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Vietnam and the Years Following
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Vietnam conflict between 1963 and 1975, hospital corpsmen were called
to serve in Southeast Asia. They served in Marine Corps and Navy
air/ground forces, naval support activity hospitals (Saigon and Denang),
hospital ships (USS REPOSE and USS SANCTUARY), Riverine Warfare
("Brown Water Navy"), and Navy ships on the "Gun
Line" off the coast of North Vietnam,. They served in Cambodia
and supported troops from places like the Marine Corps Air Station
("Rose Garden") in Thailand. Like their predecessors, they
performed emergency treatment in all kinds of combat conditions. They
were assigned to small medical teams that provided care and health
advice to Vietnamese civilians. Some were assigned as medical advisors
to Vietnamese military units, which required that they live in small,
poorly defended villages. Hospital corpsmen truly felt the brunt of
the Vietnam conflict. Six hundred twenty were killed or mortally
wounded and another 3,353 were wounded in action. Awards for gallantry
and intrepidity in action included 3 Medals of Honor, 29 Navy Crosses,
127 Silver Stars, 2 Legions of Merit, 290 Bronze Stars, and 4,563
Purple Hearts.
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