The Hospital Corps of today rendered honors to their legacy of yesteryear while ready for the present and preparing for the future at Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command Bremerton 126th Hospital Corps Ball, June 8, 2024.
It was on June 17, 1898, when then-President William McKinley signed a bill establishing the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps. Before that, the rate had gone through a number of iterations, from surgeon’s mate and surgeon’s steward to loblolly boy and apothecary, to name but a few. The title might have changed but not the collective courage.
There have been 23 corpsmen presented with the Medal of Honor, 179 who have received the Navy Cross, 31 who received the Distinguished Service Cross, 959 Silver Star Medal recipients and 1,600 presented with the Bronze Star with Combat V for Heroism.
There has also been great loss. Over 2,000 Navy hospital corpsman have been killed in action.
“There are [approximately] 960 staff at NMRTC Bremerton. Nurses, doctors, scientists, administrators, pharmacists, dentists, etc., but among us, only hospital corpsman are capable of going anywhere the Navy goes. The mission has remained essentially the same. To care for the men and women of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps and go into combat whenever and wherever that is, by their side. The respect and the fondness that is given to the Hospital Corps by Marines is legendary and paid for in blood. Your legacy is that of battlefield angel, doctor and priest. The dedication of corpsmen to protect their Sailors and Marines is so well known that the military had to change the uniforms to match the unit(s) they were with to make it harder for the enemies to target them,” said Capt. Patrick Fitzpatrick, NMRTC Bremerton commanding officer and Naval Hospital Bremerton director, in his opening remarks.
“As a Navy nurse, I have served with you for 27 years at military treatment facilities here and overseas,” continued Fitzpatrick. “From Guantanamo, Afghanistan and on humanitarian missions in 11 other countries. Your talents, ethos, tenacity and determination are well known to me – and others – and I will always have the deepest respect and love.”
(Official Navy photos by Douglas H Stutz, NHB/NMRTC Bremerton public affairs officer)
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.11.2024 10:26 |
| Photo ID: | 8466829 |
| VIRIN: | 240611-N-HU933-1111 |
| Resolution: | 1280x720 |
| Size: | 252.51 KB |
| Location: | BREMERTON, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 259 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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