Corpsman Up - An Hoa, RVN - 4Aug1969

Self | 4Aug2012 | ConorMacNessa

[ConorMacNessa]

CORPSMAN UP!
An Hoa, RVN, August, 1969



HM/3 Tom Mitchell, Lima 3/5 & HM/3 Glenn G. Simpson, Mike 3/5
Corpsmen’s Quarters, An Hoa. 4Aug1969
Doc Simpson and I went through Field Med School together at Camp Pendleton, Calif, in March, 1969. We were both assigned to the 3rd Batt. 5th Marines, arriving in country 28 April 1969. Glenn served with Mike Company and I was initially detailed to Kilo Company. I was medevaced out in late June due to an infection in my right hand - spent a month in hospital at USNH Yokosuka.

I returned in-country 4 August and arrived An Hoa that evening, when this photo was taken. Four days later I was out in the bush again, this time with Lima Company.

On 18 August, 1969, both Glenn and I were WIA within moments of one another in the Arizona. We were pulled out in the same chopper to Danang – to 95th Evac.

I never saw Glenn after that ride on the chopper. I learned a few months ago that he survived the War but that he passed on about ten years ago. Much too young for this man to die! I miss you dearly, Brother!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[ConorMacNessa]

Doc Glenn G. Simpson, USN - another 3/5 FMF Corpsman with whom I had the honor to serve, made it through the war but passed on much too early. Many of my NamVet Brothers and Sisters are cashing in their chips at an early age. I have heard it said that the remaining Vietnam Vets will be buried by their Korean War and WWII Brothers.

Rest in Peace, Doc Simpson - Well done, you good and faithful servant!

[ConorMacNessa]

Ping to the Canteen and Amy's Place!



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[frog in a pot]

Hand salute.

Your service, and that of your brothers, was very much appreciated at the time.
By my reckoning, that service will be held in high regard for enternity.

[dcwusmc]

Hey, Doc. Always sad to lose a comrade. My condolences.

Looks like we were there the same year. I was up at Phu Bai with the wing.

[BIGLOOK]

I never know what to say when news like this comes around and it's come around quite a bit, Doc.

Godspeed Glen Simpson.

[BwanaNdege]

Semper Fi, Doc, from a Lima, 3/26, 81 mortars FO/radio operator! (Arizona Territory during Taylor Common and what followed that. Rotated home Sept, 69 )

You corpsmen were great! (well, except for one idiot named Dusty who thought tossing a disarmed frag at folks was funny. I almost shot him before I realized it was disarmed) Y’all did unbelievable things taking care of your Marines.

Thanks to our Lima 3/26 corpsmen and all the rest of you!

[Jim Robinson]

Thank you very much, brother. Welcome home. RIP, Doc Simpson.

[dagogo redux]

I’m sorry to hear about your friend.

Gator Fleet HM-2, 1972-76. Never in country like you guys, but caught up in mild action when Cambodia fell, and then again when Saigon fell a few weeks later. My hat’s off in deep respect to you and your buddy and all you did and all you put up with in country. God bless you.

Stay safe and healthy, and live long.

[jmax]

BRAVO ZULU, DOC.

[Neil E. Wright]

Welcome home, Doc. Rest in Peace!

SALUTE!

Neil E. Wright, RM2, USN

Vietnam 1970-1971, USS Fresno (LST 1182)

[Jet Jaguar]

Salute.

[VF-51vnv]

God speed Doc..may you rest in peace. Me?????? After serving 3 tours, I’ll hold my cards and chips close to the vest for now and let God sort it out later.

[Chainmail]

Rest in Peace, Doc.

Semper Fi.

Bravo 1/11 and Golf 2/1, Jan '66 to May '67.

[Kathy in Alaska]

TAPS

RIP

HM/3 Glenn G. Simpson, USN
3/5 FMF Corpsman

Eternal Father Strong To Save - click

[ConorMacNessa]

Thanks very much, Kathy! He was a good man, a great Corpsman and a Patriot!





Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Diver Dave]

Thank You, ConorMacNessa.

RIP Doc Glenn Simpson.

Hand Salute.............two.

SFP2(DV) 63-67
USS PIEDMONT(AD-17) R-1 Div.

[Kathy in Alaska]

We are forever grateful to all our Vietnam Vets, as well as those who didn't make it home.

