GW celebrates 117 years of service, sacrifice

USS GEORGE WASHINGTON , CORAL SEA

06.18.2015

Courtesy Story

USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73)

By USS George Washington Public Affairs

CORAL SEA - Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) celebrated the 117th birthday of the hospital corpsman rate during a celebration on the ship’s aft mess decks, June 17.

HMs and crew members came together to honor the history and commemorate the sacrifices of everyone who not only held, but earned the title of HM and worked as a member of oldest enlisted corps in the United States Navy.

According to Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Carlos Vidal, event master of ceremonies, the Hospital Corps is the only all-enlisted corps in the Navy and has maintained a rich heritage in serving those who serve the fleet for 117 years. He added that HMs have been and will be there to proudly provide care for those in need, from an aircraft carrier in the Pacific to a make-shift hospital in the mountains of Afghanistan.

“I served half of my career as a hospital corpsman on surface combatants, destroyers and cruisers,” said Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 Command Master Chief Todd Wende, a former master chief hospital corpsman and ceremony keynote speaker. “Some of you may not know, but a small ship can’t get underway with two people; first is the commanding officer and the second is the independent-duty corpsman. That shows the significance of the rate.”

The hospital corps was inaugurated June 17, 1898 and stands as the most decorated community in the U.S. Navy. The men and women who have carried the HM legacy have collectively earned numerous awards, including 22 Congressional Medals of Honor, 174 Navy Crosses, 946 Silver Stars, 1,582 Bronze stars and more than 4,500 Purple Hearts.

“We serve in hospitals, on ships above and below the surface, and follow our Marine brothers and sisters in every operational area,” said Wende. “Every branch in the U.S. military and military forces around the world know who we are. Some come to us to teach us, some come to learn, and some answer to the call and join us to be alongside the warfighter, care for the paper-pusher and watch over the aviator.”
Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Dennis Santonil, from Cavite, Philippines, was recognized as the eldest HM aboard George Washington and participated in the ceremony’s cutting of the cake.

“The event highlighted a great deal of the history in our rate,” said Santonil. “It was a fitting tribute to the corpsmen who have given their lives in the line of duty.”

“There was no better way to celebrate 117 years of service than on board GW with more than 5,000 of the Navy’s best Sailors,” said Chief Hospital Corpsman Matthew Gustafson, medical department chief petty officer. “It’s an honor to be a part of such a prestigious rate.”

Approximately 50 Sailors in George Washington’s medical department provide service for the more than 5,000 Sailors on board.

“Our mission as corpsman is to save lives,” said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Ashley S. Vasquez, from Lancaster, Calif. “We provide a high standard of care to maintain a level of good health and to ensure that all of our Sailors are always battle-ready.”

George Washington and its embarked air wing, CVW 5, are on patrol in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. George Washington will conduct a hull-swap with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) later this year after serving seven years as the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier in Yokosuka, Japan.

• Date Taken: 06.18.2015
• Date Posted: 06.25.2015 05:28
• Story ID: 167069
• Location: USS GEORGE WASHINGTON , CORAL SEA
• Hometown: CAVITE, LUZON, PH
• Hometown: LANCASTER, CA, US