My career as a Corpsman spanned the post-Vietnam 70s until retirement in 2004. I spent time “green side” part of all four decades, from E-3 to Senior Chief. I was also ship’s company on four ships. Serving as an IDC on a ship without a physician, lab, X-ray, CT, or MRI is both thrilling, scary, and the biggest ego surge imaginable.
I was once one of those enlisted who needed to be watched. I grew up in poverty, barely graduated high school, got in trouble and was a slow starter in the promotion game, and still defied authority leading to mid-career. I was always though, in love with the job and lore of the Corps, the only enlisted corps in the Navy, the Hospital Corps. Most FMF Corpsmen will claim that green side is best side and I don’t disagree, but being haze gray with the smells, camaraderie, rumble of the deck under your boondockers, and the excitement of both leaving and entering port which ranks equally up there with your best fantasies is also a great life.
I finally got my head out of my backside and served in challenging jobs at sea, instructor duty, earned my living in killing zones, two headquarters commands, and somehow stayed married and helped bring up two marvelous children. I could not have asked for any higher honor than to maintain the sea services’ most valuable weapons system, the US Sailor and Marine.