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CARLISLE VIETNAM VETERANS All Gave Some, Some
Gave All |
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No web site dedicated to the Vietnam War would be complete without a tribute to our Angels of Mercy - our Nurses. They suffered under the same harsh living conditions and risked their lives every bit as much as did their male counterparts - and some of their names appear on The Wall, mingled among the names of those for whom they cared, a fitting tribute to their self-sacrifice and suffering. When a newly wounded and frightened young man first reached the battalion aid station or the hospital ship, he was comforted by the gentle touch and soft voice of our Nurses. During his early painful treatment and later during his evacuation back to The World, he was comforted by the gentle touch and soft voice of our Nurses. During his long recovery and rehabilitation from his injuries, he was comforted by the gentle touch and soft voice of our Nurses. And too often, as he lay dying, the last touch he felt and the last voice he heard was that of one of our Angels of Mercy - our Nurses. And later, if his name appeared on The Wall, he found her name there too. Words fail at this point and cannot fully express our feelings, but on behalf of every veteran who served in every war, we simply say "Thanks for being there and for thanks for caring. God bless you all." |
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In the midst of the gunfire and the smoke of battle, the cry was heard - "medic" - "corpsman" - "doc" - and the call never went unanswered. No web site dedicated to the Vietnam War would be complete without a tribute to our "docs'. They seemed to be everywhere at the same time, risking their own lives to save the lives of those in their care. They were always the first to reach and treat the wounded and they often made the supreme sacrifice for their efforts. Their efforts made the difference between life and death on a daily basis. As the young sailor or Marine lay dying of his wounds, the last touch he felt and the last voice he heard was that of a Corpsmen. And later, if he looked down from Heaven to read his name on The Wall, he too often found the Corpsman's name there too. We can only guess how may veterans are home with their families today, thanks to their efforts in the field under harsh and dangerous conditions. The Corpsmen and medics were truly the Angels of Mercy on the battlefield. And all they ever asked for was a simple 'thank you.' So we simply say, "Thank you, doc. Thank you for being there and for caring." |
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The Unspoken Bond
"Greater love has no man than this, that a man John 15:13 |
The National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., unveiled its Unspoken Bond' sculpture on Sept. 2 depicting the bond between Navy corpsmen and the Marine forces with whom they serve. The statue, showing a Navy corpsman dragging a World War II Marine to safety, was the result of a unique collaboration between Canadian sculptor Peter Wilde and Mr. William H. Laing, who commissioned the piece. Mr. Laing, a former Navy pharmacist's mate who served in the Pacific during World War II and who took part in the campaign for Guadalcanal, commissioned the statue because there were no such commemorations of corpsmen in Washington, D.C. The statue's inscription reads: "This memorial is dedicated to the hospital corpsmen who served with the Marines in the Pacific during World War II. 'Doc' was that special comrade who pulled them to safety, patched their wounds and shared their foxholes. Established in war and ennobled in peace, this bond will always endure." "This is a fitting tribute to a forgotten group of men who saved at least 97 percent of the wounded in the Pacific," Laing said. "It is a long overdue tribute to a group of people whose aim was not killing but saving lives." Keynote speaker Marine Corps Lt. Gen. George R. Christmas, deputy chief of staff for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps, said to nearly 400 visitors, "I stand before you today because of Navy medicine." Christmas received the Navy Cross when he was seriously wounded during the 1968 Tet Offensive in the Battle for Hue City. "I stand before you because of the physical embrace corpsmen bring to the battlefield. From us who serve today and those who served in the past, I salute you, the Navy corpsman," said Christmas. "And someday again the call will go out, `Corpsman Up!' and once again, we as a nation, must be prepared to do what corpsmen have done since 1775." |
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Copyright 2009 by
EDWARD JAY RYKOSKEY POST #1
CARLISLE VIETNAM VETERANS
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