[A Navy Vet]

Rest easy, Corpsman. You earned whatever life there is beyond. You guys are always there beside our Marines, saving their lives and possibly their limbs, while right in the "sh*t". They love you and appreciate you. They always have and always will. So does this simple aviation swabbie.

[M1911A1]

I’ve always felt uncomfortable with all the kindness I was shown after my relatively tame deployment during OIF, especially from the Vietnam Vets.

God bless Navy Corpsmen, wherever they are.

[A Navy Vet]

"We are forever grateful to all our Vietnam Vets, as well as those who didn't make it home."

Yes Mamn, I couldn't agree more as a Wounded Warrior supporter, a Patriot Guard Rider, and a Navy veteran.

I am so sick of seeing our best wasted on wars and on nation-building. Viet-Nam was a righteous attempt at stopping communism, but our media lost that effort.

Although we won the Iraq war, they WILL revert to their barbaric ways as is always the case in that part of the world. Aftganiscrap is already doing so, not to mention the State Department attempting back-channel negotiations with the Taliban. Egypt and the other "arab spring" countries are going to be more problems.

As before, in my 62 years, I've seen a waste of our youth and resources and foresee more to come.

The next time we go to war, I want to see complete devastation of the enemy and teach a lesson like we did with Germany, Italy, and Japan. No more half-assed attempts. Kill them all! - make an example! It worked for the aforementioned 3 nations, it can work again if we and true allies have the resolve.

As we leave Aftganiscrap, with all our good will and candies and food and water and our soldiers play nice and building their infra-structure, we're still seeing a body/wounded count. They are a sick culture that should have been bombed/nuked back into their beloved 7th century. And no, I don't care about their children or moderates - better they die than ours.

Sorry, Kathy, this thread touched a nerve. I'm old and I'm tired. I grew up in an era when America wouldn't take crap from anyone who wanted to harm our productive way of life. We were the "Shining Promise on the Hill". We would stop them by whatever means. Now, no one cares, as I watch our great experiment die. Better go to bed. Have a nice day.

[A Navy Vet]

"I’ve always felt uncomfortable with all the kindness I was shown after my relatively tame deployment during OIF, especially from the Vietnam Vets. God bless Navy Corpsmen, wherever they are."

I get it. I've always had some guilt feelings for not being in the sh*t during Nam when some of my friends did. However, you DO realize that during any war there are many more REMF's than those actually fighting? There is always logistics that support them and without that, the grunts couldn't do their job. That doesn't mean the REMF's wouldn't fight, if need be. Ever seen, "WE WERE SOLDIERS" movie? There were many Rangers who were in support positions, but volunteered to go out into Mogadishu after hearing their brothers were cornered?

The same for fighter pilots on the flight deck. The movie, "TOP GUN", gave little acknowledgment to the many yellow, white, blue, green, and purple shirts who get them on and off the deck with weapons ready. Without them, the pilots would sit in the ready room and just drink coffee. Those same simple sailors would give their lives to make sure those pilots got off the deck.

I'm proud I served well for years working on the flight deck and later chasing Soviet nuke ships from a surface ship. As long as you were Honorably Discharged, you should be proud you served. Not everyone can storm the hill. Thank you for your service.

BTW, love those old 1911's, if that is what your handle means. That was my first introduction to a pistol back when. What a kick! My choice of sidearm is my Sig P226.

Actually, my favorite is my Rem 870. Recently went to a famfire and learned to shoot from the hip and under the armpit. You'd be surprised how easy and accurate it is from those positions, while not nestling the stock in your shoulder and feeling that nasty kick. Just swings in your arms - no problem.

[A Navy Vet]

Seems we were both Gator Navy around the same time. I was '75 - 78. USS New Orleans (LPH-11). Purple shirt on the flight deck.

I salute all HM's. Although not happy about the twin bullets after leaving Subic Bay. Damn, you guys were brutal. Stick...next! You guys had no mercy. I can still feel your less than hospitable shots. Har! But then, my ex-wife thanks you!

[dagogo redux]

USS Peoria, LST-1183.

I am in full agreement about your assessment of the way our troops are now used for everything but winning wars.

Sorry about the “bullets.” We weren’t trying to be brutal, at least I wasn’t, but the doses were huge and thick, and the needles were therefore necessarily like railroad spikes. Perhaps you can think of it as a small price to pay for the uniquely bizarre experience of total immersion - however briefly - in the animal soup that was Subic back in the day.