The Bloodiest Job in the Vietnam War ~ Medical Evacuation | Full Veteran Interview 

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This is what a hero looks like. Alan, you are a very special man. There are guys who have lived a full life thanks to you. I salute you, sir.

I was a Marine Corpsman as well. In Vietnam Nam in 1966. What Alan says is true. Flying medevac wasn’t for the faint of heart.

I was an HM2 Corpsman on USS Sanctuary when you were serving in Vietnam. It is very interesting that you and I may have cared the same casualties. Thank you so much for your bravery and exceptional care of Marines and civilians. The 3rd hospital ship was a German ship, Helgeland.

This guy, probably saves as many military personnel after combat, due to his psychology skills, as he did during his time in combat. Bravo too you Sir!!

I took care of some of your Marines while an USAF Nurse while in Japan & I have praised you phenominal Corpmen ever since. I saw the incredible results of yours & other Corpmen's work. You were the top of our "medical society" during that VN war. My respect for you is stratospheric!

Not on the wall because you were there. Thank you. I was Army grunt and am here because of my Medic.

Doc, I was in-country 68-69 and we marines loved us our corpsman. God bless you for your service.

I've watched a lot of these interviews and been impressed but this guy is next level. Sharp as a tack and from what I can tell healthy as a horse. Obviously he's made wise choices in life and has been blessed as well as being able to give so much to others, in the war and in day to day life. I love humans like this man. Thanks and bless you sir!

You are truly an American hero! You represent the finest that this country has to offer and I can’t thank you enough for your service. Welcome home and we are forever grateful and proud of all of you!

I'm a 63-year-old army that and I am so proud of every soldier and sailor that served in Vietnam, they never lost a battle 🇺🇲😎👽❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Loved the fact he pointed out he has no shame to cry. Salute

Your last comment, " there"s a bunch of names not on the wall, because We Were There", gave this old ex Air Force Nurse a great eyewash. Thanks Twig, for "being there". .

I was Corpsman with Marines in 1965 & 1966. in Viet Nam In I Corp.

I was very moved by Mr. Basham's accounting of his Viet Nam experience. It was one of the most moving narrations of war experiences that I have seen. Thank you, sir, for your service to our country.

I was in country from April 68 - May 69. Lucky as hell the only injuries I got were a few shrapnel wounds but nothing some monkey blood couldn’t cure !! I got nothing but the highest respect for the corpsman and medics, these guys tried to keep the wounded calm even if they knew they weren’t going to make it. We are getting old now but the damage will always stay. Thanks for the work you all are putting in to tell our stories of hell! And for my marine brothers here- Semper Fi !

As a Navy combat cameraman in Vietnam... I filmed medevacs from the field, Navy corpsmen in a Montegnard village with a SeaBee Civic Action Team, and a Navy corpsman serving in a Vietnamese Provincial Hospital along with a Navy Surgical Team. I have all the respect in the world for the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps, especially the corpsmen!

By all that's Holy! You, sir are a hero and I admire you. Draftee here; Vietnam 1968/69. I am passing this on to a Navy Corpsman friend who was with the Marines in Falluja.

“I don’t see sorrow as weakness” “I’m comfortable with my tears”

I'm not half the man you are sir... so I won't "clean it up." You're a mother f#cking hero sir... an inspiration to a nation that DESPERATELY needs your example before it.

You more than earned that hug from that Marine, highest honor he could give you. Great interview and thank you for your service.

My oldest brother was a USAF medic at Clark AFB in 1966 and 1967. He told me many times that the ability of the medics, pilots, aircrews, and nurses was extraordinary when it came to saving lives. There's a small glimpse of him in the documentary TO SAVE A SOLDIER...

