Qustion For you Vietnam Vets.

[jay2120]

First I would like to Thank all you Vietnam Vets. I think when you got home you all got shafted and were never thanked in the proper way. Everytime I meet a vietnam vet I always thank them. So again thank you all and God bless you. I have a question for you in Vietnam were are Corpsman from the Marines or did we get them from the Navy how we do now. I am asking because someone told me there uncle was a Marine and that he was a medic in Vietnam. I told her Corpsman are from the navy but are highly respected and are considered Marines because they train with us all the time. But I am not sure if in the past we did have are own Corpsman. I want to find out just for my own personal KNowlege so I decided to come to the experts. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Barlow]

Jay ,

In Vietnam Corpsman were U.S.Navy personnel. The" Docs" wore Marine Utes and Naval rank Insignia.

[Namvet67]

jay2120....Didn't the Corps teach Vietnam history while you were in MCRD? Did you graduate PI or SD? When were you there?

[jay2120]

Yes they teached Corp History. But they never said anything on that. Iwent to San Diego. They are teaching you all our history in 4 weeks I think that would be a pretty specific thing to go into. When they would rather us go into the battles that we were in and what we did.

[yellowwing]

I am asking because someone told me their uncle was a Marine and that he was a medic in Vietnam.

That doesn't sound right at all. I think you'd have to go way back to find our Corps with no Navy Corpsman.

Your friend or his uncle is highly confused.

[Namvet67]

Ok jay....what was your MOS and when do you graduate? I'm not trying to give you a hard time...just hard for me to believe you didn't know about Vietnam era Corpsmen! We do consider them as one of us and we could not do our job without them!

[jay2120]

0811 and I graduated in early 04. They did teach us about Vietnal all the battles and what we did there. I don't think they told us about the corpsman because we always had Navy Corpsman. My friend told Me his uncle was a Marine and was a corpsman because thqat was 30 years ago I wanted to make sure he was a Navy corpsman or did the Marines have corpsman. I know your not giving me a hard time but believe me they taught us about vietnam. None of the wars we learned about we went that in depth.

[Namvet67]

jay2120....ok so you are still in the Corps it would appear! Where are you stationed? I thought your MOS was going to be 0341 Mortar Man? (your post 12/19/03)

[jay2120]

Yes that is what I first wanted to be but I am in the reserves stationed out of Joliet IL. There were no infantry companies around sound I went Arty. The week after I reported to my unit they took away are guns and New we are an MP Rifle provisional company to go to Iraq in January. So I don't know what my ne MOS will be when we get back but we are no longer a guns platoon. There is rumors that we will become a second reserve company for Marine Recon but who knows.

[Namvet67]

Nothing wrong with being a 08! Not much need for them in Iraq at the moment! Good luck! Go study up on Corpsmen in Vietnam!

[jay2120]

I will SSGT thank you

[yellowwing]

HOSPITAL CORPSMAN SECOND CLASS David Robert Ray from my home town. Sadly many of the local kids have forgotten why there is a highway named in his honor.

Semper Fi Corpsman Ray!

[Namvet67]

Thanks for posting this yellowwing. I was there directing arty fire missions when this took place! I was with the 11th Marines for 36 months in Vietnam. There you go jay2120....best example of what a Veitnam era Corpsman is all about! Semper Fi

[jay2120]

great story and a hell of a Corpsman

[Ken Ulrich]

Hey, S/SGt. (Namvet67) - I too was with the 11th Marines. Golf Battery 3/11 at LZ Baldy. I was attached to Mike Co. 3/7 as radio operator in an ARTY F.O. team from March 1970 to June 1970. Lt. Scott Matthews was my honcho. Were you there then?

(Cpl.) Ken Ulrich Lexman78@comcast.net