thedrifter
05-26-08, 07:23 AM
‘One team, one fight’
May 25, 2008 - 11:55PM
AMANDA HICKEY
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Verl Matthews knows who his brothers are - Marines.
Matthews, 60, served as a Navy corpsman for 21 years, nine of which were spent attached to the Marine Corps.
"It's like a brotherhood-type (relationship) even though we're Navy and they're Marines," he said. "Their life depends on us."
Master Chief Kevin Kesterson, command master chief at the Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital, said that he has only been in naval medicine for five years, but that's long enough to witness the relationship between the corpsmen and Marines.
"My impression is it's a very respected and close relationship because the Marines rely on the corpsmen for their lives. I've heard many times that once a Marine calls a corpsman ‘Doc,' you're in," Kesterson said. "When a Marine's calling you ‘Doc,' that's the ultimate respect."
Staff Sgt. Calvin Jones, who has deployed eight times in his 15 years in the Marine Corps, said the relationship between the Marines and the corpsmen is that of teammates.
"One team, one fight," he said. "We're all on the same team, so we've all got a job to do."
Retired Master Sgt. John Cooney, who served two tours in Vietnam, was in the Marine Corps for 23 years, and encouraged others to respect the corpsmen from the beginning.
"You can't find a better relationship than the one between a corpsman and a Marine. The Marine knows the corpsman will be there taking care of him if he gets hit, and there's always a chance of being injured," he said.
The bond between the corpsmen and Marines is like that of brothers, Senior Chief Matthew DesChamps said.
"It's a special bond. With your brothers, you do everything with your older brother. The Marines, you do everything with them. You sleep, you train with them. You build that special relationship so when you have to rely on each other it's really instinct and you really don't have to think about it," he said. "Taking care of the Marines is certainly an awesome responsibility. Having an older brother, it's a special bond."
When Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephanie Turner became a corpsman, she was not aware of their history with the Marine Corps.
"Now that I know, I am very proud to be a corpsman. The Marines entrust us with their lives on the field and off the field," she said.
As a female corpsman, the biggest challenge, Turner said, is to gain the trust of the Marines who are used to dealing with men.
"It is actually harder for us to get the trust, but we do get it," she said.
When Matthews served in Vietnam, there was never a question as to whether he would risk his life to save a wounded Marine's.
"One of my brothers is in a problem out there. ... I'm going to go out there and take care of them," he said.
Sometimes, however, the corpsmen would be injured in their quest to take care of the Marines.
In April 1967, during Operation Desoto, Matthews was with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, after just serving with Echo Company 2/7.
A Marine hit a booby trap and was severely injured, and the chopper was on its way in. Matthews and the other corpsmen got the Marine onto a stretcher and into the helicopter.
"The chopper blew," Matthews said, explaining with tears in his eyes that the enemy troops had planted a bomb.
"I thought, he's 26 years old, and has kids and a wife. I was 19 years old - I was nothing. I couldn't drink in most states. You always think, why them? Why them?" he said.
Matthews's neck and hands were burned, but he fared better than those in the helicopter, who "disintegrated," he said.
Religion played a crucial part in Matthews' role as corpsman.
"God helped me every day because I wanted to make sure ... I used the best of my abilities to keep my Marines alive," he said.
The biggest part, however, was keeping the few and the proud healthy.
"We know the Marines are the best. We're working with the best and have to keep them up to snuff," Matthews said.
The Marines are not the only ones who are recognized for their abilities.
"I've seen a corpsman do some miraculous things," Cooney said. "Like keep a Marine alive who got hit in the head (by) a sniper while ... going down the mountainside. ... I've seen them run out when everyone else is pinned down to take care of a wounded Marine without any fear of being hit themselves."
The corpsmen not only care for the best but work alongside them.
"Our corpsmen train with the Marines and do everything they do," Kesterson said.
Contact Jacksonville/Onslow County reporter Amanda Hickey at ahickey@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8463. Visit www.jdnews.com to comment on this report.