How profound the hero words are, there's not a bunch of names on that wall because they brought them home😢 what a beautiful statement priceless words God bless our military and our veterans 🙏

I was an Aircraft mechanic working C-141 thru flight on Okinawa 1969-1970. Med-vacs came thru regularly. We put two of everything we needed to turn that bird, including people, on the plane just in case one quit working. I can tell you being nineteen and working on a med-vac, just servicing the plane took grit. The smells, blood, burnt flesh, disinfectant. And the sounds of young men in agony. And for me. I watched a young man my age die. It's hard to fight a war with tears in your eyes. To all who worked med-vac , from the corpsmen on the battle field, the mash units. Doctors nurses, I salute you. I didn't have to work these planes all the time. I don't know if I could have. To all the mechanics I worked with. Their war was over, but our war just started.we fought time. Our job was to put that bird back in the air as fast as we could, and we did.I know better, but I have always hoped that they all made it and healed from their wounds and went on to live a good life.. aI hated that fuckin war. And now we return to our normal anti American broadcast.🎉

At 35 years old I have never had a single thought or desire to be in the armed forces, and frankly, don't like a lot about how the services function. HOWEVER, I have found myself the last 5 years or so, taking in as much of this kind of content and war documentaries as anyone could ever fit in their brain. The people (the good people) are truly amazing human being. Tons of respect and admiration for the feats they accomplished and everything they've had to deal with since then.

A remarkable man , a great story . As he told of his experiences , I couldn't help but wonder what those eyes had seen . Saving lives while under fire is true heroism .

Alan I appreciated hearing your story. I was also a Navy Corpsman and my story was almost like yours. They had rocketed the DaNang airbase and hit the barracks. Medical people were overwhelmed so they stripped the west cost of 163 corpsman and Doctors all on one plane. We were there 72 hours following the announcement we were going. Just as you said commercial flight, think mine was Continental. I arrived in August of 1967 to August of 1968, not a great time to be in VN. So here is the surprise. I was a mass casualty corpsman at Marble Mountain, Receiving One, NSA Hospital. Thats directly across the road from your facility Mac 16, we would catch your short rounds on rocket nights. We received your casualties from the choppers and got them stabilized and on there way to surgery. It was a year in my life I will never forget, its on my mind everyday. Tet offensive in 68 tested us all and we persevered thousands of casualties, delivered to our facility by your brave group. Thanks Your my friend for your bravery and service. HM2 (Doc Ski)

This retired Chief Engineman on boats in Viernam says you are a Marine. The Marines I know love their Docs and Chaps!

Man this is definitely worthy of a movie,to see and hear his compassion and to see this man is a educated scholar of a human being it’s just touching to the soul,he just putting out there like it is GOD bless and protect him and his love ones I thank you every American fighting man and woman for all you do to keep us free!!!!🤔🤔🤔💯💯💯😌😌😌🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🌎🌎🌎🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿😇😇😇🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿🌎🌎

I wish I’d found this sooner. My dad was a sailor who did river minesweeping in Vietnam. He’d enlisted in 1959 and retired as a Senior Chief in 1981. (I showed up in 1971.) He never talked to me about his experiences. I don’t talk to my son about my experiences as a paramedic, and likewise dad never talked to me about his time at war. Unfortunately, he’s now had a few strokes and has memory problems and speech deficits. His memories from his tour in the boat club are gone. His memorabilia is gone, lost in flooding from Hurricanes Isaac and Ida. I so wish he’d been able to record something like this.

There are many guys like this who served honorably in Vietnam. My generation is the best we went to war and were not well received when we came home!!!

What a guy Respect from Ireland 🇮🇪

My Dad was a Corpsman with the 6th Fleet Marines. He has never said a word.

... The consummate example of a selfless hero - God bless him.

As poignant & gut wrenching an interview as I’ve yet seen. Forty years without effective treatment for the psychological wounds means that many years of hell on earth. Thanks almost to an eternal degree to that gentleman for sharing!

This has got to be one of the most significant interviews of a soldier I've ever seen or heard. Not just his experiences and insight, but his self-awareness and psych perspective. I'll be sharing it. Thank you.

