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June 23, 2004
Happy Birthday Navy Hospital Corps
Celebrating the history and heritage of military tradition is important to all branches of the armed forces. The following speech was given at a 106th birthday celebration of the Navy Hospital Corps by Lieutenant General Wallace C. Gregson, Jr. who currently serves as the Commander, U.S. Marine Forces Pacific/Commander, Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific/ Commander. It's an excellent overview of why Marines hold Navy Corpsman in high esteem.
Good evening. It is indeed an honor and a privilege to be here with you tonight as we celebrate the 106th birthday of the Navy Hospital Corps. Thank you for allowing me to share in this auspicious occasion, and for allowing me a few moments to speak to you tonight.The Navy and Marine Corps share a long history – and we each have a rather checkered heritage. The Marine Corps was founded in a bar, and we've been fighting ever since. An itinerant Scottish sea captain, on the run from the British, founded the Navy. Our first medical and dental personnel were drawn from those aboard ship deemed unsuitable for other shipboard tasks.
In spite of these humble beginnings, the respect for corpsmen is evident throughout the sea services.
On April 6th of this year, Hospitalman 3rd Class Fernando Mendezaceves was serving with the 3rd Platoon, Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. After completing a patrol, the platoon was returning to their base when they were ambushed and their small convoy of Humvees was split up by heavy small-arms fire. Mendez' Humvee came under particularly deadly fire, and by the time the remaining Marines had beaten back the ambush, it was too late for all but one Marine from that vehicle.
HM3 Mendez' body was found alongside that of the 3rd Platoon's platoon sergeant. By all accounts, it appeared that this brave Corpsman died trying to treat the mortally wounded staff sergeant.I'd like to ask you all to please stand and join me in observing a moment of silence in memory of 27-year old Hospitalman 3rd Class Fernando Mendezaceves of Ponce, Puerto Rico; killed in action April 6, 2004, in Iraq, while trying to save the life of a Marine.
Thank you.
I'm going to try to be brief tonight; after all, you're here to celebrate more than 100 years of history, tradition and service, not listen to me ramble on.
In that one hundred plus-year history, the Navy Hospital Corps has seen more than its share of heroes. It was 205 years ago, in 1799, that Congress recognized that the Navy needed to care for the sick and injured, and made provisions to assign surgeons to Naval vessels. Some 15 years later, Navy regulations first referred to the "loblolly boy," who served the ship's surgeon and surgeon's mate. In 1843, that position became known as the "surgeon's steward."
In 1863, the Navy Department began allowing the deployment of male nurses, and in 1866 they added the requirement for an apothecary, or pharmacist. In 1873, the designation was changed from steward to "baymen."
It finally took an act of Congress on June 17, 1898, to officially create the Navy Hospital Corps we know today, and establish the Hospital rating.
During the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900, Hospital Apprentice Robert Stanley became the first member of the Hospital Corps to receive the Medal of Honor. Three other Sailors were likewise awarded Medals of Honor prior to World War I. During the first World War, there were 94 officers and some 16,000 enlisted men in the Hospital Corps. Of them, 15 corpsmen were killed in action, and another 146 were wounded or gassed. There were two Medals of Honor and 55 Navy Crosses awarded to corpsmen in that conflict.The Hospital Corps continued to distinguish itself during the second World War, with seven enlisted Corpsmen receiving the Medal of Honor, while other members of the Hospital Corps received 820 major awards and citations, including Navy Crosses, and Silver and Bronze Stars.
What makes these awards for valor so unique is that they went to men who did not bear arms – their only purpose was to save the lives of their fellow Sailors and Marines.
One of the most visible examples of the Hospital Corps' service with the Marines in combat is indelibly burned into our nation's vision. Often cited as the most recognized picture in history, Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal captured Pharmacist's Mate John Bradley and five Marines raising the United States' flag over Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, on February 22, 1945. If you didn't know which of the six was Bradley, you'd be hard pressed to tell which wasn't a Marine. This photograph captures in an instant the unbreakable bond our two services share.
In 1944, a new chapter was added to this growing history, when women were first allowed to serve in the Hospital Corps. The "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service," the WAVES, joined the ranks of the Hospital Corps that year as 230 women reported for training at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Four years later, they were fully integrated as a regular part of the United States Navy.
Also in 1948, the ratings were created for the Dental Division of the Hospital Corps, and the red cross logo was replaced with the caduceus still in use today.
The 1950's saw America facing down Communism on the Korean Peninsula, and once again, Navy Corpsmen were more than up to the task.