Ellie
May 25, 2008 - 11:55PM
AMANDA HICKEY
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Verl Matthews knows who his brothers are - Marines.
Matthews, 60, served as a Navy corpsman for 21 years, nine of which were spent attached to the Marine Corps.
"It's like a brotherhood-type (relationship) even though we're Navy and they're Marines," he said. "Their life depends on us."
Master Chief Kevin Kesterson, command master chief at the Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital, said that he has only been in naval medicine for five years, but that's long enough to witness the relationship between the corpsmen and Marines.
"My impression is it's a very respected and close relationship because the Marines rely on the corpsmen for their lives. I've heard many times that once a Marine calls a corpsman ‘Doc,' you're in," Kesterson said. "When a Marine's calling you ‘Doc,' that's the ultimate respect."
Staff Sgt. Calvin Jones, who has deployed eight times in his 15 years in the Marine Corps, said the relationship between the Marines and the corpsmen is that of teammates.
"One team, one fight," he said. "We're all on the same team, so we've all got a job to do."
Retired Master Sgt. John Cooney, who served two tours in Vietnam, was in the Marine Corps for 23 years, and encouraged others to respect the corpsmen from the beginning.
"You can't find a better relationship than the one between a corpsman and a Marine. The Marine knows the corpsman will be there taking care of him if he gets hit, and there's always a chance of being injured," he said.
The bond between the corpsmen and Marines is like that of brothers, Senior Chief Matthew DesChamps said.
"It's a special bond. With your brothers, you do everything with your older brother. The Marines, you do everything with them. You sleep, you train with them. You build that special relationship so when you have to rely on each other it's really instinct and you really don't have to think about it," he said. "Taking care of the Marines is certainly an awesome responsibility. Having an older brother, it's a special bond."
When Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephanie Turner became a corpsman, she was not aware of their history with the Marine Corps.
"Now that I know, I am very proud to be a corpsman. The Marines entrust us with their lives on the field and off the field," she said.
As a female corpsman, the biggest challenge, Turner said, is to gain the trust of the Marines who are used to dealing with men.
"It is actually harder for us to get the trust, but we do get it," she said.
When Matthews served in Vietnam, there was never a question as to whether he would risk his life to save a wounded Marine's.
"One of my brothers is in a problem out there. ... I'm going to go out there and take care of them," he said.
Sometimes, however, the corpsmen would be injured in their quest to take care of the Marines.
In April 1967, during Operation Desoto, Matthews was with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, after just serving with Echo Company 2/7.
A Marine hit a booby trap and was severely injured, and the chopper was on its way in. Matthews and the other corpsmen got the Marine onto a stretcher and into the helicopter.
"The chopper blew," Matthews said, explaining with tears in his eyes that the enemy troops had planted a bomb.
"I thought, he's 26 years old, and has kids and a wife. I was 19 years old - I was nothing. I couldn't drink in most states. You always think, why them? Why them?" he said.
Matthews's neck and hands were burned, but he fared better than those in the helicopter, who "disintegrated," he said.
Religion played a crucial part in Matthews' role as corpsman.
"God helped me every day because I wanted to make sure ... I used the best of my abilities to keep my Marines alive," he said.
The biggest part, however, was keeping the few and the proud healthy.
"We know the Marines are the best. We're working with the best and have to keep them up to snuff," Matthews said.
The Marines are not the only ones who are recognized for their abilities.
"I've seen a corpsman do some miraculous things," Cooney said. "Like keep a Marine alive who got hit in the head (by) a sniper while ... going down the mountainside. ... I've seen them run out when everyone else is pinned down to take care of a wounded Marine without any fear of being hit themselves."
The corpsmen not only care for the best but work alongside them.
"Our corpsmen train with the Marines and do everything they do," Kesterson said.
Contact Jacksonville/Onslow County reporter Amanda Hickey at ahickey@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8463. Visit www.jdnews.com to comment on this report.
Ellie