Honoring Those Who Gave All

Captured in 1942, he established a hospital that cared for 2000 prisoners.  At great risk to his life and despite unconscionable treatment, Rader put all his energies into obtaining medical supplies and caring for his fellow captives. Among CPT Rader’s namesakes are the Andrew Rader Health Clinic at Ft. Meyer and a newly opened Patient Simulation Training Unit at Catawba Valley Community College.

Captain Salomon, earned the reputation as his unit’s “best all-around soldier.” In June 1944, Salomon went ashore as part of a landing force on Saipan. With little dental work to do, Salomon volunteered to replace the Battalion surgeon, who had been wounded. Facing the capture of his field hospital, Salomon arranged for the treatment and evacuation of every patient while he stayed to protect their retreat. Though successful, Salomon perished. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor – the first dentist to ever earn that distinction. 

Technician Fourth Grade Parrish served in the U.S. Army during WWII as a medic. Parish distinguished himself in the Pacific theater by single-handedly treating and evacuating 37 wounded soldiers, crossing and re-crossing a hostile environment selflessly. Each trip exposed Parrish to repeated wounds, the last of which took his life. For his “gallantry and indomitable spirit,” Parrish was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.  His name lives on within the Army Medical Corps as an example of service above self.

Private McGee enlisted in the Army Medical Corps in 1943. On March 18, 1945, participating in his infantry unit’s advance across the Moselle River, McGee rendered aid to two men in his unit who lay wounded in a minefield. McGee entered the minefield and carried one of the injured to safety. Returning for the second man, he triggered a mine. Though severely injured, he ordered his fellow soldiers to stay away and not risk their lives to save him. He succumbed to his wounds the next day. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Private Murphy served as an Army Medic in the European theater. During intense hostilities, Murphy was seriously wounded but continued to administer aid to the fallen. His unit entered a mine field and, despite the danger, Murphy rushed in after. While moving from patient to patient, Murphy triggered a mine which injured him further. Refusing aid for himself, he continued to treat others until another mine took his life. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. His namesakes include a naval ship, an Army barracks, a primary school, a federal building, and a former Army hospital.

Major Kelly originally enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 15 and served in WWII. He re-entered the Army in 1954 and served as a casualty evacuation pilot, setting a standard for excellence that still exists today. In 1964, he perished in action while on a particularly daring rescue mission.  When warned to turn back from the dangerous conditions Kelly replied, “When I have your wounded.”  This phrase has been adopted by the MEDEVAC community, a credit to Kelly’s indomitable spirit.

Specialist 4 Medic Evans joined the Army from his home town of Covina, California. In 1967, while serving alongside his platoon in Vietnam, a neighboring platoon came under hostile fire. Evans, leaving a position of safety, ran across 100 yards of hostile terrain to treat the wounded. One of the wounded needed immediate evacuation. Evans dragged him back over the same open field. He continued to return, recovering more and more wounded, incurring repeated injuries, the last of which took his life. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.  Evans Army Community Hospital at Ft. Carson, Colorado bears his name.

First Lieutenant Lane attended the now Aultman College of Nursing, in Canton, Ohio. After joining the Army Nursing Corps, she was assigned to the 312th Evacuation Hospital in Chu Lai, South Vietnam. According to her peers, she was dedicated, decent, level-headed, and upbeat. She worked tirelessly to care for the wounded, refusing to be relieved though working beyond exhaustion. She perished in a rocket attack, the only nurse whose life was taken by direct hostile fire in Vietnam. Her name appears on panel 23W, row 112, of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, 1 of 8 women on that memorial.

Private First Class Wilson quit junior high to enlist in the Army on his seventeenth birthday. He trained as a medic at Ft. Sam Houston, TX, and then joined the Airborne. While serving in Korea, his unit came under severe fire. Without regard for self, Wilson treated and helped to evacuate the wounded. Learning that an injured soldier had been left behind, Wilson went back to get him against the pleas of his unit. Wilson was mortally wounded while administering aid to the soldier. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. 

Petty Officer 3rd Class Beauchamp died in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, the result of an improvised explosive device. He was known as “Doc” to the marines he served. Thousands attended his funeral. We have chosen PO3 Beauchamp to represent the more than 220 medics, corpsman, and other medical personal who have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. They all share a common act of valor – the pledge to put service before self in their mission to save lives. Their troops call them battlefield angels. We acclaim them as Good Samaritans. We cannot tell all their stories here.  Each is of someone who is a hero to the many lives they cared for and saved.