Combat medics and corpsmen were either assigned directly or attached to combat units. It was a stressful, but crucial job. In the Big Red One, infantry rifle companies had a medic for each platoon and a senior aidman, who was the most senior, attached to the company command element. Platoon medics were usually responsible for anywhere from 20-50 soldiers. In "leg" units, we were limited by the amount of supplies we could physically carry along with personal weapons, ammunition and other components of the basic load. It was not enough for mass casualties, which were every medic's worst nightmare. The infantrymen appreciated their medics and did everything they could to protect them. When medics went down, it was the riflemen who took care of them.

Army medics and Navy corpsmen still serve and sacrifice with distinction.