Last modified Wed., July 11, 2007 - 04:26 PM
Originally created Thursday, July 12, 2007

NMSC school unveils memorial

By MCSN Shannon K. Cassidy , Fleet Public Affairs Center Pacific

Photos by MC2(AW) Greg Mitchell Students look at the new memorial to fallen Operations Enduring Freedom/ Iraqi Freedom hospital corpsmen during the Hospital Corspman Memorial Dedication Ceremony June 15 in San Diego.

The Naval School of Health Sciences (NSHS) in San Diego, a subordinate command of Navy Medicine Support Command (NMSC) headquartered in Jacksonville, unveiled the first-of-its-kind memorial June 15 to honor hospital corpsmen who have died in the line of duty since Sept. 11, 2001.

The memorial, created by NSHS staff corpsmen, is a replica of a Soldier's battlefield grave from the World War II era and consists of an M-16 rifle, helmet, boots and dog tags, all cast in copper, and includes the tools of a corpsman: stethoscope, bandages and tape.

"Today, we are here to remember our fallen brothers and sisters who gave the ultimate supreme sacrifice, and those among us who will also fall," retired Rear Adm. James. Johnson said during the ceremony.

As of June, more than 30 Navy corpsmen have perished in the global war on terror since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. As the Navy and Marine Corp's enlisted medical specialists, corpsmen are the primary caregivers for Sailors at sea and combat Marines in the field.

For one Jacksonville corpsman, the memorial represents the corpsmen's combat role and the sacrifices they make every day.

This new memorial in the Naval School of Health Sciences in San Diego was created to remember those hospital corpsmen lost during the war on terrorism.

"I think it's great that our fellow corpsmen are being honored for their service," said HM3 Nerwin Sevilleja, an NMSC medical staff specialist in the Medical-Dental Corps Division of the Centralized Credentials and Privileging Department.

"It's a reminder of the role I and other corpsmen play in this global war on terrorism. Being a corpsman is a demanding job, and this memorial shows how we are willing to take an extra step for our fellow shipmates and for our country."

The three NSHS staff members who crafted and designed the memorial are HM2 Leeann Weeden, HM2(FMF) Wilson Ospina and HM3 Joseph Tonti. For Ospina, serving in combat inspired his work on the memorial.

"My experience in the battlefield impacted my feelings about this memorial," said Ospina. "To be able to share your life with someone, and in an instant, you find yourself fighting to save that life. That's what this is about."

"Navy corpsmen are our right hand," said Rear Adm. Nancy Lescavage, a Navy nurse and director of TRICARE Region West. "They go into harms way with such dedication. They are our heroes, and I wouldn't be anywhere else but here today to honor our fallen."

"It takes an incredible amount of dedication and passion to serve this country," said Capt. Robin McKenzie, also a Navy nurse and the NSHS commanding officer. "Navy corpsmen are the center of Navy medicine. They are the 'doc.' The Marine Corps will not go without their 'doc,' and a corpsman will not leave without his Marine."