Thank you soldier for your courage and skill in extreme conditions. Thank you sir for having the grace to share these most painful memories. America stands in gratitude.

One thing we can all agree on is that air support is a wonderful thing.

He is there you can see it in his eyes. He is back reliving the whole thing. He did what he had to do to help people and survive.

I don’t know how this channel doesn’t have more subscribers

At 24:30 when he justifies his tears fu**ing hit home hard,if you see this man crying as a weakness you are not a real man 😢 this story is unreal

I am a H-34/H-46 Crew Chief (three tours) my last mission was about March 1969, was a Med Evac, Doc would be proud to have you on my bird any day. Thank you Sir for what you have done for Marines. I salute you Sir. Gunny Joe

Crying for someone else isn’t weakness, it’s a signal that you haven’t completely lost your humanity. As far as the Marines looking after Doc, we don’t view you like we do the average deck ape. In our eyes your a brother marine that wears his rank upside down, you guys are a big part of why Marines don’t shy away from the things we did. We knew that if we got nailed, come hell or high water, doc was coming to fix us, anything from an IV for a hangover to off the book stitches for a brawl we needed kept quiet, all the way up to plugging holes we weren’t issued. You guys inspired us.

Alan, thank you brother for your sincere personal effort to support our fellow service men. Our medics were the last person I wanted to see when we were under fire; but, you were the one person I wanted to see when we were under fire because you were an angel moving from one situation to the next. It is a shame that American government personnel could not see what was clearly in front of them when they refused to give the VA the funds to support the treatment of PTSD until 40 to 50 years after this "police action" that the political guys wanted to label Vietnam as. Welcome home my brother.

Dear Sir, You are a truly an angel that saved a lot of lives back in that hell hole of a war. All that shock, blood, horror and insanity that you saw while trying to save US servicemen and civilians is surely appreciated. No one should experience and witness the abnormality of that war or any war, you did and saved lives. I’m sorry for those lives that you could not save. You are alive now and even if you carry all those horrific PTSD experiences, we who are here today are grateful to understand all that you did. May you continue to live & prosper in order for you to positively impact those who need your help. You sir are a hero among hero’s. Thank you for your service…

Thank you. As a daughter of a Marine Corp Veteran of Vietnam, I am extremely grateful for the service of all who sacrificed.

What an extraordinary human. I learn and gain so much by listening to these people telling of their experiences.

Alan Basham’s last sentence of this interview - and his eyes that reach into the past - dropped like an anvil: “There’s a bunch of names…not on the wall…because we were there.”

This was very moving and powerful I can't imagine being subjected to such horror and ever being able to be even remotely okay ever again. You are truly a inspiration sir. Thank you for those you saved, for those you couldn't, and for those you now help to heal. Thank you for your outstanding service to humanity.

Your mention of the compass course in Marine training reminded me of our one week program in basic in the Women's Army Corp in 1967. We were sent out on a compass course and timed on how long it took us to finish it. Of course, we were not nearly the first to use it, and they apparently did not change the course, so there was a well beaten path through the course. I had almost immediately noticed the path, and told the other girls to follow the path, which we did, and we finished in record time; We managed to keep a straight face when congratulated on our record time. None of us were particularly worried about learning combat skills, since back then women were still treated like women in the military and when we enlisted we were guaranteed to not be sent to combat zones against our will. They did not change that until the invasion of Panama years later.

Thank You Mr. Alan Basham for explaining what this part of life was to you and many others who served in Vietnam. 1971-1974 I served in the US Army stationed at Ray Barracks, FRG. There were both men and women that also served with me during that time who came home from Vietnam who fought that terrible fight too. I didn't not understand what these troops had gone through at that time. Sir it's still hard to wrap my head around your story now 53 years later. You earned your wings!

