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thedrifter
06-23-04, 08:49 AM
Devil docs celebrate 106th birthday on Fallujah outskirts
Submitted by: I Marine Expeditionary Force
Story Identification #: 200462374432
Story by Lance Cpl. J.C. Guibord



CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq(June 17, 2004) -- Twenty-one Medals of Honor, 174 Navy Crosses, 942 Silver Stars, 1,554 Bronze Stars and thousands of other personal decorations awarded to hospital corpsmen in the last 100 years have confirmed the dedication and fearlessness shown by corpsmen throughout their history.

I Marine Expeditionary Force corpsmen here at Camp Fallujah reflected on their predecessors' heroic achievements, captured by Vice Adm. Harold Koenig, former Navy Surgeon General, on the 106th birthday of Navy corpsmen.

The corpsman celebrated their birthday at the Camp Fallujah chapel June 17 with a ceremony that began with a speech from Col. John A. Toolan, the commanding officer of Regimental Combat Team 1.

Toolan spoke about the self-assurance that corpsmen display throughout the Navy and Marine Corps.

"When (corpsmen) bring that level of confidence to the Marine team," that corpsman becomes a Marine's best friend, said Toolan.

After his remarks, Toolen participated in the traditional cake-cutting ceremony, serving the oldest corpsman and the youngest corpsman present the first pieces of cake.

In his statement on the corpsmen birthday Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Vern Clark said, "When (injured servicemembers) become ill, injured or wounded in battle, a hospital corpsman has always been nearby to heal and provide solace."

The ceremony concluded with the ringing of a bell, commemorating all fallen corpsmen from past and present wars.

"Being out in the field I think represents an essence of what the Hospital Corps is all about," said Chief Petty Officer, Paul E. Jones, a chief with Bravo Surgical Company, 1st Force Service Support Group.

During Operation Vigilant Resolve the corpsmen here proved themselves time after time. More than 200 wounded Marines, soldiers and sailors were treated during April alone. It was a sight unlike what some saw a year ago during the initial stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"It's different this year," said Navy Lt. Kevin R. Poole, a physician assistant with the surgical company. "Last year we were removed from the sounds of war. This year we are trying to take care of these guys while the mortars are coming in. I call it organized chaos."

For some, that organized chaos helps them understand the value of their traditions.

"Being out here makes me happy to be a corpsman, out here doing what I've been trained to do," said Seaman, Arthur J. Samot, 19, a corpsman with Bravo Surgical Company, 1st FSSG, and the youngest sailor at the ceremony. "I love the green side."


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Seaman Holly A. Jordan, a hospital corpsmen with Bravo Surgical Company, 1st Force Service Support Group, rings the bell in memory of fallen "devil docs" during past American wars, during a celebration of the 106th birthday of Navy corpsman June 17, 2004. Corpsmen serving alongside Marines continue to fulfill an important role in saving lives in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Photo by: Lance Cpl. J.C. Guibord

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Ellie

thedrifter
06-24-04, 07:48 AM
106 years of saving lives celebrated
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification #: 20046243153
Story by Lance Cpl. Patrick J. Floto



CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan — -- June 17, 2004
Sailors and Marines islandwide gathered at the Butler Officer’s Club here June 17 to celebrate the 106th birthday of the Navy Hospital Corps.

The corps consists of sailors known as “corpsmen,” who provide medical support in hospitals, aboard ships and alongside Marines in the field.

The Navy Hospital Corps was established by President William McKinley June 17, 1898, and it holds a birthday ball every year in honor of that event.

“Knowing that I am part of a naval history that has been going on for the past 106 years, and helping others in their time of need, is what I get out of being a corpsman,” said Chief Petty Officer Donald R. Oliver, aeromedical safety chief, Department of Safety and Standardization, here.

The ceremony began with a Boatswain’s Call in the main hall, which was lined with the portraits and biographies of the 22 corpsmen who have received the Medal of Honor. The presentation of the colors by the Marines and sailors of the U.S. Naval Hospital, Okinawa, Color Guard followed the Boatswain’s Call.

