One of the "Old Breed"

"After I finally got out of the water, I ran forward, and saw two Marines--both badly hurt--laying out in the open ground.  They must have been ammo carriers for machine guns because right next to them were open metal cans of brightly colored ammo, which I was afraid would make an easy target for the Japs.  They were laying out in a rather open area with very little cover around them.  There I was, seeing my first battle casualties and knowing that they needed attention.  I remember one of them was named Edward, who had a lot of wound fragments in the lower abdominal area as well as his private parts.  He was laying on his back with his face turned up into the sun--moaning and groaning in pain, his helmet was still on with the chin strap pulling his head backward.  It is funny the things you can still remember about your first casualty...     I remember jumping over holes to get to him.  He was very badly wounded with a bullet hole right through his neck.  He was very tall, thin, blue-eyed fellow, and he was sticking up above the ground in a very dangerous position.  In order to treat him, I had to crawl down to his feet area and pull him down into the hole further to get his head and shoulders low enough that I could examine him closely and see if I could do anything for him.  I will never forget those big blue eyes which were staring at me.  He was trying to talk, but of course he couldn't with the wound that he had.  It was obvious to me immediately that he appeared to have a fatal wound.  Blood was pouring out of his neck in a stream.  You can't put a tourniquet around someone's neck.  I knew that he could hear me, so I kept assuring him that he was going to be okay, and I would do all I could for him.  While I was holding him in my arms, assuring him he would be okay, he died right then and there.  I can still remember those deep blue eyes, begging me to do something for him."

"My War Years is a detailed, first person account of Pharmacist Mate Paul W. Smith, who served in the United States Marine Corp in the Pacific Theater of World War II. He intimately describes the hardships, horrors and humor of nearly four years of service to his country. Paul Smith took part in the invasions of Guam and Okinawa, where he was wounded in action. His rating as Pharmacist Mate brought him to the front lines of the conflict, providing medical care to the maimed and wounded in some of the bloodiest battles of the war. He begins and ends his narrative with personal recollections of family and friends that he left behind in Salt Lake City, in particular the long-distance love affair with his eventual wife of over 60 years, Alice Buckmiller Smith. The story is a personal triumph of faith and commitment from a generation that will soon be without a living testimony." (Randall Smith)  

Paul W. Smith, my grandfather, is not only a decorated war hero and talented doctor, but the single reason that I am where I am at today.  He is a huge inspiration to me and one of the biggest reasons that I have always wanted to learn and practice medicine.  The medics and corpsmen during and after WWII and Vietnam paved the way for the emergence of the physician assistant profession.  Their sacrifice and compassionate dedication to the care of their comrades laid the foundation for the core values of physician assistants and doctors alike.  I am so proud to come from such a rich heritage, and am grateful to my grandfather, and all those who fought along side him during the most bitter fighting our world has ever seen.  We are losing these brave men more and more every day, and unfortunately, their stories are dying with them.  As a member of a new generation, here due to their sacrifices, may we never forget their service, and always remember the freedoms that we now enjoy thanks to them.

("My War Years" by Paul W. Smith, is available from the above link as a paperback, or a free PDF download here.)