I was a Navy Corpsman from 1969 to 1973 and six years active reserve Tank Company in the 80's. I was state side during the War and worked on a lot of wounded Marines . I can tell you I hate wars.

Im Australian and some of what you said took me back to being a kid and hearing dad and his mates when they would (rareley) get into talking about the war amongst themselves in thier own lingo. From watching you i got a sort of decifering of what i didnt understand as a kid. Behavior wise as well. Your words really touched me. As did your abilility to smile through tears. All the best mate

Welcome Home Doc. Semper fi... I would have sent you on your missions, but I was several years before you.

This humble mild mannered academics account of his military service in Vietnam is absolutely stellar. His memory of facts, figures, procedures, names of places and peoples from over 50 years ago is extraordinary At 18:55 is where the real darkness of Vietnam starts. What strikes me is how much of a courageous MAN he really is and he projects this image without the slightest trace of bravado and boast about his heroic deeds. In fact his tears make him more of a man in reliving that horror of being pressured into playing God with the lives of wounded children. He didn’t need to explain his reasoning for that, what he presented here is Gold standard. The US benefited greatly from having a man of this distinction serving in uniform during the Vietnam war.

What a brilliant story teller! Hands down the best interview of a veteran I've ever listened to. Truly, an amazing human being. I would like to thank him for his service.

I could listen to this guy tell stories all day long.

There is a special place in heaven for men like him…God bless him! 🙏🙏🙏

My Dad was a combat engineer in the South Pacific and was on every island between Hawaii and Japan......his attitude was, "Take it as it comes".... This guy sounds like Dad. A wonderful gentleman, God Bless Him. My Dad spoke about coming home on a ship and the necessity of "decompressing" with other combat vets.....he said that he couldn't make himself believe he was home until they passed under the Golden Gate Bridge. My father only rarely shared anything about the war....

As a former Marine (who did not fight in Vietnam, my older brother did but he was KIA) and as a currently practicing physician, I can honestly say that this was the most interesting and revealing interview I have ever watched. Over the years I have listened to and watched literally hundreds of interviews but this one was the one I could relate to the best. This man and his comrades efforts absolutely did save probably hundreds of lives. That was indeed a great way to end his story. I’m just blown away and yes, he had me also shedding tears several times during his revelations. Great interview and thank you for bringing this phenomenal story to the public.

Excellent interview. As an old Marine this is personal.

Truly an authentic American hero welcome home

You can’t help but like this guy. Thanks “doc” from an Army Dustoff pilot.

Helicopter Squadron Vietnam; I would never had the nerve to fly Dust Off; the Bravest men I have ever met...The National Cemeteries are full of Corpmen...

My mom's first cousin walked a lit ofpoint in the Dragoons and is an amazing man who has had malaria, diabetes from agent orange, and extreme PTSD. He is a great guy who is still living! I have so enjoyed Ken in my life. I have seen his picture with a huge boa in the field that his squad killed. His worst memory is having to kill a teen who had an ak47 and was the point for the vc. He was destroyed mentally by that experience. He returned with horrible malaria. His brother who just passed was in at the same time. They lied to their mother ao she thought one was stateside. Kens brother had a jeep accident on base and about died and their mother never new! His brother Harlan unfortunately just passed away. Heros.

These men and women who know what it takes to live and help their fellow humans are amazing.

I was with HML-167 July 70 to June 71 when the squadron was withdrawn. I flew part time as a gunner and may well have provided gun coverage for you. Our huey went down in Arizona territory and the 46 stopped to pick us up on the way back to China Beach to drop off the wounded Korean marines. Wonder if you were the Doc on that run. Deepest respect for you and the other corpsmen!

My co-worker told me his story joined the Navy because he didn’t want to be drafted and sent to Nam. AF gave him three choices of work he got his last preference hospital administration which he got. They made him a Corpsman and he ended up in the Rice patties of Nam with the Marines. He developed a shake in his hands that he never could get over.

