Question:
I was stationed in Vietnam, near Danang. I was assigned to a naval support hospital. Hospital Corpsman, 6/1967 to 6/1968. Especially busy during Tet. Am I considered a combat vet?
Jim's Reply:
You served in a combat zone and I assume you received the appropriate hazardous duty pay. Whether that defines you as a combat veteran in your own mind is up to you. If you were a Navy corpsman serving in a hospital far away from any particular danger of engaging the enemy, I'd have to say no.
I served about the same time you did as an Army hospital medic in Germany and I'd guess you and I were in about the same amount of danger and I don't think of myself as a combat medic. I had the training and the MOS to accompany an infantry unit into combat, I was never called upon to do so.
In official terms unless you directly engaged the enemy in combat and you received a ribbon like the Combat Action Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) and Combat Medical Badge (CMB) you are not officially recognized as a combat veteran.
The fact is that the great majority of us who serve our country in the military never get close to combat. We serve in supporting roles to our brothers and sisters who are unfortunate enough to engage in combat and we should all be proud of what we've accomplished...whether we earned combat ribbons or not.
My honorable discharge means as much to me as anything I've ever worked hard for even though I did nothing heroic nor particularly brave. I'd hope you feel the same.