflict. When we were little, we used to get confused as pictures would show him in Navy uniforms and then Marine uniforms. We still have plaques that he won in swimming competitions while serving with the Corp. Never spoke about his experiences. When I asked him about it once, he said the most action he got was giving the local girls their shots.
I admire him alot. Always an honorable and gracious man. The world will be a lesser place when he is gone.
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