I was a Corpsman during Vietnam, and I’m an MD now working in a military town rich in active duty, vets and dependents. My wife’s a nurse. My comments were not off the cuff.
Vietnam Corpsman...wow. A few years ago, I read "Citizen Soldiers" by Ambrose. He said that during basic training, the riflemen and artillery men would razz the Army medics. When they were on the troop ships going to England, they would kid them some more.
When they got into combat, and witnessed the bravery of the medics, that joking turned into respect, awe, and a love that sometimes transcends the love of even a family member.