If a United States Marine is in combat anywhere in the world, you can be assured that a Navy corpsmen is nearby waiting to help if that Marine is wounded in action. There's a special bond and trust that has existed for more than a century between the Marine and the corpsman, who Marines typically refer to simply as "Doc."
The unsung heroes of war, Navy corpsmen have heroically saved tens and probably hundreds of thousands of American warriors' lives as well as civilians caught in combat - and are often forced to become warriors themselves in dangerous situations.
It may come as a surprise to some, but according to corpsman.com, in World War II, 1,170 corpsmen were killed in action. In Korea, 108 corpsmen were killed and corpsmen in that confluct earned 281 Bronze Star Medals, 113 Silver Star Medals, and 23 Navy Crosses. In Vietnam, 638 hospital corpsmen were killed in action, more than in any other war except World War II, 4,563 earned the Purple Heart, and three corpsmen received the Medal of Honor. More than 40 Navy corpsmen have been killed in the current fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many more have been wounded both physically and psychologically alongside their Marine brothers and sisters.
Corpsmen don't seek glory, and they rarely get the recognition they've earned. But to honor their remarkable American military legacy, plans are underway for the construction and placement of a memorial in their honor.
The Corpsman Memorial is to be built, if funding can be secured, in the Lejeune Memorial Gardens at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune, the largest Marine base on the East Coast. 'The concept behind this is the Marines' tribute to Navy corpsmen,' Senior Chief Petty Officer Matthew DesChamps, command senior chief of 2nd Dental Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, recently told the Camp Lejeune Globe.
According to memorial's official website, in February 2008, the Corpsmen Memorial Foundation was established with the goal of creating a monument in honor of Navy corpsmen who fought alongside their Marine brethren. Funds have been accumulated over the past two and a half years, totaling nearly $30,000. The memorial will be a life-sized replica of the clay sculpture currently housed in Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, which portrays a Vietnam-era corpsman lying on top of a wounded Marine, whose right leg is in a makeshift splint, shielding him from impending danger. The memorial will also feature will be paths of honor paved with bricks in remembrance of those who served.
Reads the memorial website, "In the heat of battle, on the war torn beach head, in the jungle underbrush, in the sweltering slime of swamps, the parched sands of desserts, in countless conflicts and wars, they have placed their lives on the line to take care of the medical needs of those who served on the front lines as United States Marines. They did so, not asking for glory, or honor. All they asked for was
The Corpsmen Memorial will be built near the nationally famous Beirut Memorial and the North Carolina Vietnam Veterans Memorial. You can contact the Corpsmen Memorial Foundation at PO Box 12641 Jacksonville, NC 28546-264, or email them at nccorpsmenmemorial@gmail.com