During the Inchon-Seoul Campaign, corpsmen attached to the First Marine Division cared for nearly three thousand casualties during just three weeks of September and October of 1950. Corpsmen serving on Hospital ships treated more than 20,000 battlefield casualties, 30,000 non-battle casualties, and another 80,000 outpatients. Side-by-side with the Marines throughout the Korean War, Navy Corpsmen accounted for five of seven Medals of Honor bestowed upon Navy personnel during that conflict.
Corpsmen once again answered their nation's call throughout Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. This was a truly bloody time for the Hospital Corps, as 620 corpsmen were killed, and another 3,353 were wounded in action. This time around, Corpsmen accounted for an astounding 3 Medals of Honor, 29 Navy Crosses, 127 Silver Stars, 290 Bronze Stars, and more than 4,500 Purple Hearts.
Since the fall of Saigon some 29 years ago, hospital corpsmen have continued to serve with honor and distinction. Among the more than 200 killed in October of 1983 in the bombing of the Marine Barracks, Beirut, Lebanon, were 15 corpsmen.
In Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, more than six thousand active duty Sailors deployed to provide medical support to coalition forces. More than 10,000 additional naval medical reservists were called to active duty to support the war effort. Of these more than 16,000 corpsmen, nearly six thousand served side-by-side with Marines. All told, they treated more than 32,000 patients, including coalition forces, enemy prisoners-of-war, and Kuwaiti refugees.
Once again, our nation is fighting the enemies of peace and freedom, and once again, the Navy Hospital Corps has risen to the considerable challenge of caring for the ill and injured. More than 8,000 Navy corpsmen participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom during late 2003 and early 2004. Three of them, HM3 Michael Johnson, HM3 David Moreno, and Hospitalman Joshua McIntosh made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our great nation.
Two Sailors were also honored with the Bronze Star with Combat "V" for heroic action while serving with Marines. HM2 Alan Dementer was with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines last March when the Command Operations Center came under intense attack near An Nassariyah. Wounded himself, Dementer scaled a wall to reach six wounded Marines.
After stabilizing their condition, and with disregard for his own injuries, he directed the movement of these men back over that same wall and to safety. His courage under fire that day led to the treatment and safe evacuation of 31 Marines.
HM3 Kenneth Ball was assigned to 2nd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines during that same time. With complete disregard to his own safety, he moved into a mined area to treat and retrieve a wounded Marine. His efforts stabilized that Marine's condition – were it not for his selfless actions, that Marine would have almost certainly had his foot amputated.
These are only the first of what are certain to be many, many stories of heroism to come out of Operation Iraqi Freedom, as you and your brother and sister corpsmen continue daily to add to your illustrious history.
Today, nearly 2,000 corpsmen are again deployed to the Central Command region in support of ongoing operations there, including some friends of many of you in this room tonight:
HM1 Richard Torres, HM3 James Dill and Hospitalman Jamar Bing are with the 1st Light Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion.
HM3 Joseph Santos and Hospitalman Joseph Collins are with the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines.
HM3 Hugh Powell is with the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines. These are all Hawaii-based Sailors, doing what you do best – caring for and treating our Marines.
Which brings us back full circle to HM3 Mendez. Even in death, he stands a shining example of what it means to be a Navy corpsman, especially those we Marines have the privilege of serving alongside: putting all others before himself, serving selflessly, caring ceaselessly, he goes into harm's way with only one thought: saving the life of his fellow man. He has carried Marines from the battlefield, and has himself been carried reverently by Marines who mourn his passing like that of a brother or sister. We know him simply as "Doc," and we love him.
Thank you all for everything you do for us, for our brothers- and sisters-in-arms, and for our families. We could not do the job we do without you, nor would we ever want to try. Happy Birthday, and Semper Fidelis!
While the Marines have a good-natured rivalry with other branches of the armed forces, they consider the "Docs" assigned to their battalions as equals. Lt. General Gregson commented, "If a Marine gets wounded in combat, the unit continues to go forward. If a corpsman gets wounded all the Marines stop, because you’re not going to go forward without a corpsman. We learn a lot from the corpsman, and it enriches the whole organization. It makes it one cohesive whole."
Posted by Deb at June 23, 2004 05:44 AM
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Comments
I wish to thank you for the manner in which you have chosen to honor the memory of HM3 Mendez-Aceves Fernando Alejandro.
You will understand, I am sure, the following comment:
Whereas our family lived in Puerto Rico and considered it 'home away from home', Fernando was born in Mexico City, Mexico.
He never forgot his roots; his diversity made him reach out towards anyone who was in need of his care indiscriminately. Just what a corpsman is made out of.
He is never far as long as we keep him in our hearts.
Sandra Aceves
(Doc Mendez' mom)
Posted by: Sandra Aceves at July 9, 2004 03:29 AM