After the invocation, the lights in the hall dimmed as Master Chief Petty Officer Mark A. Busam, command master chief at the hospital, stepped up to the podium to begin the Two-Bell Ceremony, which honor the corpsmen who have fallen over the years in the nation’s conflicts and wars.

“You never know when you might get the call of ‘Corpsman Up!’ and risk it all to try and save the life of a Marine, sailor, soldier or airman,” Oliver said.

After the final rings of the bell echoed throughout the still hall, seven corpsmen formed for the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action ceremony. Each of the seven corpsmen solemnly marched to the POW/MIA table, one by one, to pay homage to captured or missing comrades.

The lights and mood lifted as the guest speaker, Master Chief Petty Officer Christopher R. Angstead, command master chief of 3rd Force Service Support Group, cracked a few jokes throughout his speech while expressing the importance of tradition.

“For those (who) are celebrating your first hospital corps birthday, I challenge you to carry on the customs, traditions and heritage in your years to come,” Angstead said in his speech. “Don’t let them die or become meaningless.”

“For those (who) are celebrating their last hospital corps ball; I thank you for your service to the Navy, the hospital corps and our country,” Angstead said. “You have made an impact on our sailors, our future and our country.”

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CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan -- Petty Officer 2nd Class Jaslyn Bushong sets up the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action table at the 106th Annual Hospital Corps birthday ball at the Butler Officer's Club here June 17. Bushong is a corpsman with the 3rd Force Service Support Group. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Patrick J. Floto


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Ellie

thedrifter
06-26-04, 05:31 AM
Docs from above save lives
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification #: 200462431638
Story by Lance Cpl. Patrick J. Floto



CENTRAL TRAINING AREA, OKINAWA, Japan —(June 15, 2004) -- Two sailors from the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing attended the Casualty Evacuation Course on Okinawa throughout May and June.

The CASEVAC course shows corpsmen how to care for battlefield wounds en route to a hospital and how to load casualties onto the different types of helicopters used in the Navy and Marine
Corps.

“An aerial evacuation is drastically different than most situations corpsmen face,” said Chief Petty Officer Donald R. Oliver, aeromedical safety chief, Department of Safety and Standardization on Camp Foster. “A helo yankin’ and bankin’ is much different than working in an emergency room, or even an ambulance. There are all kinds of issues that make the job more difficult, like noise, wind and communication.”

Before starting the course, Oliver said all corpsmen participating must be qualified as a second class swimmer.

The corpsmen went through classroom and practical instruction May 17-21. The corpsmen learned how to properly deplane a helicopter. They also received instruction on survival gear and extended sea survival.

“It gave us corpsmen a realistic look at how to care for casualties in a flight environment, as well as how to prepare for survival in the event that our aircraft was to (go down),” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Erin Martin, a corpsman with Marine Aircraft Group-36, 1st MAW.

After completing the classroom portion of the course, the corpsmen received training with the Helicopter Aircrew Breathing Device, a miniature scuba system on helicopters. They also strapped into the Modular Amphibious Egress Trainer, which simulates a helicopter troop compartment and can be lowered into the water, simulating a downed aircraft.

To help the corpsmen prepare for the field training portion of the course, they spent four straight hours loading and unloading a helicopter with mock casualties to develop muscle memory, Oliver said.

“Even in training, loading the helicopter with casualties is an extremely grueling process,” Oliver said. “In a combat environment, with gunfire ringing through your ears and fear and adrenaline pumping through your body, the stress and fatigue levels will soar higher.”

The final exercise took place June 14 at Landing Zone Falcon, about 10 minutes northwest of Camp Hansen, with helicopter support from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron-262, and additional sailors from various units again role playing as mock casualties.

“The corpsmen had no idea what was waiting for them at the landing zone, not even the number of casualties,” Oliver said. “It was part of the test to make a quick assessment of injuries and decide how to safely and efficiently transport them back to the bird. Our mission is to scoop up and go.”

Another surprise, even to the instructors, was that the sailors at the hospital were also in training.

