My dad served In the Hospital Evacuation Corps #1 Platoon #1 USMC in WWII. How do I find out their mission

Melissa,

Each Marine Division (there were six, numbered 1st through 6th) had a medical company, and each battalion in the division had an aid station (nine of these per division). In addition, each company had its own medical aid section.  By tradition and practice, the Navy supplied all medical personnel for the Marines—doctors from the Navy Medical Corps, dentists from the Navy Dental Corps, and enlisted men from the hospital apprentice and pharmacist mate ratings.  Chaplains also came from the Navy Chaplain Corps.

The Division Medical Company was divided into three subunits: the collecting and sorting section, the hospital section, and the evacuation section.  When Marines became casualties, they were first treated by the company aid man and taken to the battalion aid station.  Those casualties requiring further treatment or surgery would be evacuated back to the division hospital.  After treatment at the Division hospital, the casualties would be evacuated from the combat area for further treatment and recovery.  Your father’s role would be to take casualties from the battalion aid stations to the hospital and, perhaps, moving casualties out of the hospital to their next destination.  Battalion aid stations were not far removed from the fighting, and hospitals in combat zones had their own horrors, so I’m sure your father’s experiences were difficult ones.

I hope you find this information helpful.

A. J.

Melissa,

Each Marine Division (there were six, numbered 1st through 6th) had a medical company, and each battalion in the division had an aid station (nine of these per division). In addition, each company had its own medical aid section.  By tradition and practice, the Navy supplied all medical personnel for the Marines—doctors from the Navy Medical Corps, dentists from the Navy Dental Corps, and enlisted men from the hospital apprentice and pharmacist mate ratings.  Chaplains also came from the Navy Chaplain Corps.

The Division Medical Company was divided into three subunits: the collecting and sorting section, the hospital section, and the evacuation section.  When Marines became casualties, they were first treated by the company aid man and taken to the battalion aid station.  Those casualties requiring further treatment or surgery would be evacuated back to the division hospital.  After treatment at the Division hospital, the casualties would be evacuated from the combat area for further treatment and recovery.  Your father’s role would be to take casualties from the battalion aid stations to the hospital and, perhaps, moving casualties out of the hospital to their next destination.  Battalion aid stations were not far removed from the fighting, and hospitals in combat zones had their own horrors, so I’m sure your father’s experiences were difficult ones.

I hope you find this information helpful.

A. J.