This is one thing that always bothered me. When they kept telling the Medics(God Bless Them) that they weren't Combat Soldiers or were in Combat! Hello There!

Sgtleo

Ah, mais qui! Saw a show the other day depicting a medic. One guy says to him, "Hey, what do you have to worry about? You ain't been in combat?" Oh mon Dieu!

While reading through the General Orders of 85th Division, I found a Silver Star awared posthomously to a medic who volunteered to go retrieve some wounded under fire. Even though he crawled 100 yards to avoid gunfire, he was shot in the head by a sniper. I could post the info, but this is supposed to be a Humor thread.

Steve

Ya, here's to our medics. God love 'em and bless 'em all. What HAVEN'T they seen or been through?

Too many times did I hear the cry "MEDIC' , and it was always answered. Never could figure out why the combat medics badge was so slow in being finally authorized as a award..

There are stupid rules and stupid rules. This was a stupid rule. These guys had no choice and were always on the front lines. They were wherever they were needed.

A couple of years ago, I was in touch with Richard Bowman who was a Combat Medic in the 704th TD Bn - 4th Armored Division.

He still had his original Medic helmet ...... with a bullet hole in the top!

Apparently, he was tending to some wounded GIS when he got hit by a sniper.

Luckily for him the bullet only grazed his skull.

He got a Purple Heart for it and kept his helmet as one would keep a rabbit's foot for luck.

Richard with his helmet and uniform.

Rest in peace, my friend.

Erwin

A lot of guys owe their lives to the courage of these men.

I don't know if you remember or saw the episode on Bastogne in the series "Band of Brothers"? You know where they focuss on the Medic?

Well, to me it is a fitting tribute to the Combat Medic.

Erwin.

The most amazing story I have ever heard about a medic/corpsman was that of Desmond Doss. One of two conscientious objector to earn the Medal of Honor. I first heard of him on an Okinawa battle sites tour I took while there for a quick trip with the reserves. His citation says it all:

DOSS, DESMOND T.

Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Medical Detachment, 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Urasoe Mura, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, 29 April-21 May 1945. Entered service at: Lynchburg, Va. Birth: Lynchburg, Va. G.O. No.: 97, 1 November 1945. Citation: He was a company aid man when the 1st Battalion assaulted a jagged escarpment 400 feet high As our troops gained the summit, a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar and machinegun fire crashed into them, inflicting approximately 75 casualties and driving the others back. Pfc. Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept area with the many stricken, carrying them 1 by 1 to the edge of the escarpment and there lowering them on a rope-supported litter down the face of a cliff to friendly hands. On 2 May, he exposed himself to heavy rifle and mortar fire in rescuing a wounded man 200 yards forward of the lines on the same escarpment; and 2 days later he treated 4 men who had been cut down while assaulting a strongly defended cave, advancing through a shower of grenades to within 8 yards of enemy forces in a cave's mouth, where he dressed his comrades' wounds before making 4 separate trips under fire to evacuate them to safety. On 5 May, he unhesitatingly braved enemy shelling and small arms fire to assist an artillery officer. He applied bandages, moved his patient to a spot that offered protection from small arms fire and, while artillery and mortar shells fell close by, painstakingly administered plasma. Later that day, when an American was severely wounded by fire from a cave, Pfc. Doss crawled to him where he had fallen 25 feet from the enemy position, rendered aid, and carried him 100 yards to safety while continually exposed to enemy fire. On 21 May, in a night attack on high ground near Shuri, he remained in exposed territory while the rest of his company took cover, fearlessly risking the chance that he would be mistaken for an infiltrating Japanese and giving aid to the injured until he was himself seriously wounded in the legs by the explosion of a grenade. Rather than call another aid man from cover, he cared for his own injuries and waited 5 hours before litter bearers reached him and started carrying him to cover. The trio was caught in an enemy tank attack and Pfc. Doss, seeing a more critically wounded man nearby, crawled off the litter; and directed the bearers to give their first attention to the other man. Awaiting the litter bearers' return, he was again struck, this time suffering a compound fracture of 1 arm. With magnificent fortitude he bound a rifle stock to his shattered arm as a splint and then crawled 300 yards over rough terrain to the aid station. Through his outstanding bravery and unflinching determination in the face of desperately dangerous conditions Pfc. Doss saved the lives of many soldiers. His name became a symbol throughout the 77th Infantry Division for outstanding gallantry far above and beyond the call of duty.

Wow. Thank God for these men. The Marine Corps farms out two of its inner functions to the Navy: Chaplains and medical, and we could no where without either. The Chaps save our souls and the corpsman save us from the enemy (in war) and from ourselves (every other situation)!

Todd O.