Before being sent into the jungle hell of Vietnam, medics received both basic training and medic specialty training. Basic training lasted between 6 and 8 weeks. After basic training soldiers chose their specialty such as a heavy gunner or medic. Medic training lasted 10 weeks.
Being a medic was a busy life. The medical training consisted of the following according to 1st Cavalry Medic History:Basic health care and hygiene for self and others, learning how to give shots Drawing blood, Starting IVs, Use of Splints for broken bones, Treatment of gunshot wounds, Treatment for Amputations, Head wounds, Shock, Burns, Shoulder dislocations, Tracheotomy, V.D, and Seizures and Suturing.Soldiers learned about every tool at their disposal and learned about medical equipment such as plasma, surgical supplies and tablets.
Most medics learned how to go into an “automatic” mode. As a Former Vietnam medic put it “I switched into automatic mode, just like before. A part of me detached itself from the rest. The detached part of me shrugged its shoulders and watched me go to work as in the drills in casualty exercises back at Fort Sam”. (Daniels, Evans Jr.
Pg. 139-140) Medics learned how to go into this “automatic” mode during training to help wounded soldiers in the field.After training when medics were sent into Vietnam medics were busy with wounded soldiers and trying to survive. As a former medic put it when he was taking care of wounded soldiers in a firefight, “Everyone had some type of wound.
I soon ran out of bandages. I ripped up my shirt and cut off my trouser legs to use as tourniquets and bandages” (Pg. 140). Medics often had few supplies while taking care of wounded men.
Although their equipment ranged from plasma to simple bandages, it wasn't enough most times. Many improvised by using clothing.During a situation like a firefight it was important that a Vietnam medic was calm, even when being shot at. Wounded men and their squad mates often screamed for a medic when someone got shot, it was important for a medic to not panic during a stressful situation as it gave the injured men hope. Many soldiers found the following statement true; “Medics in the field earned the love and respect of injured soldiers by bravely rushing to their side on the battlefield to start emergency medical aid.
” (140). If a medic panicked, soldiers would think that they were dead or there was no hope. If a medic panicked, mistakes could’ve happen such as accidental severing an artery during surgery or in some cases if a man was shot and surgery was needed immediately you could accidently push the bullet further in the soldiers body and/or cause more pain for the soldier. In some cases soldiers went into shock because a medic panicked under fire and the medic severed an artery or panicked and pushed a bullet into the soldier’s body further and the soldier lost too much blood or the soldier passed out from the pain.Medical equipment was enough for about 2 or 3 wounded men at most, not a whole squad.
Medics carried basic gear like the soldiers did, like M-16’s and pistols and hand grenades, but had an array of medical supplies and medical necessities. Even with medical training and supplies most medics ran out and improvised.Medics along with medical training had basic rifle training and most considered by the “higher ups” to be grunts because of it. Medics were treated like regular GI’s because the Vietnam War was the first war for medics to have rifle training.
Even though they had medical training they were still thought as grunts, and grunts were expendable.Medics were responsible for keeping injured soldiers alive until Medevac came to relieve and take the wounded from them. Since technology advanced from World War 2 and the Korean War, in a dire medical situation medics could call Medevac and airlift injured men from the battlefield to a base camp. When Medevac arrived “Dust-off medics leaped out to assist with the evacuation while the crew chief knelt on the roadway with an M16 across his knees.
The bird remained nested on the road until it was full of mutilated young Americans.”
