The practicalities of war are breaking my heart.

[IdaBriggs]

The son of one of my co-workers was just deployed to Iraq (for either the second or third time). He's a Navy corpsman attached to the Marines of the 38th, heading for Ramada. The unit they are replacing had a 65% casualty rate.

When I tried to say something positive, all I could come up with was, "Well, at least he's a corpsman, so he won't be targeted, right?"

At which point my co-worker told me that isn't how it works: wearing the traditional "Red Cross" is basically just a big bullseye for snipers, because every downed corpsman means twenty-five marines who won't be able to "go out" to fight.

One man's death = twenty-five fighters out of commission. In a very horrible way, I understand why the medics are being targeted -- and it is breaking my heart.

I cannot find curses vile enough to express my feelings.

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[MadMaddie]

1. The snipers are picking these guys off because...

of the torture that our Coward leaders have allowed...Any decency that might have been shown towards the corpsman was destroyed...

The * cabal is directly responsible for this....

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. No you are wrong on that one

it happened in Nam, it happened in Korea, it happened in WW II, it happened in WW I. In other words the theory is so far away from the practice it ain't even funny

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Oh as a medic been there done that

and trust me, being shot at is never fun.

Now usually they don't kill the corpsmen, but disable them.... that way they take the squad out of action. After all no "doc" would like to be with a squad that did not dot that.

Gets worst, when they yell MEDIC! Guess who gets to do the house call, in the middle of a firefight at times.

Docs have one of the highest casualty rates in any war, and it takes a special person to do that.

Oh my war.. the not so violent and ever so peaceful (bullshit) war on drugs. I actually was shot on a MARKED CIVILIAN vehicle, with a wonderful target acquisition device (red cross ) painted on a white background.

[MadMaddie]

5. Thanks for your service.....

and thanks for the reality check!!

I respect the Medics and all military...I had an uncle killed in Vietnam...

We just shouldn't be losing any soldiers in this mess!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. You welcome

and trust me if I could physically I think I woudl still be doing it... but as it happens, it is now the next generation's turn

[IdaBriggs]

8. I'm seconding Maddie -- thank you for your service!

I never realized how high the casualty rate was for them; I always assumed it was more "MASH" like, with it being "bad" but "survivable" if you were a highly valued medical person.... :(

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Not on the front lines

even among docs, I mean folks like Hawkeye... yes they are non combatants, but they can carry a side arm, whatever is the standard side arm for their military, to protect themselves and the wounded. But even docs in first aid stations have a terrible casualty rate. The modern system used by the US Military lowers that some, since Aid stations are near the front lines, but with the help of choppers not so close anymore. It is the medic who busts his or her balls...

Now where I served, with a National Red Cross Society, I could tell you stories... even of Docs going out on calls with me, and me ordering the doc to get the hell out without raising the concern of customers... never good when you have somebody already dead, and people drunk and with guns in the place.

Oh and when you have a civil war things get far more iffy... for instance, not that many know this, the first casualties of the shooting in Mexico when the revolt happened in the South in 1995 was a Red Cross crew. They received a mortar on top of their ambulance... we think they were killed instantly... now the army claims it was the rebels, the rebels claim it was the army... but three crew members were dead and the Mexican Red Cross pulled out of the area until some form of safety could be ensured for the crews... oh that morning I also remember telling a Colonel where to stuff it when he gave illegal mobilization orders...

[Sal Minella]

12. I remember reading that Viet Cong soldiers would call out "Medic"

in English in Viet Nam to lure a doc forward to be shot at. That broke my heart then and it still does.

[Bigmack]

4. He's a real hero...

Never mind that the war that uses up that kind of courage is shit... he's a hero.

Marines know that if they yell "Corpsman up!", he'll come and get them. It takes HUGE brass balls to stand up and run toward somebody when the shit is coming down. The corpsmen are prime targets.

Mom is right about the danger to her kid. Give her a hug from a Marine from a thousand years ago.

[MadMaddie]

6. Thanks for your service too....

[IdaBriggs]

9. I truly never realized that before.

I'll pass the hug on to his father (sorry for not being more clear in my original post). And THANK YOU for your service!!!

:hug:

[w8liftinglady]

11. Bless his parents..

I remember tuning in to the news 20 times a day during my son's three deployments.After he was injured on his third deployment,he related the brave actions of the corpsmen taking care of the soldier next to him during transport,who was dying.What little he told me let me see their compassion,even in such a stressful time.I salute that brave sailor.May he come home whole,and soon.damn you,GWB.