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Old May 27, 2012, 06:59 AM   #70
Camar
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Join Date: December 13, 2011
Posts: 38
War Surgery Experiences? Absolutely none.
Enlisted in USMC in 1963. We received First Aid with emphasis on Stop the bleeding, Clear the airway and Treat for shock. That is if a corpman was not present.
All of our First Aid training was as stated above even including our pre-deployment training for our turn in the barrel in Vietnam. I was a rifle sqd. leader and aided our corpman (we had 1 per plt.) when he got overwhemed with casualties. I have treated a sunken chest wound, intestines outside of the body cavity, assisted in 2 tracheotomies, and head wounds.
If I remember when we administered a tourniquet we placed a "T" with the wounded Marines blood on his forehead, and noted the time the tourniquet was placed.
For the sunken chest wound we wrapped his poncho around him to create an air tight protection.
Intestines outside the body cavity we poured water over the intestines and placed them back into his body.
Head wounds, we treated for shock, and I think that was about it.
When I assisted with the tracheomatamy, the corpman used a ballpoint pen for the breathing tube.
When the corpman administered morphine, he carried 1/4 gram serettes, he would stick the used serette for however many he used on the left lepel of the casualties uniform.
Medical evac. was fast, ever when we were under heavy fire day or night. I remember several occasions when along with the Medevac. came extra corpman to help on the ground because our corpman was overwhelmed.

On several occasions after we were taken out of the field I went over to our Battalion Aid Station (BAS) to see the status of some of my men. That place looked and smelled like a slaughter house. Literally blood and discarted bandages all over the floor. You were walking and slipping in the blood.
Don't ask me about the triage corner. All of our politians and citizens who get their rocks off spouting off lets (not them of course) go kill'em and let God sort them out spend a few minutes there.

Camar out.
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