THIS SECTION WILL BE DEDICATED TO THE CORPSMEN WE SERVED WITH AND THEIR STORIES. FROM THE MINOR BLISTER TO THE MAJOR WOUNDS, THEY TOOK CARE OF US. THEY ALSO PROVIDED MEDICAL CARE FOR THE VIETNAMESE VILLAGERS. THEY PASSED OUT BANDAIDS TO THE VILLAGE KIDS AND ON OCCASION HELPED IN DELIVERY OF THOSE KIDS. |
'DOC' JOHN NEWMAN |
THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS A DELTA 4, FROM MID SEPTEMBER 1967 UNTIL JANUARY 19, 1968, HM2 'DOC' JOHN NEWMAN WAS OUR NAVY CORPSMAN. HE HAD TO BE ORDERED NOT TO GO ON NIGHT PATROLS WILTH US. RATHER THAN SEND MARINES OUT AT NIGHT WITHOUT ANY EMERGENCY MEDICAL AID JOHN TRAINED THE FIRETEAM LEADERS AND GAVE THEM MORPHIN AND THE MINIMUM IN DRESSINGS AND SUPPLIES TO TAKE ALONG ON PATROLS. 'DOC' JOHN HELD REGULAR MED-CAPS IN THE VILLAGES AND OF COURSE MADE "HOUSE CALLS". ONE DAY ONE OF THE VILLAGES CAM TO THE COMPOUND IN A STATE OF PANIC. HIS WIFE WAS HAVING TROUBLE DELLIVERING HER BABY AND NEEDED A 'BAC SI'. 'DOC' GRABBED HIS BAG AND A MARINE WHO WAS ALSO A FARM KID AND HAD DELIVERED CALVES. THEY THEN HEADED FOR THE VILLAGE. ABOUT TWO HOURS LATER A BOUNCING BABY WAS DELIVERED BY THOSE TWO FARM BOYS WHOSE ONLY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WAS IN DELIVERING CALVES. 'DOC' STATUS IN THE VILLAGE REACHED AN ALL TIME HIGH WITH THAT EVENT. WHEN I WAS WOUNDED I ONLY NEEDED TO YELL, "JOHN!...JOHN!" A FEW TIMES AND HE WAS THERE TRYING TO STOP THE BLEEDING AND MAKE ME COMFORTABLE. WE HAD AGREED LONG BEFORE THAT YELLING "CORPSMAN UP" WOULD ONLY MAKE HIM A TARGET. HE WAS ONE OF THE LAST PEOPLE I SAW WHEN THE HELICOPTER LIFTED OFF. CPL. STEPHEN MARKLEY USMC (DISABILITY RETIRED) |
LINKS TO NAVAL HOSPITAL FACILITIES: |
USS HOSPITAL SHIP SANCTUARY |
USS HOSPITAL SHIP REPOSE |
YOKOSUKA NAVAL HOSPITAL JAPAN |
GREAT LAKES NAVAL HOSPITAL, ILLINOIS |
PARTICULARLY A CORPSMAN |
