House Bill 9481
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HR 9481
By Representatives Maygarden, Thrasher, Melvin, Wise,
Ritchie, Fuller, Dennis, Hill, Peaden, Burroughs, Crady,
Arnall, King, Jones and Lippman
1 House Resolution
2 A resolution commemorating the 100th
3 Anniversary of the Hospital Corps of the Navy.
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5 WHEREAS, from the United States Navy's beginnings, it
6 was found necessary to make provisions for the sick and
7 injured, and in 1799 an act of Congress made such provisions,
8 and
9 WHEREAS, in 1842 the Naval Bureau of Medicine and
10 Surgery was established, with the selection of specially
11 qualified personnel beginning the next year, and
12 WHEREAS, in 1898 the Hospital Corps came into existence
13 as an organized unit of the Medical Department of the Navy,
14 and
15 WHEREAS, in 1900, during the Boxer uprising in China,
16 the first member of the Hospital Corps was awarded the
17 Congressional Medal of Honor, with a total of four Medals of
18 Honor being awarded to hospital corpsmen prior to World War I,
19 and
20 WHEREAS, by World War I, the Hospital Corps consisted
21 of 94 temporary commissioned and warrant officers and 16,000
22 enlisted men, and
23 WHEREAS, fifteen corpsmen were killed in action during
24 World War I, two died of wounds and 146 were wounded or
25 gassed, and hospital corpsmen received 460 major awards and
26 citations, including two Medals of Honor, 55 Navy Crosses, 31
27 Distinguished Service Medals, and two U.S. Army Distinguished
28 Service Medals, and
29 WHEREAS, in World War II, the Hospital Corps achieved a
30 record of saving lives which proved to be unequaled, with 97
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HR 9481
51-233A-98
1 out of every 100 men of the United States Navy and Marine
2 Corps recovering from wounds received, and
3 WHEREAS, in the performance of this seemingly
4 impossible task, 1,724 hospital corpsmen gave their lives,
5 none of whom bore arms, and
6 WHEREAS, of the fifteen Navy enlisted men awarded the
7 Congressional Medal of Honor during World War II, seven were
8 hospital corpsmen, with members of the Hospital Corps
9 receiving over 820 major awards and citations, and
10 WHEREAS, women were first admitted into the Hospital
11 Corps in World War II, and
12 WHEREAS, the Hospital Corps School for Women Accepted
13 for Volunteer Emergency Service, known as the WAVES, were made
14 an integral part of the regular Navy in 1948, and
15 WHEREAS, during the Korean conflict, the Hospital Corps
16 cared for 2,844 casualties during the three weeks of the
17 Inchon-Seoul operation alone, and U.S. Navy hospital ships in
18 Korean waters handled some 20,000 battle casualties, 30,000
19 non-battle casualties, and approximately 80,000 outpatients
20 throughout the course of the conflict, and
21 WHEREAS, of the seven Medals of Honor conferred upon
22 Navy personnel during the Korean conflict, five were bestowed
23 upon hospital corpsmen, and
24 WHEREAS, during the Vietnam conflict, hospital corpsmen
25 performed emergency medical treatment in all types of combat
26 conditions, with 620 corpsmen killed or mortally wounded, and
27 3,353 wounded in action, and
28 WHEREAS, awards for gallantry and intrepidity in action
29 included three medals of honor, 29 Navy Crosses, 127 Silver
30 Stars, two Legions of Merit, 290 Bronze Stars, and 4,563
31 Purple Hearts, and
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HR 9481
51-233A-98
1 WHEREAS, since the end of the Vietnam conflict,
2 hospital corpsmen continue to serve in many "hot spots" around
3 the world, providing medical treatment during military actions
4 and performing as assistants in the prevention and treatment
5 of disease and injury, and
6 WHEREAS, wherever the United States Navy and Marine
7 Corps are found, the members of the Hospital Corps provide
8 every medical service that may be required, rendering quality
9 medical care to beneficiaries throughout the world, and
10 WHEREAS, on June 17, 1998, the Hospital Corps of the
11 Navy will celebrate its 100th Anniversary, and
12 WHEREAS, for 100 years the emblem of the Hospital Corps
13 has been a badge of mercy and valor, a token of unselfish
14 service in the highest calling: the saving of life in the
15 service of this country, and
16 WHEREAS, it is fitting and appropriate that these
17 courageous and indispensable members of America's Armed Forces
18 be honored on the 100th Anniversary of the Hospital Corps of
19 the Navy, NOW, THEREFORE,
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21 Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
22 Florida:
23
24 That the House of Representatives of the State of
25 Florida hereby honors the Hospital Corps of the United States
26 Navy, which celebrates its 100th Anniversary on June 17, 1998.
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