US Army Ambulance Corps Founded Today

usaac10

An important date in US Army and military history is the US Army Ambulance Corps Founded Today. On this day, August 2nd, 1862 Maj. Gen. George McClellan instituted the US Army Ambulance Corps!

VSW644_TF_Talon_10th_Med-v

Wiki ~ 

“The U.S. Ambulance Corps was a unit of the Union Army during the American Civil War. The Ambulance Corps was initially formed as a unit only within the Army of the Potomac, due to the effort of several Army officials, notably Dr. Jonathan Letterman, medical director of the Army of the Potomac, and William Hammond, the US Surgeon-General. Until August 1862, the lack of trained ambulance drivers meant that the wounded had to wait a long time to receive medical care. This changed at the Battle of Antietam in September 1862 when his new system allowed the wounded men to be transferred quickly so there could be fewer deaths. The corps also meant that ambulances had a more centralized organization. [1]

Due to public pressure, the Army created an Ambulance Corps for all units and theaters of operation, through the Ambulance Corps Act of March 11, 1864. The Confederate armies did not have any such service available within their military.

The Confederate Army did have an Ambulance Service.”

Gaining additional prominence in later US military Wars and engagements the US Army Ambulance Corps found duty in World War’s 1 and 2, where casualties became so staggering that the medical needs of the Army grew to such a level that the medical corps and ambulance service had to expand to meet the demands.

VSW884_ArmyCombatMedic-v

Volunteer Ambulance Officers

Put on your old gray bonnet

With the strap ahangin’ on it,

And we’ll go thru shrapnel & thru shell-

Then on roads of desolation

We will cure your constipation

With a wild night ride in hell!

We Will Never Forget Coin

CUSTOM MILITARY COINS

See All Custom Coins