Newbies = FNGs. Thanks for your service. In my opinion, Vietnam was the dumbest war we ever fought. I was there 1969-70. WELCOME HOME!

My grandpa was a medic in wwll, and towards the end of his life, he told me many thing's about his four year's, and so this man really touched me with his story. I am glad that he was able to get treatment for the ptsd, because it's something hard to live with. G-d bless everyone.

I was one of those "Nuts". Army Dustoff Pilot, 1968, and saw most of I and II corps. Great description, in and out quick. I had terrific medics. I left 'Nam in early '69, moving up into the CH-47 Chinooks and back to II corp, 2nd tour. On a flight north, we stopped at Marble Mountain for POL (fuel) There were two CH-46 phrogs sitting there. While we refueled, I unstrapped, went back and down ramp and walked over to get a look at the 46's. There weren't any crew members, so I went up ramp and headed toward the cockpit. On both sides, where the Army had M-60s on the 47, the Marines had Ma Dueces, M-2 Browning 50 cal. machine guns. That was the moment I understood the difference between the Army and the Marines. Those jar heads don't come to play, they come to get a job done. I call '68 the best year of my life, 819 flight hours, 1541 sorties, 2099 patients, one DFC. A whole lot of quick in and out flights to get our soldiers back quickly to a doctor.

He’s incredibly easy to listen too and very interesting. Tipping my hat to what he’s done.

The therapy he's discussing at the end of the interview is called (as I remember) "Prolonged Exposure Therapy" or PET. I went through it at VA Menlo Park, and it worked, though it was one of the roughest four months of my life. I too had to talk about a child I could not save, though we tried. The smell of blood: I took a copper penny, rubbed it between my fingers and inhaled its odor because it approximates the smell of blood. The relationship-destroying "distancing" I experienced caused the ending of many good relationships. What really got me about this interview was remembering treating a GSW chest, and not checking the back, where the bullet actually entered. And he died. Thanks Doc. Not just "welcome home" but Welcome Back. Charley Mike

Corpsman from your time walked so we could run. To this day you still inspire HM's, and many of our advancement in medical expertise came from all of you. Absolutely outstanding, from one Doc to another.

To you ,Sir... I thank you for all your sacrifice, dedication and expertise in your MOS and for caring for my Marine brothers who you so bravely cared for. I served in the Marine Corps from 71-75 with HMM-261 and MABS-26 and was taken care of by corpsman and Navy nurses while hospitalized and am so grateful to all of them. I became an RN some years after discharge bc of those corpsman and nurses. I'm thankful you are still here to tell your story so others may know the horrors that the Few, the Proud, the Marines went thru and of your experience. You are a Marine brother to me! Namaste. From a Vietnam Era Marine Corps veteran (E-5).

I wasn't in Vietnam, but was an FMF Hospital Corpsman (8404/8410) from 1991 to 2011. I did fly on helicopters in Iraq, but was only flying from base to base or FOB to FOB to repair equipment in the STP or Surgical Operating Rooms. I saw a lot of the aftermath with Marines being operated on in front of me while I repaired medical equipment, like ventilators or other life saving devices. I am very proud that I was able to walk in the footsteps of FMF Corpsmen that served before I did. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Thank you for what you did in Vietnam Alan and thank you for sharing your difficult memories with us.

