MEDICS

The "Medic" call is an eerie sound. As I run to help to see what's wrong I am humbled when I see him on the ground.

As I come close, I see he doesn't have long. I know I have work to do, but if god calls him his time is thru.

As I fight God I try to save him. but God and I both know who will win. All I can do is ease his mind let him know it is his time. Time for him to go back home. I let him know that he is not alone. His last words will always haunt me.

As he gives me a hug he whispers "Doc" please come with me.

"Doc" J.C., Medic, PFC
Near Baghdad, Iraq November, 2003

Navy Corpsman Michael Vann Johnson Jr., died doing what he had gone to Iraq to do, help his wounded Marines

Michael Vann Johnson Jr., A Navy Corpsman, was the first Arkansas serviceman to die in
Iraq . Johnson was tending to a comrade when he was killed from an exploding grenade..

Service Above Self

The following is an excerpt from a holiday letter to home from Major Robert D. Berg a CCATT
(Critical Care Air Transport Team) Nurse

I took a soldier (between my children's ages about 19 y/o) from Landstuhi, Germany (he had just gotten in to Baghdad) to Washington DC. He had been in a convoy that was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) and sustained shrapnel wounds to his face. They removed two pieces of shrapnel weighing over 1 1/2 pounds from the right side of his face. One was the size of a golf ball, which fractured his jaw, and the other narrowly missed his brain and was removed from his sinus the size of a cherry tomato. Sorry for being so descriptive, but it will become apparent why you need to know this in a minute. The flight from Landstuhi, Germany to WA. DC was 10 1/2 hours, in very rough weather in a C-141 cargo plane. We were about 8 hrs into the flight with him and was on the 6th dressing change for his facial wounds.

I had already given him 20mg of Morphine (enough to put me to sleep for 8hrs) and 700mg of Demerol (enough to put me down for a week) since we had taken off. It was a very busy flight for everyone; I sat 3ft from him doing interventions for the entire flight. His jaw was wired shut and he had a tracheotomy to breath. We were working several issues as his kidneys tried to shut down and he needed a lot if IV antibiotics for the raging infection he had.

He was only able to communicate by writing on a pad of paper and wrote me a not the said, "Please forgive me for taking so much of your time and being such a pain." I sat down right then and just looked into his one good eye. battling my emotions, I tore the squadron patch from my flight suit off my right shoulder. I held up my flashlight so he could see and yelled, "Soldier, do you see what the says?" (It is really noisy in the plane and we have to yell to be heard.) He said he was to dizzy to read. So, I read him the 791st EAES squadron motto at the bottom

"COMMITTED TO THE WOUNDED WARRIOR."

He looked at me and started to cry. He than said, "I never thought people would ever be this nice to me in my whole life...Thank you!"

I gave him more drugs to help him sleep and then sat back down. I thought for quite a while about this young man as we completed the mission and headed back to Germany.

My message to you is this - No words can express how proud I feel toward all friends who have enabled me to be "Committed To The Wounded Warrior." It is only by your sustaining friendship and support that enables me to do this job. Especially all of the letters, cookies, e-mails and pictures I get on a weekly basis. I want to say. "I am sorry for taking up so much of your time," but now realize my mission is your mission. I know of no greater ideal than to be involved in than what we are doing together to help these warriors that preserve our Freedom. I am "but a vessel" in this stream of care.
God Bless you and God bless America.

Robert D. Berg, Major, USAFR-NC
Critical Care Air Transport Team, OIC
446TH ASTS McChord AFB, WA

8 Iraqis lost their lives last night due to bullets falling from the sky. We went into Alarm red (ground attack), last night due to the celebratory fire...which got fairly close to our camp. Of course I was in the shower!!!!! Someone owes me another shower minute! We are authorized a 3 minute shower and last night I was rudely interrupted after just 2! Should have seen me....running around turning the lights off in the shower tent still naked but for my towel. After drying off and getting dressed, in the dark, I put my battle rattle on and began the long wait until the all clear was sounded. The shower tent door kept on blowing open due to the extremely high winds we had gusting through here. So I tied a rope around the handle and used my helmet as an anchor. I laid on the ground with my feet in my helmet to fight the pull of the wind. About twenty minutes of hanging out on the cold concrete slab I feel this strong pull on my helmet anchor....thinking it was the wind again I pulled back....the "wind" continued to play tug-of-war with me...then, I hear a quiet knock on the door. Now, the "wind" doesn't knock......I asked who was there, no answer. Another pull on my helmet anchor...."who is there" I asked again. Timidly a little voice says Airmen So and So. After releasing my anchor I let the Airman in.....turns out she was tired of being held up in the latrine tent (the smell, you know, was pretty potent). She slowly made her way to my shower tent for a better smelling cover location. After securing my helmet anchor we settle in for another twenty minutes until the all clear. Once the all clear was sounded I headed back to my tent to put up my shower stuff before reporting into my unit for accountability purposes. Just before I get to my tent the alarm red tones sound again......I start running to my tent and end up playing tug-of-war with my tent mates who were securing our tent door against the wind. After finally being admitted to my tent the command post comes over the load speakers and basically said OOPS...and to disregard the alarm red tones and reiterated we were in alarm green (all clear). Never a dull moment around here!!! Anyway, gotta go....Robin Williams is doing a short show for us. Hopefully I can find some standing room since my name wasn't drawn for the pleasure of sitting in the limited seating area. Have a good week! Wet Medic

click on this link
OIF Tribute
A Speech delivered by
General Charles C. Krulak, USMC Commandant of the Marine Corps
Not for self, but for Country

Sergeant First Class Wayne E. Slagel

The late Sergeant First Class Wayne. Slagel (U.S. Army, Retired) of Taylorville, Illinois, was one of only two soldiers to receive the 3rd award of the Combat Medic Badge (CBM), earning the distinction by his service in World War II's Pacific Theater, in the Korean War, and in the Vietnam War. This photograph of him was taken while he was in Vietnam, and after being awarded the CMB for the 3rd time.

His photo is also displayed at the U.S. Army Medical Department Museum located at
Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Visit the AMEDD Museum Gift Shop at
ameddgiftshop.com

ameddmuseumfoundation.org

U.S. Army
Spc. Matthew Byars

click on following link
Medic Always Ready to Save Lives