The White Falcon - 19.06.1965, Blaðsíða 4

4
WHITE FALCON
Saturday, June 19, 1965
WASHING HANDS—One of the
necessary procedures prior to go-
ing into the operating room is
scrubbing hands performed by
Gerald A. Sedrick, HM3, attached
to surgery.
FEEL GOOD?—For tired muscles there’s nothing
like a whirlpool bath as little Jeffery Merkley, 4,
seems to be saying. Massaging Jeffery’s foot is
Hugh Lightbody, IIM2.
Hospital Corpsmen
Celebrate Anniversary
The time is Aug. 19, 1812; the place is on the high seas
aboard the USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides”, and we
are fighting the British ship, HMS Guerriere.
The battle is fierce and bloody above decks, masts are
falling, shells and bullets are flying everywhere and the
cries, shrieks and groans of men fighting for their lives
PAINTING—Applying a new coat
of paint to one of the administra-
tive offices where he works is
Frank A. Kozak, HM2. The Sta-
tion Hospital is currently under-
going a new face-lifting program
performed by hospital corpsmen
in one’s own department.
BLOODY BUSINESS—In the hospital’s laboratory,
two lab technicians work on blood smears. Pointing
to the blood cells’ chart is John Dunn, HM3, while
Gary W. Nielson, HN, observes blood cultures
through a microsrope.
is vivid. ^
You are wounded and below-
decks in the cockpit in the for-
ward part of the ship located be-
low the waterline. There, men
known as the ship’s surgeon the
surgeon’s mate together with un-
skilled “loblolly boys” administer
aid to you and your shipmates’
wounds.
Celebrate Anniversary
Using the barest of medical sup-
plies and know-how available at
that time, you pull through, never
knowing for an instant what im-
portant roles these workers of
mercy and healers of the sick will
play in the years to come.
On June 16 the hospital corps-
men at U.S. Naval Station, Kefla-
vik, Iceland, and those throughout
the Navy and Marine Corps cele-
brated the 67th anniversary of
the Hospital Corps.
Although founded in 1898 as a
separate part of the Medical De-
partment, the Corps is as old as
the Navy itself.
Specialized Unit
Today, the hospital corpsman is
a highly specialized unit encom-
passing several different special-
ties in the rate. He may be trained
for surgery, X-ray technology,
pharmacy or laboratory work.
This is a far cry from the “lob-
'lolly boys” and later their suc-
cessors, the trained surgeon’s ste-
wards.
But whatever he is trained for,
his main job is to bring relief to
those shipmates who need his help,
even if it’s just administering a
simple bandage, taking a tempe-
rature or filling out an aspirin
prescription.
Corpsmen On Battlefield
Personnel here may think that
the hospital corpsmen are just
those assigned to a naval base or

“WHAT’S UP, DOC?” — Checking on pa tients and taking temperatures are just
routine to George E. Weaver, HN, as he checks Gary W. Peitham’s pulse.
(Story and Photos by Schmieg, JOSN)
a ship, but that is not the case.
On the battlefield, corpsmen gave
aid to the injured while serving
with the Marines during World
War I, World War II and the
Korean conflict. Now, they are
involved in the current crisis of
our times, that war in the Repu-
blic of Viet Nam.
Wherever American servicemen
are stationed, the Navy corpsmen
and their medical counterparts in
the other armed services are also
providing a humanitarian need,
as well as a corporal need.
Take, for instance, the Repu-
blic of Viet Nam: American
corpsmen gave medical aid to the
civilians of that country as well
as their own troops. This was
mentioned in a recent speech
given by President Johnson as a
vital and important part the
United States plays in the war-
torn country.
Our Navy corpsmen and their
armed services’ counterparts
should feel proud that they have
fulfilled America’s objectives and
principles to give aid to those
suffering and in need.
A Modern Role
We are a long way from the
War of 1812 when wooden ships
roamed the seas and only two
people, the ship’s surgeon and the
surgeon’s mate, could heal the
wounded.
Today, our ships, the most mod-
ern in the world, require highly
trained personnel to do the job.
And when an emergency arrives,
you’ll find the services of the
Navy and Marine corpsmen ready
and willing to provide the neces-
sary help.
Our hats are off to the 34 Navy
corpsmen connected with U.S. Na-
val Station, Keflavik, and to all
those on their 67th anniversary.
FIRST AID — A minor scratch is skillfully and
speedily treated on Thomas R. Bruyette, CP, (left)
by Clifford C. Arnold HM2.
MAKING ASPIRIN—Pharmacist Loren A. Eades, HMS, measures some aspirin pow-
der to be used in making a prescription. The hospital pharmacy prepares medica-
tions from cough capsules to skin creams.