World War 2 Combat Medics

World war two was a dark and horrific time for most. If you weren't on the front line you were a worried family member back at home. Most families lost someone in World War 2, and some who were able to get home safe owe alot of thanks to the secret heros behind it all. The combat medics. Combat Medics were trained medical personnel who were to aid to the injured, wounded, or traumatized soilders on the front line. Combat medics were signified with a red cross on a white band or on a hat. The medics carried supplies and morphiene to help the wounded soilders. Because the Medics were constantly in the line of fire Eurpoeans started the Geneva Convention to save lives of the wounded and their aiding personnel. Medics and wounded soilders were not allowed to be shot at because they were non combatic. To make matters worse medics had no protection in the line of fire. Most only had a knife or a small hand gun. How were these men so brave enough to run through line of fire and have the strength to hold someones life in their hands? We always think of the trauma war veterans face after war and all the trauma that takes place. Do we ever really think about the war medics? These brave people were the ones picking up and holding down the bodies of their best friends as they take their last breaths. They are behind the scenes of the actual pain and hardship. ''I can never describe the feeling you get when you see your closest friend dead from his wounds, and knowing that you were unable to save his life. But it has one advantage, you learn not to become to close to anyone, because the pain is to deep when it was a friend who had died. You have to remove every emotion in your body, or end up a raving madman. No one can ever understand that unless they themselves lived it.'' Albert Gentile, Aid-Man for Company B, 333rd Infantry, 84th Infantry Division, WWII. This quote struck me when I read it, it made me feel upset to know real men had to go through this. I could never imagine going through something that traumatizing. Later in his speech he says in all the history books it never says anything about what the war medics had to deal with. Its always the war heros! To me and I think most of you people should feel the true heros are not only the ones who fought but the ones who then had to have the power to pick up the ''strong man'' off the ground and have the mind strength of not knowing if this one will die in your arms or not. Combat medics were inncoent people not wanting to fight in the actual war, but to simply help. I hate to say it even though there was a rule that states you were not aloud to aim fire at a medic or wounded soilder many men were heartless enough to do it anyway. These deffensless, traumatized, strong, innocent, caring men were actually sometimes ''murdered.'' These brave men were the true heros of the war, not only were they saving lives, but they were risking their own for another man.

Heres a clip from Saving Private Ryan, (medics Death)