“A lot of logistics and planning went into this,” Oliver said. “The sailors at the hospital were standing by the helo pad ready to take in casualties. It was a smooth operation.”

Although the exercise was smooth and successful, it wasn’t without its share of problems.

“We had a few kinks, but we managed to work through them,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Tasha Perez, corpsman with 1st MAW Surgeon’s Office. “After completing this course and understanding the importance of casualty evacuation familiarization, I highly recommend this course to all corpsmen.”

Oliver already has plans to change the exercise in order to give the corpsmen a more realistic experience. The next course will be held in July, and Oliver plans on making some changes based on a critique by the corpsmen who went through the course.

“Next time around, we might be using more than just two casualties, maybe even a spinal injury or amputated leg,” Oliver said. “We want our corpsmen to be ready for anything.”


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CENTRAL TRAINING AREA, OKINAWA, Japan -- Petty Officer 2nd Class Jimmel L. Hargrove has fake blood sprayed on him to simulate real injuries during the Casualty Evacuation Course at Landing Zone Falcon, about 10 minutes northwest of Camp Hansen, June 14. The corpsmen extracting him from the scene must identify the wounds based on their appearance and treat them accordingly. Hargrove is a Religious Program Specialist with the Chaplain’s Office, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Patrick J. Floto

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Ellie

thedrifter
06-27-04, 08:05 AM
Navy Hospital Corps celebrates 106th in desert
Submitted by: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 200462733549
Story by Staff Sgt. Houston F. White Jr.



AL ASAD, Iraq(June 27, 2004) -- The 106th birthday observance of the United States Navy Hospital Corps here June17 was both a solemn and festive occasion, underscoring the rich heritage and ceaseless dedication of the "Devil Docs" who Marines have developed an inseparable bond with.

During the first portion of the celebration, held at the base theater here, Marines and Sailors witnessed a variety of birthday messages and poetry readings, as well as a stirring cake-cutting ceremony which recognized two corpsmen killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom with a moment of silence.

"Today is a very memorable day for the hospital corpsmen," said Master Chief Petty Officer German E. Fiesco, command master chief, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. "We normally celebrate back at home during the Navy or Marine Corps Ball, where we remember our fallen comrades and celebrate our proud traditions."

Attending the event was one Marine who has a great appreciation of the kinship between leathernecks and the sailors who serve side-by-side with them.

"We couldn't do the things Marines do without hospital corpsmen," emphasized Col. Juan G. Ayala, commanding officer, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. "They are absolutely right with us (on the battlefield) and I feel the poem that was read at today's ceremony that said 'we're not Marines, but we're right next to you' is very appropriate."

Giving extra significance to Ayala's words is the vital role corpsmen have played within his unit while deployed here in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"I think that during my career, and certainly this time around, hospital corpsmen have been invaluable," added the 47-year-old native of El Paso, Texas. "I couldn't live without these guys because my unit has had casualties since we've been out here and I'm thoroughly convinced that a lot of my wounded Marines are doing well and are still (alive) because of hospital corpsmen."

At the conclusion of the theater ceremony, the assembled corpsmen were compelled by Fiesco to rise to their feet and reaffirm their faithfulness to duty by reciting the Hospital Corps pledge in unison, which was immediately followed by the playing of "Anchors Aweigh" and "The Marine's Hymn."

"It's something we do to remind everybody of our role with the Marine Corps and the Navy Fleet and the legend we are creating together," expressed the 45-year-old from Temecula, Calif., by way of Bogotá, Colombia.

Following the formal ceremony, servicemembers continued the festivities here during a picnic at Alpha Surgical Company, 1st Force Service Support Group, where food and fun helped the Marines and Sailors relax and get away from the pressures of serving in a war zone.

"Just being here feels good and is kind of surreal because of the fact that we are in a combat zone," stated Seaman Mark F. Nunsuch III, hospital corpsman, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, who traveled from a distant outpost in Mudaysis, Iraq, to attend the birthday celebration.

