The bond between US Marines and Navy Corpsmen is perhaps the strongest in all the military. They have fought together on land and at sea. The strongest of these bonds is between US Marines and Navy Corpsmen who serve alongside them in the Fleet Marine Force.
This is the story of Navy Corpsman Michael Kuklenski, a Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class.
Following his Field Medical Service Training and his assimilation into the Marine Corps, Kuklenski was sent to Vietnam during the war where he served bravely and heroically.
Michael Kuklenski in Vietnam.
Kuklenski was only in Vietnam for 3 weeks when he saw action for the first time. He was on patrol when someone in his unit triggered a land mine.
Kuklenski saw a severed lower leg fly over his head just before hearing the shouting of “Corpsman Up!” which signified it was his cue to act.
Kuklenski ran to help the injured. Unfortunately, one soldier was already dead. Another had both legs blown off below the knee. Kuklenski sprung into action, putting tourniquets on to stop the man from bleeding out.
He was surprised when the man he was helping began to sing the song “Happy Birthday” as it was evidently his birthday that day.
“I’m trying to save his life…And at the same time keep some composure,” Kuklenski would later say of the situation.
Michael Kuklenski was a conscientious objector
Kuklenski did not support the war in Vietnam. He registered as a conscientious objector and did some of the most conscientious work of anyone who ever objected to that particular war. He might not have agreed with the war but it was his role to heal the wounded and he would not let anything get in his way of doing just that.
A deeply religious man, he would later tell the media that he refused to carry a weapon in battle.
A second heroic moment.
Kuklenski’s second moment of heroism occurred on May 29th, 1969. His unit was looking to set up an ambush but unfortunately for them, ended up quite outnumbered. His unit experienced a 70% casualty rate during this battle. Kuklenski was among the wounded.
He had been hit in both legs and both arms, making it impossible for him to walk. Despite his injuries, Kuklenski dragged himself along the ground on his elbows as he treated other wounded Marines. He refused treatment himself until he had cared for everyone else.
Doctors later told him that he would likely never walk again.
“OK, guys,” he would later tell the Dallas News. “Here’s the deal. I’m going to get up and walk out of here.”
He ended up making a full recovery and going back to Vietnam.
Silver Star with “V” Device and The Purple Heart
Kuklenski was awarded the Silver Star for his efforts. This award is given for singular acts of valor and heroism. He was also awarded the “V” Device for heroism in battle. Kuklenski was also awarded the Purple Heart due to suffering wounds in battle.
Navy Corpsmen in the Vietnam War
645 Navy Hospital Corpsmen were killed during the Vietnam War. Another 3300 were wounded. In total, 10,000 of them served.
In 1966, the Department of Defence produced the below short documentary on the role of naval medical personnel during the war in Vietnam. Numerous veterans and relatives of those who served took the time to write comments about what the film means to them.
“My dad was LCDR Escajeda, a surgeon featured in this film. We just lost him on July 1st of this year. Later in life, he was in a support group of Vietnam corpsman, and they told us this film existed. I am so grateful for its existence. My father was very proud of his service. Thank you to all the doctors, nurses, and corpsmen who helped save these young soldiers lives,” wrote one viewer.
Other veterans took the time to note their appreciation for Corpsmen during the war.
Learn more about the Navy Corpsman who served in the Vietnam War below!
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