History

The history of hospital corpsman goes back to 1799 when an Act of Congress mandated that all Navy ships provide an area where sick and injured men could be brought and attended to by some of the crew. During the Revolutionary War there were no enlisted men officially trained to aid the sick, so random Sailors were selected. In 1814, a "Loblolly boy" was mentioned in Navy Regulations as one who carried gruel to the sick and assisted the ship's surgeon.

Before battle, the Loblolly boy was to provide the cockpit with containers for amputated limbs and braziers of charcoal to heat tar which was used to stop hemorrhaging from the amputations. The Loblolly boy also provided buckets of sand to be spread over the blood on the deck to keep the surgeon from slipping as he worked. As grim as this may sound, this type of medical practice arose out of the fighting tactics prevalent at the time. The boarding of vessels with ensuing hand-to-hand combat resulted in numerous body fractures, and amputation was a standard for that time..

In 1842, the "Surgeon's Steward" replaced the Loblolly boy. The Surgeon's Steward was more than a "clean-up person." Bright, promising young men were chosen to train in elementary medicine and to assist the surgeon. In 1886, by order of the Navy Department, the designation of persons serving as Surgeon's Stewards was changed to that of "Apothecary."

The Corps' - Established in 1898

In the late 1800's the Surgeon General of the Navy advocated a new system whereby the Navy would recruit qualified young men, pay them an appropriate salary and train them to care for the sick. On June 17, 1898, a bill was signed into law by President William McKinley establishing the Hospital Corps as an organized unit of the Medical Department. With that passage, once again specialty designations changed to that of Hospital Steward (CPO), Hospital Apprentice First Class (E-4), and Hospital Apprentice. Twenty-five senior Apothecaries were appointed under this Act who are rightfully referred to as the original members of the Hospital Corps.

During the Boxer Rebellion in Peking, China in 1900, Hospital Apprentice Robert Stanley was the first member of the Corps to receive the Medal of Honor for volunteering to run dispatches under enemy fire. He was the first in a long line of corpsmen to receive America's highest decoration for bravery.

World War I and WWII

During World War I and II the Hospital Corps set an exceptional record of valor and bravery; especially with the Marines while under fire on the battlefields of Europe and storming the beaches of the Pacific. It was at this time that the Corps became one of the most respected in all the military services. More training schools were established and standards for advancement in rate were raised. After WWII, the Honorable James Forrestal, the first Secretary of Defense paid honor to the Hospital Corps of the United States Navy for its accomplishments during the war. This was the first time in military history that a single corps was so commended.

Fifteen Navy enlisted men received the Medal of Honor during WWII; of this number, seven were Hospital Corpsman. One notable Hospital Corpsman, Pharmacists Mate 2C John Bradley, who earlier had been awarded the Navy Cross for heroism under fire, was pictured in the famous photograph of the raising of the flag over Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima.

WWII was also the time when the Navy brought the first women into the Corps. The first Hospital Corps school for women was commissioned at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center on January 12, 1944. This class of "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" (WAVES) consisted of 230 enlisted women. The name WAVES was short-lived, however, for on April 2, 1948, the Hospital Corps designations were once again changed to: Hospital Recruit/E1, Hospital Apprentice/E2, Hospitalman/E3, Hospital Corpsman/E4-E-6, and Chief Hospital Corpsman/E7.

Korea and the Following Years

Throughout the Korean War, Vietnam Conflict, Beirut, Granada, and the Gulf War; whether it be aboard ships, submarines, in hospitals, or in combat, the Hospital Corps responded to the call of duty and performed their duties with valor, often at risk to their own lives. It is a tribute to the Corps that out of seven Navy Medals of Honor awarded during the Korean conflict, five were awarded to the Hospital Corps. In Vietnam, awards for gallantry and bravery in action included 3 Medals of Honor, 29 Navy Crosses, 127 Silver Stars, 2 Legion of Merits, 290 Bronze Stars, and 4563 Purple Hearts.

The Present

In as much as the Hospital Corps distinguishes itself in time of war, let us not minimize peacetime contributions. Their mission during peacetime is the same as during wartime - to save lives and to help the injured. Today, the Hospital Corps can be found serving around the world, maintaining all aspects of Navy health and well being, rendering first aid, serving as teachers and medical advisors, and caring for the sick. Their dedication and devotion to duty can be summarized in the Hospital Corps pledge ...

"I solemnly pledge myself before God ... to practice faithfully all of my duties as a member of the Hospital Corps. I hold the care of the sick and injured to be a privilege and a sacred trust and will assist the Medical Officer with loyalty and honesty. I will not knowingly permit harm to come to any patient ... I dedicate my heart, mind, and strength to the work before me. I shall do all within my power to show in myself an example of all that is honorable and good throughout my naval career."

Happy Birthday, Hospital Corps.

The Naval Ambulatory Care Center Groton is currently displaying a "Medal Of Honor" wall honoring the 27 members of the Navy Hospital Corps who have received this distinguished honor.