KSV News: Short Round 053

Remembering Charlie Med

One of our members who had served in Charlie Med recently asked if we wanted to post some photos that he had. Still working on that. But it reminded me that we have not focused sufficiently on the heroics of those who served In Charlie Med.

Data from Chat GPT: During the 77-day Siege of Khe Sanh (21 January – 8 April 1968), there are several figures in the historical record:

The official Marine Corps history, The Battle for Khe Sanh, states that Charlie Med treated and evacuated 852 wounded personnel during the siege. This figure refers primarily to seriously wounded casualties who passed through the surgical facility for treatment and evacuation.

A broader accounting by Commander Robert A. Brown, commanding officer of the 3rd Medical Battalion, reports that Charlie Med saw and treated 2,541 patients during the period 20 January–16 April 1968. According to his records:

2,037 were battle casualties (wounded in action),
490 were non-battle casualties (illnesses, accidents, etc.),
2,249 were evacuated,
292 were treated and returned to duty.

Another contemporary account notes that in the first 10 days of the siege alone, the small underground operating area treated 372 patients, illustrating the extraordinary pace of casualties during the opening phase.

All of this with key personnel that basically included only 4 Doctors and 26 Corpsmen

These medical professionals were responsible for providing critical care to the injured Marines, Squids, Airedales and Doggies. They treated approximately 2,500 injured men over a three-month period, often under constant enemy fire.

As best I can remember, no one ever wanted to visit Charlie Med until they really, really had to. And then, there was no better place to be in the universe.

I had the distinction of being there twice to drip in well over half a dozen liters of saline for the effects of dysentery while living the good life on 558. Adding insult to injury, I actually had to stagger there with a squad from my platoon because we had no other transport. My visit was so minor in the overall picture of the daily heroics that took place there. But I do remember it vividly as a refuge from the craziness that surrounded Khe Sanh and the Hills.

So, this is just a reminder that it is so important for us to occasionally sit back and give thanks for the heroics of those who served with us. Mostly ordinary guys doing extraordinary stuff. Thank you to all.