A former hospital corpsman and retired warrant officer has donated a collection of historical photographs and memorabilia to U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Guam and U.S. Naval Hospital Guam, preserving a vital piece of Navy Medicine’s medical legacy supporting military operations in the Pacific during the Vietnam War.
Retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 P. Eugene Jones discovered the collection of 35mm photographic slides and historical unit patches while sorting through personal belongings accumulated throughout his military career.
The photographs capture the raw reality of hospital operations between 1968 and 1969 at the former U.S. Naval Hospital Guam built in 1954 in Agana Heights, Guam. They show medical evacuation, patient care, and hospital staff at work. The donation also includes historical unit patches.
Jones has deep personal connection to USNH Guam. He first served as a hospital corpsman third class from 1970 to 1971. He returned 14 years later as a chief warrant officer 4, serving as a physician assistant from 1985 to 1987.
“During the Vietnam War, we received patients on a regular basis via flights to Andersen Air Force Base,” Jones wrote in a letter with the donation. “They were then bussed to the emergency room for triage and admission.”
Throughout the war, USNH Guam played a critical role in the evacuation and treatment of wounded service members from Southeast Asia. The island’s strategic location enabled Navy medical personnel to provide lifesaving care to the injured warfighters arriving from combat zones, continuing a legacy of medical readiness and support that remains central to the command and the hospital’s mission today.
The photographs provide a rare look at the daily grit of the Navy doctors, nurses, and corpsmen who cared for the warfighters.
By preserving artifacts and firsthand accounts of this history, the command honors the previous generations of medical teams for their commitment to supporting the warfighters and maintaining the heritage of Navy Medicine in the Pacific.
The donation will become part of the Navy’s historical collection and serve as a reminder of the role the command and USNH Guam has played in caring for the warfighters across decades of military operations.