"I think it is a good thing to be able to get away from the daily patrols of various towns and take my mind off of the war to remember the Hospital Corpsman birthday," added the 22-year-old from Oakland, Calif. "We're letting the enemy know that we're not going to let them put our holidays and traditions on hold."


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Ellie

thedrifter
07-02-04, 05:23 PM
Celebration held honoring Navy Hospital Corps' 106th birthday
Submitted by: MCLB Albany
Story Identification #: 20047291820
Story by Staff Sgt. Michael Reed



BLOUNT ISLAND COMMAND JACKSONVILLE, Fl(June 24, 2004) -- The Marines, Sailors and civilians employees of Blount Island Command celebrated the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps' 106th Birthday June 17 with a short observance and cake-cutting ceremony here.

During the ceremony, Maj. Jens Curtis, commanding officer, Head-quarters Company, spoke about the importance and contributions of the Navy corpsmen within the command.

The traditional passing of the first piece of cake from the oldest to the youngest was conducted between John R. Beaumont, senior medical quality assurance specialist, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Madole, medical quality assurance specialist.

Madole, who was born Feb. 19, 1981, represented the youngest Sailor. He enlisted into the Navy on July 13, 1999.

Beaumont, who was born Sept. 29, 1948, retired from the Navy in Oct. 1988 after 21 years of service. He enlisted in the Navy in 1967.

Prior to cutting the cake, Beaumont spoke about the actions of hospital corpsmen during World War II and the Vietnam War, citing heroic actions of corpsmen and the unique relationship between Marines and the "Doc."

According to Beaumont, "combat corpsmen still have the drive and determination to perform "medical miracles" in times of peace and war."

Although corpsmen go back to the very beginning of the Navy, it was more than 100 years ago, on June 17, 1898, that the Hospital Corps was officially established.

In 1814, Navy regulations mention a "loblolly boy" who was to serve the surgeon and the surgeon's mate. The loblolly boy prepared for battle by filling containers with water to hold amputated limbs. In addition, his duties called for maintaining the braziers of charcoal to heat the tar used to stop the hemorrhaging from the amputations.

Keeping the deck safe for the surgeon around the operating area was a duty during battle. The deck, slippery with blood, was to be treated with buckets of sand. Although this may sound gruesome, cannon balls and cutlasses were not tidy weapons. Amputation was the standard treatment for compound fractures.

The "surgeon's steward" replaced the loblolly boy. Recognizing the need for additional trained help, surgeons selected promising young men for training in elementary medicine. More than a cleanup person, this specialist is probably the true forerunner of today's corpsmen.

When Congress established the Hospital Corps, the Secretary of the Navy appointed 25 senior "apothecaries" as pharmacists. The apothecaries were the Hospital Corps' charter members.

Throughout their history, 22 corpsmen have been awarded the Medal of Honor - America's highest decoration for heroism, many of whom were awarded posthumously.

The Hospital Corps is the Navy's only organization to receive a blanket commendation from the Secretary of the Navy. A proud heritage of heroism and patriotism is found amongst the ranks of hospital corpsmen everywhere.

Corpsmen serve aboard all Navy ships, air squadrons, hospitals, clinics, Navy Seal Teams, as well as with every U.S. Marine Corps unit. Corpsmen who serve with the Marines, armed only with a side arm for protection, have earned a special place in the realms of military history as true heroes.

The following is an excerpt of the commendation received from then-Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal:

"Out of every 100 men of the United States Navy and Marine Corps who were wounded in World War II, 97 were recovered.

That is a record not equaled anywhere anytime.

Every individual who was thus saved from death owes an everlasting debt to the Navy's Hospital Corps. The Navy is indebted to the corps. The entire nation is its debtor for thousands of citizens are living normal, constructive, happy and productive lives who, but for the skill and toil of the Hospital Corps, might be dead or disheartened by crippling invalidism.

So, to the 200,000 men and women of the Hospital Corps, I say on behalf of the United States Navy: "Well Done. Well done, indeed!"

