| The medical personnel who tended the wounded in the Korean War are held in the highest regard
by veterans. These heroic men—the Army medics and Navy corpsmen—thought nothing of risking their own lives to
give aid to the men who were fighting on the front line. While burp guns were firing deadly bullets and mortars
were exploding around them, the aid men and corpsmen were there on the spot—saving the lives of combatants. Most
of the medical personnel in Korea had never before seen the kind of death and destruction they witnessed in
Korea. Many were fresh out of medical school, and some reservists had little experience dealing with the sick
and wounded beyond giving shots or administering medication. Civilian doctors--"retreads" from World War
II--were pulled from their specialized field of medicine to become "general practitioners" in Korea. Whether
they had medical degrees or not, the medics and corpsmen became "Doc" to the soldiers and Marines who depended
on them on the front line. They were heroic, and will forever be remembered with honor and respect by those who
returned home from Korea. Very often Korean War veterans testify that they are living today because a nameless
"Doc" saved their life in spite of poor odds for survival under combat conditions. This page of The Korean War
Educator is devoted to Korean War medical personnel whose devotion to duty saved so many lives. If any of our
readers have photographs or information to add to this page in tribute to their own Korean War "Doc", please
contact Lynnita Brown: lynnita@koreanwar-educator.org . |
