medics

MEDICAL SECTION ROSTER AND SUPPORT UNITS

7th SURGICAL HOSPITAL - CU CHI
12th EVACUATION HOSPITAL - CU CHI
57TH MEDICAL DETACHMENT (DUSTOFF)
159TH MEDICAL DETACHMENT (DUSTOFF) CU CHI - 1967-72
45th MEDICAL COMPANY AIR AMBULANCE - LONG BINH
45TH SURGICAL HOSPITAL - TAY NINH
http://the45thsurg.freeservers.com/History.html

VIETNAM DUSTOFF ASSOCIATION
http://www.vietnamdustoff.com/dustoffunits.html

HHC 2-12th Inf Bn

PLATOON MEDICS

Combat medics (also known simply as medics) are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury. Combat medics are normally co-located with the combat troops they serve in order to easily move with the troops and monitor ongoing health.

"Doc" was a Combat Medic's nickname, which every grunt had the upmost respect for their courage, caring and unselfish devotion to duty and to their comades, to the point of dying on the battlefield to save others.

COMBAT MEDICAL BADGE(CMB)
This badge is authorized for medical personnel "who attain established standards or whose action in combat is exemplary or occurs in a major action." [Kerrigan, American Badges and Insignia]

THE PURPLE HEART
General George Washington designated a strip of purple cloth in the shape of a heart be awarded for Military Merit - bravery or other outstanding military deeds. During the early part of the 21st century this "purple heart" was revived and awarded for "wounds received in actions against a hostile force."

During the Vietnam War there were a total of 303,704 wounded:
WIA Hospitalized........... 153,329
WIA No Hospital Care... 150,375

Platoon Medics were assigned to HHC and attached to the battalion's various companies.
They are listed by the year they arrived in Vietnam. Those listed in 1966 may have dates earlier than the unit's arrival, but that is done to show they had an earlier DEROS date than others, likely leaving the service.
(Updated 2/1/2024)