Mick as a Medic

[LaughtersMelody]

I haven't seen anything like this on the board, (forgive me if I missed it somehow) but I was researching some information about WWII, and I wound up coming across some wonderful links.

They provide a very interesting look at what Mick would have experienced as a WWII medic, not to mention, some fantastic information about the real-life heroes who served in this vital and dangerous role within the military.

World War II Medic. This site has a lot of information about the roles WWII medics played in combat and in the military as a whole. Includes statements by real WWII medics, as well as detailed descriptions of their gear, environment, etc.

WWII Combat Medic Training. A thread on Live Journal, discussing how WWII medics were selected and trained.

WW2 U.S. Medical Replacement Training Centers (MRTC) and Medical, Dental, Veterinary, and Sanitary Corps Officers. Both of these links offer in-depth looks at the training medics received, and the history of medical training in the military before and during WWII.

I found all of it facinating, and I thought I would share in case it interests anyone else.

[allegrita]

Thank you so much, Laughter! What a great resource.

[Lucy]

I always wondered why Mick chose that method of service.....
Had Mick St John wanted to be a doctor? Could his father have been one?
Nothing like fanfic to fill in the blanks!

[LaughtersMelody]

Thank you so much, Laughter! What a great resource.

My pleasure! The links were too interesting not to share.

I always wondered why Mick chose that method of service.....
Had Mick St John wanted to be a doctor? Could his father have been one?
Nothing like fanfic to fill in the blanks!

I've always wondered that too! That's actually why I looked up WWII medics originally - I wanted to figure out how Mick might have gotten that duty. I was interested to learn that medics on the front lines didn't necessarily need medical experience, and they didn't always volunteer. Medics were assigned that duty for sometimes surprising reasons. One person mentioned that their father was chosen to be a medic because his eyesight wasn't good enough for him to be regular infantry. Another website said that a number of medics were conscientious objectors, and that earned them some derision, until men were on the front lines. Anyone who'd seen combat gave the medics a lot of respect (and the best bunk if there was one). A medic recalled wounded men always calling him "Doc" - he was 19, and had never been to medical school.

It's interesting too, one website stated that most Nazi's respected the medics and let them do their job, but one medic said that wasn't his experience. He testified that more the once, that Nazi troops deliberately targeted the red crosses if they saw them. So, Mick's experience could have gone either way.

So, true, there is nothing like fanfic to fill in the blanks.

[Shadow]

Thanks so much for these links, Laughter . . . I look forward to exploring them. I have a pile of books on the subject, but haven't explored the net that much, so it is great to have these links! I have a fascination for the subject since my grandfather was an ambulance driver in WWII -- he wouldn't ever talk about that time, so I turned to the library to try to understand what he'd been through. Books about medics were as close as I could get to learning about what an ambulance driver might have gone through. I was fascinated as you were by the different degrees of experience these men had, some who were doctors in civilian life, some with no medical training whatsoever. One book that I read contained truly horrific detail about the casualties the medic had treated, and the real shocker was the epilog, where he said that there were things he had seen in the war that he could not even bear to think of, much less write down. It was hard to imagine what could have been worse than what he'd actually written about.

I have to say I was thrilled to find out that Mick had not just been a soldier in WWII, but a medic. Really makes one wonder how that came about, whether it was his choice or something he was just flung into. (The only thing my grandfather ever said about it was that as an experienced roundhouse foreman, he should have been put to work on the railroads instead!)

[LaughtersMelody]

You're welcome, Shadow.

My grandfather served in WWII also. He was part of the Army Air Corp, before they separated the Air Force and Army branches of service, though he never personally saw combat. He was assigned to a group that made training films for the other troops. He was injured at one point, when a plane crashed into the barracks, and another soldier accidentally collided with him in all the chaos. It left him with some serious dental problems.

I'm so sorry that your grandfather had such a difficult time. My uncle was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and he flew wounded from the front lines. He's never wanted to talk about that either.

It really does make you wonder how Mick wound up as a medic - whether he volunteered for it or not. That's one of my favorite parts of his character as well.

[librarian_7]

Hey, my dad and my father-in-law were both Army Air Corps!

[LaughtersMelody]

Wow. That's very cool!

Were either one of them by chance stationed in Belgium?

[librarian_7]

Well, my dad joined as soon as he could, but the war was almost over by then, and he never left the US. I believe my father-in-law was in Italy, among other places, but I don't think he made it to Belgium.

[Shadow]

My grandfather spent time in France and in Belgium . . . I never did find out whether he was in the midst of combat or not. From what I've read, it seems that an ambulance driver might have had a relatively safe time . . . or might have been under fire very near the front lines. Since he really seemed haunted by it, I've suspected the latter. ( Although what you mentioned about your grandfather, Laughter, reminds me that being behind the lines didn't mean that anyone was safe there. A friend of mine who had two tours in Iraq told me that he felt safer out on patrol than on the base.)