Love hearing these vets be able to finally talk openly

My uncle was an Army Medic during Vietnam and did three {3} tours. He was a man who did not speak that much but after his first tour he spoke even less. I would listen to the stories he would tell my father, who was in the Air Force and believe he had to be making some of it up. Then I listened to him after his second tour and then began to believe that he was undergoing sheer horror over there. The blood, guts and experiences he endured on the trails, villages rice paddies were, the stuff horror movies were made of. I heard him speak about soldiers being ripped virtually in half after explosions, decapitations, loss of limbs and injuries of the most gruesome type. He was drinking more than usual because of the atrocities he had to go through and endure. It was after his third tour that I heard my mother speaking with his wife, my aunt about him trying at one point to bring the remnants of the skull of a friend home. He wanted to do this because his friend was placed in a body bag marked "Members Missing". He underwent some serious mental health issues upon his return, but he survived. I ironically was asked to enlist in court, by a conscientious judge in 1973, but I went in the Air Force. In my career, which lasted until 1998, I saw first-hand, all what he spoke of and experienced, as a "Combat Engineer". It was terror of the worst type and the firefights; ambushes of the convoys, bombings and wounds of troops were enough to make your hair turn gray overnight. I cannot forgive myself for the troops who were injured and died on my watch. Guys who were under my supervision and friends. Forgiveness is something that still eludes me and the nightmares are constant. I believe I can now join in the conversation with my uncle, who found peace in death.

A hand salute and eternal gratitude and admiration to you, Sir, from a VN combat vet of the same time period. Welcome Home!

I did two tours as an infantry officer . These men were the bravest in the war. I waived them off more than once but never had one refuse to land if we had wounded. They always became the target of intense fire if we were engaged. They were the angels of the battlefield. God bless everyone of them.

First, thank you, Doc, for your service. My uncle was in LRRP's 68 - 69. You touched on something that he and several guys I've worked with over the years about coming home. They all said the same thing, your in combat one day, you get your orders to go, 2 days later your sitting at home eating at your folks dinner table. The mind is still in the jungle, but your body is here. They all agreed that was one thing they were glad to see that changed in Iraq, and Afghanistan. A soldier got to get away from the combat, decompress, and get your brain to thinking like a civilian again before you got to go home. Anyone that served in any combat at the age of most, 18 - 22 sees things that no one should ever see or have to remember . I have nothing but the utmost respect for all vets, VN vers have a special place, because of the way they were treated coming home and many years after. God bless each man and woman that served and has had to live with it since. You are absolutely correct sir, not all the casualties of Viet Nam are on the wall, many became casualties years later.

Bravo Zulu, brother. Former HM1 HM-8506 (Medical Laboratory Technician) 1972 - 1980.

This is a good man.

What a powerful recount of his service. Very moving and profound.

Good God man. The most respect. Live long and continue to help humanity. All wars are banker wars. Da Nang 366 Combat Security Squadron. Perimeter guard.......easy duty, but scared s^&%tless as a 19 year old. Jan1971-Jan 1972. When I got home and went out in public, I was dumbfounded that no one even knew there was a war.

Welcome home brother, you done good...71 yo Navy Veteran

As a civilian that has never served, it's hard to even comprehend what this man and all servicemen and women go through.

I did three tours in the Buddha. My first tour was with the 101st Airborne as a medic. We had 4 medics in the company when we left Ft Campbel. Of the 4 of us 3 were killed, I was the only one who made it.

US Army ”Dustoff’ Hueys, also brought Marines to the “95th Evac” from the field. Welcome Home, “Twig”!

He did not have to give an explanation for the tears. It's people that don't cry ...

I was station with a hospital co at Lejeune after coming back from Southeast Asia in 64 . My commander was a navy captain. Best duty , best guys I worked with till I got out in 65. 1141 electrician Semper fi

58:27 God Bless You Sir. "If by weeping, I could change the course of events, my tears would fall ceaselessly for a thousand autumn's". From a marker on Sergeants Mesa Colorado. A Vietnam War memorial

This warrior is a great interview.

Alan Basham is a hero. He would never think of himself as being one but without doubt, he definitely is.

This is the best interview I have ever heard. Thanks for your service and your duty to service.

There is no one closer to a Marine than a Navy Corpsman.

Now that is a hero… … I bet he wouldn’t like me saying so, which only proves he’s a true hero. If you read this, thank you Twig. So many people got to live their lives because of you.

Thank you Doc. Welcome home.

Going through FMTB in a few days, going to be in Pendleton for a while too