USO Canteen FReeper Style....Monday...March 25,2002

Graphics and Layout by Billie and Written by Snow Bunny

[Snow Bunny]

CORPSMAN and ARMY MEDICS

Over 100 years of Tradition, Valor , & Sacrifice

Throughout the History of the United States Marine Corp ,Navy Hospital Corpsman have served side by side with Marines to answer their cry of

"CORPSMAN UP"

They walked where the Marines walked, ate what they ate, slept where they slept, got wet when they got wet, shot at when they were shot at, cried when they cried, laughed when they laughed and in general lead the same life as a "grunt in the bush".

A U.S. Navy Corpsman, wearing the same dirty, torn, and green utilities worn by his Marine brothers and "armed" with his B-1 medical kit, went to the aid of wounded Marines. Usually under enemy fire, these "angels in green" performed lifesaving miracles with complete disregard for their own safety.

They took the same chances, lived in the same mud-filled hole, ate the same cold C-rations as Marine grunts. Many of them share the same space on The Wall as the men they tried to save.

Like their brave Army medic counterparts, the Corpsman was a special breed and developed skills that made them invaluable to field operations large and small. Many of our corpsmen became full-fledged members of our grunt squads and reconnaissance teams, filling in for their Marine buddies whenever and whereever needed.

A great many of our troops made it home because of a Corpsman.

We will never forget them.

[Snow Bunny]

Dodging a hail of bullets, he came to me,
As I cried out in my excruciating agony...
Risking all, solely, for the sake of me,
This gallant brother, but for him, I'd cease to be..!

For “ Doc” John Eagle Smith by “Grif”

[Snow Bunny]

Battlefield Angels

I am with you----
Whispered the medic to another fallen hero

I am with you----
He repeated as he wiped the crimson tears
Streaming down the young soldiers face.

The soldiers eyes, opened slowly,
His lips struggled to smile
He knew the bugler
Would not be
Playing today
He knew his Flag
Would remain at Full Mast.
For he knew he was saved
By a battlefield angel.

As the pain faded his eyelids grew
Heavy , once again,
The young soldier
Heard the soft
Whisper of the
Battlefield angel----
I am with you.

Jerry Komar, Medic, USAF,1970

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Synopsis of Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards - CMB)  The Combat Medical Badge was conceived March 1, 1945 by the War Department. The Combat Medical Badge (CMB) could specifically be awarded to Officers and Enlisted personnel of the Medical Department who were assigned to or attached to a medical detachment of the infantry. The CMB was to recognize medical aidmen who shared the same hazards and hardships of ground combat on a daily basis with the infantry soldier. The CMB was never intended to be awarded to all medical personnel. Due to the uniqueness of ground combat in the infantry it was intended to be awarded only to those Medics who served under direct fire with the infantry. To be awarded the Combat Medical Badge, the infantry unit to which the medical personnel were assigned or attached must have engaged the enemy in active ground combat. Medical personnel must have been personally present and under fire in order to be eligible for this award. During the Vietnam War, the requirements were so stringent that recommending officials were required to document the place (in six digit co-ordinates), the time, the type of engagement, and also the intensity of fire to which the medical personnel were exposed. The Combat Medical Badge could also be awarded to U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force medical personnel as long as they met all the requirements of Army medical personnel.

[Snow Bunny]

"....You guys are the Marine's doctors; There's no better in the business than a Navy Corpsman...."
Lieutenant General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, U.S.M.C

And from another Marine………

"He might be the ugliest 'mother' in the valley," a grunt claimed,"but when you're wounded and need help, he's there....with the touch of a mother caring for her newborn baby; with the determination and bravery of a bulldog, and the knowledge and experience to do his job."
"He can't afford a 'goof', the grunt continued, "He's the lifeline between a bandage and a cast ...or a box." Some call him "DOC", the Vietnamese call him :Bac Si".

He deserves better then that, call him " Marine!"

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

God Bless those men and women who risk their lives to care for our wounded.
They are the true unsung heroes of any war.

[Snow Bunny]

Hi Tonkin, thank you so much.((( hug )))

Let us not forget that there was in fact a Corpsman with the Marines as they raised the flag on Mt. Suribachi.

Hospital Corpsman John Bradley was there and was one of the three survivors from the raising to leave Iwo Jima. John Bradley died January 11, 1994 at the age of 70.

[Snow Bunny]

CORPSMAN MEMORIAL

Wherever there was fighting and bloodshed, there, too was a Corpsman. Wherever there was pain and suffering to be relieved, there, also, was a Corpsman. In point of fact, wherever there were Marines, there were Corpsmen!

Never were Shakespearean words more true than, "He who sheds his blood with me this day is my Brother".

Artist/ Sculptor Peter Wild

Statue commissioned by Dr.Will “DOC”Laing MD,PHD. And was dedicated on September 2, 196 at

the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda Naval Hospital, Bethesda, Maryland.

[ppaul]

[Snow Bunny]

I agree with you my wonderful brother. They are heroes.

[Snow Bunny]

OH wow , this is great ppaul. Thank you so much.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

I remember reading a post from you and that you are (INMHO) one of the unsung heroes of Viet Nam.
Thank You for caring for our wounded Brothers.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Please take a moment and Thank a Service Man or Woman.
Just Click on the logo to send an e-mail.

[Snow Bunny]

With the advent of the Korean conflict, the Hospital Corps once again responded to the call of duty. Members of the corps, individually and collectively, added a brilliant chapter to the history of the corps. During the Inchon-Seoul operation, for example, medical units attached to the 1st Marine Division cared for 2,844 casualties during the period of September 15 to October 7, 1950. Hospital Corpsman were at the forefront of all the fighting, saving lives on the beaches as the Marines stormed in. They performed on-the-spot emergency and first aid treatment, as Secretary Forrestal described it, "while shell fragments ripped clothing from their bodies and shattered plasma bottles in their hands."

[ppaul]

Not all women wore love beads in the '60's

Actually, those dog tag chains were the real love beads - not the phony junk the campus leftists wore.

Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends.
-- the words of Jesus in the book of St. John

:

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Thank You for this tribute to those who risk their lives to save their fellow Brothers.
And let us not forget the nurses who have comforted those in their final moments.
My heart is sad reading this thread,
but at the same time honored to be able to help pay tribute to these men and women.

[.45MAN]

I'll be thinking about the US Canteen all day now, as I do every day I check out this post.

Thanks Snow Bunny, for not letting us forget. These are the real hero's that don't make a few million a year.....

[4TheFlag]

Actually, those dog tag chains were the real love beads - not the phony junk the campus leftists wore.

Yep, and we all wore them PROUDLY...

[whoever]

Helpful Hints For HAPPINESS

Open your arms to change, but never let go of your values.
When you say, "I love you", mean it.
Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

Talk slowly but think quick.
Memorize your favorite poem.
Don't judge people by their relatives.

Never laugh at anyone's dreams.
Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt, but it's the only way to live life completely.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Spend some time alone.
Read between the lines.
Never interrupt when you are being flattered.

Mind your own business.
At least once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
Remember the three R's:
Respect for yourself;
Respect for others;
Responsibility for all your actions.

Make your life happier every day -
It's up to YOU!

[whoever]

Good night. May God bless each and everyone of you.

It WILL be a great day tomorrow.