By Jon Diamond
The U.S. military employed an organized system for the treatment of soldiers severely wounded while fighting in the Pacific, including their evacuation stateside if needed. This system was based on the concept of medical care echelons.
Echelon I comprised an aid station/unit dispensary, while Echelon II referred to collecting or clearing stations. Mobile hospitals for evacuation, emergency surgery, and convalescence made up Echelon III. Echelon IV was composed of the general hospitals, hospital centers, and station hospitals. Echelon V was made up of hospitals in the Zone of the Interior.
It should be emphasized that this nomenclature was devised for medical care for the wounded mostly in the European Theater of Operations (ETO); however, it was also applied for the treatment of wounded American soldiers, Marines, and sailors on remote jungle battlefields in Burma and the South Pacific.
Teeming With Environmental Hazards
NO CREDIT CARD NEEDED
Read this article now for Free!
Enter your email address and a password to finish reading this article now.
— OR —
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe now to All Access Digital for only $3.99 a month and finish reading this article. Unlimited Website Access, Thousands of Searchable Articles, Warfare Newsletter, and more.
THANKS FOR SHARING AN THANK TO THE MANY THAT SERVED!!!
God Bless those who have and continue to save so many.
Thanks, Doc and to all the other Corpsmen past and present. Semper Fi!
America has always endeavored to provide the best care to her battle-wounded. The next best improvement came with the helicopter ‘dust off’ romanticized in ‘M.A.S.H.’ This practice helped to extend that ‘Golden Hour’ in which, if emergency treatment was effected helped to extend survival rates greatly. Much laud to our Medics, Corpsman and Combat Nurses of all ranks and stripes.
G4083 HMC
Unsung heroes, indeed.