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MANY FOLKS DON’T REALIZE WHO THE CORPSMEN WERE ON OPERATION MEDINA AND I WOULD LIKE TO SHED SOME LIGHT.

I AM MIKE HILL HM 2, SENIOR CORPSMEN FOR HOTEL COMPANY.

WHEN WE LEFT BASE CAMP FOR OPERATION MEDINA WE HAD SEVEN CORPSMEN.

THE FIRST PLATOON HAD HM3 DAVE JOHNSON AND HM3 RALPH DANIELLO.

THE MIDDLE OF THE COLUMN WAS THE CP GROUP WHERE I WAS.

THE NEXT PLATOON WAS HM3 BOB DECKER AND HM3 DAN MOYERS.

THE LAST PLATOON HAD HM 2 DENNIS GONZALES. GONZALLES WAS BY HIMSELF AS THE OTHER CORPSMAN, HM 3 FLEMMING HAD BEEN MEDEVACED OUT BEFORE THE AMBUSH.

WHEN THE AMBUSH STARTED I WAS AT THE END OF THE CP GROUP NEXT TO THE VIETNAMESE WE HAD WITH US.

I MOVED AWAY FROM THEM NEAR SAU SAU WHO WAS IN THE NEXT PLATOON. SAU SAU WAS TRYING TO CALL IN ARTILLERRY.

DAVE JOHNSON CAME FROM THE FRONT OF THE COLUMN AND WAS HEADING TO THE BACK.

CAPT BARRET, RADIOMAN AND I STARTED TO FOLLOW BEHIND JOHNSON.

I STOPPED WHERE MOYER AND DECKER WERE AND BANDAGED MOYER. HE WAS IN SHOCK AND WAS NOT ABLE TO HELP OUT. HE HAD A SERIOUS WOUND.

JOHNSON MADE IT TO THE REAR WHERE GONZALES WAS, NEAR WHERE LT MC NIGHT WAS KILLED. THEY WERE THERE UNDER FIRE BEFORE SUPPORT GOT TO THEM.

WHEN WE GOT TO THE REAR AREA WE SAW WE NEEDED MARINES TO PROVIDE COVER AND HELP EVACUATE THE DEAD AND WOUNDED.

CAPT BARRET CALLED AND GOT HELP FROM I THINK GOLF COMPANY.

DANIELLO MADE IT TO THE BACK ALSO.

WE SPENT A LONG TIME CARING FOR EVERYONE. OUR CLOTHS WERE COVERED IN BLOOD, AS WELL AS OUR BODY. DANIELLO COMMENTTED HOW ARE CLOTHS WERE STIFF LIKE CARDBOARD AND SMELT HORRIBLY.

JOHNSON AND GONZALES HAD THE WORST AREA WHERE MOST WERE DEAD. THEY WORKED TO SAVE MANY.

AFTER EVERYONE WAS EVACUATED WE ALL CRASH NEAR THE GEAR THAT WAS BEING PUT ON THE COPTERS.

I GUESS WE SAT FOR TEN MINUTES TRYING TO SMOKE, DRINK WATER AND EAT BEFORE WE HAD TO MOVE OUT.

THERE WAS MANY HEROIC ACTIONS BY MANY DURING THE HORRIBLE DAY AND I FEEL ALL THE CORPSMAN WERE NOT RECOGNIZED FOR THERE SACRIFICE TO THERE FELLOW MARINES THAT DAY. FOUR CORPSMEN TREATED ALL THE CASUALTIES. 

THE CORPSMEN OF OPERATION MEDINA

By Doc Mike Hill

Fox Hotel and H&S 1967 - 1968

         On 11 October, 1967, two battalions of the First Marine Regiment embarked on Operation             Medina in the hills of the Hai Lang Forest, Quang Tri Province, Vietnam.