Without your service, the Navy's Medical Corps could not have achieved the life-saving record and the mind-saving record its physicians and surgeons and psychiatrists achieved. That others might live, your fellow corpsmen have given their lives; 889 of them were killed or mortally wounded. Others died as heroically from disease they were trying to combat. In all, the Corps' casualty list contains 1,724 names, an honor roll of special distinction because none among them bore arms.

The hospital corpsmen saved lives on all the beaches that the Marines stormed. Corpsmen were at the forefront of every invasion, in all the actions at sea, on all carrier decks. You were on your own in submarines and the smaller ships of the fleet, performing emergency surgery at times when you had to take the fearsome responsibility of trying to save a life by heroic means or see the patient die. Your presence at every post of danger gave immeasurable confidence to your comrades under arms. Their bravery was fortified by the knowledge that the corpsmen, the sailor of solace, were literally at their sides with the skill and means to staunch wounds, allay pain and to carry them bac, if need be, to safe shelter and the ministrations of the finest medical talent in the world.

You corpsmen performed fox-hole surgery while shell fragments clipped your clothing, shattered the plasma bottles from which you poured new life into the wounded, and sniper's bullets were aimed at the brassards on your arms. On Iwo Jima, for example, the percentage of casualties among your corps was greater than the proportion of losses among the Marines. Two of your colleagues who gave their lives in that historic battle were posthumously cited for the Medal of Honor.

One of the citations reads: "By his great personal valor in saving others at the sacrifice of his own life, (he) inspired his companions, although terrifically outnumbered, to launch a fiercely determined attack and repulse the enemy force."

All that he had in his hands were the tools of mercy, yet he won a memorable victory at the cost of his own life.

No wonder men and women are proud to wear the emblem of the Hospital Corps! It is a badge of mercy and valor, a token of unselfish service in the highest calling - the saving of life in the service of your country.

Your corps' men and women toiled, often and dangerously, never less vitally, in areas remote from battle, in hospitals, on hospital ships, in airplanes, in laboratories and pharmacies and dispensaries. They helped, and are helping (for the task is far from over) in the salvage of men's broken bodies and minds that is the grim product and perennial aftermath of war. Some of you contributed skills in dental technology; some engaged in pest control to diminish unfamiliar diseases; others taught natives of distant islands the benefits of modern hygiene, even to midwifery and everyday sanitation.

Scores of corpsmen, made prisoners of war, used their skill and strength to retain life and hope in their fellow captives through long years of imprisonment and deprivation.

Whatever their duty, wherever they were, the men and women of the Hospital Corps served the Navy and served humanity, with exemplary courage, sagacity and effort. The performance of their duties has been "in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service." That, to any man or woman, is the highest of praise. The corps has earned it and continues to earn it.

For, as I said, the task is not yet completed. Thousands of the war's casualties will long need the ministrations of physicians, nurses and the Hospital Corps before they can return to normal peacetime pursuits. Hundreds may have to be cared for as long as they live; that these unfortunates are so few is due in large measure to the prompt, skillful aid accorded our wounded and stricken, by your corps...

It is no easy profession, even in peacetime. There is danger in the test tubes and culture racks as menacing as in the guns of an unvanquished enemy. The Hospital Corps is never at peace. It is forever on the firing line in the ceaseless war against disease and premature death.

Customarily, the "Well done" signal is reserved for the closing phrase of a message of congratulations, but I placed it in the forefront where, in this instance, it most fittingly belongs. I repeat it here with the postscript that in earning its "well done" the Hospital Corps is assured no other unit in the Navy did better in the degree of essential duty inspiringly performed."

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Representing the youngest and oldest Sailors present, John R. Beaumont, senior medical quality assurance specialist, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Madole, medical quality assurance specialist, share in cutting the birthday cake. Photo by: Staff Sgt. Michael Reed

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Ellie

Doc Crow
07-31-04, 12:23 AM
I miss the HM Celebrations

greensideout
07-31-04, 07:22 PM
Thank God for Corpsman!

Whenever I try to build a "Hero" list, a Corpsman aways comes to the top!

Thanks for being there brothers.