Painted Normandy GI's (1 Viewer)

S

Sandhurst39

Private 1st Class
Joined
Jun 9, 2013
Messages
150
TSSD GI's impressed again with the quality and the fun that these figures were to paint. image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg
 
SOMETHING ELSE!!! These are supurb figures my friend...gives the rest of us something to aspire to.!
excellent, please post some more.
 
Excellent work!
I didn't think medics were armed though, were they?

Walt
 
wds0855 said:
Excellent work! I didn't think medics were armed though, were they? Walt
Click to expand...

Not in WW2 (to my knowledge). I heard a soldier say in the 1960's that the Geneva Convention allowed for "defense of self and patient" but I have no idea if that clause was operative in WW2.

Gary B.
 
I don't believe medics were officially allowed to arm themselves until the 60s (during Vietnam) for defense of their patients - and self-defense when their non-combatant status wasn't respected by the VC and NVA. However, this didn't stop individual medics from grabbing a .45 for the same reasons during WWII. Most brass looked the other way as it was understood that in the heat of combat medics often caught fire and the Japanese, as non-signators of the Geneva Convention, often targeted medics as they tried to tend to the wounded.

When I was in the 82nd Abn Division, our Division Chaplain, Jerry Autrey, was known as the "Gun-toting Chaplain" because as a young infantry chaplain in the 101st Abn Division in Vietnam he took up carrying an M-16 when in the field with the troops to make them feel more comfortable. If he was unarmed the guys felt as though they had to look out for him, with his own weapon (even if he didn't fire it) they felt he could take care of himself.

An interesting sidenote: during a combat operation things fell apart due to the op being commanded by a cherry lieutenant. Chaplain Autrey stepped in, organizing resistance, perimeter defense and calling in fire support. He received a Bronze Star for Valor for saving the 6s of the platoon, but a letter of reprimand from the 101st Division Chaplain on the same day for violating his non-combatant status. The guy was a legend among US paratroopers in my day.

I share this not only because I think it's a great story, but also it illustrates how the rules and reality often part ways in combat.
 
This story was relayed to me by a friend. While boarding a helicopter to a combat zone the sgt asked the medic where his sidearm was. The medic replied that he was a conscientious objector and will not carry a sidearm. Furious, the sgt said they can not be looking out for an unarmed soldier, let alone the rest of the squad. The medic refused. The sgt said get off this *@#% helicopter now. The medic said he would not. A fight was about to ensue, when the Lt put an end to the argument. Imagine the tension. My friend did say however, that they did respect the medic. A medic who helped save fellow soldiers under fire.
 
Go for Broke said:
This story was relayed to me by a friend. While boarding a helicopter to a combat zone the sgt asked the medic where his sidearm was. The medic replied that he was a conscientious objector and will not carry a sidearm. Furious, the sgt said they can not be looking out for an unarmed soldier, let alone the rest of the squad. The medic refused. The sgt said get off this *@#% helicopter now. The medic said he would not. A fight was about to ensue, when the Lt put an end to the argument. Imagine the tension. My friend did say however, that they did respect the medic. A medic who helped save fellow soldiers under fire.
Click to expand...

I have total respect for a guy who'd go into a hot LZ without a firearm to save his fellow soldiers' lives - particularly when as a conscientious objector he could (if he could justify his claim) have avoided the situation altogether.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Community platform by XenForo® © 2010-2024 XenForo Ltd.
Back
Top