Intermission Stories (7)

Harold Selley receiving his Bronze Star

Medic, Harold Selley

Harold Selley was in the Medical Company of the 7th Cavalry Regiment from the time time he arrived in Korea, July 1950.  He would remain there for 11 months as a medic in a Forward Collecting Station.

Selley related in an interview,” Several times my collecting station was surrounded by the enemy and we were unable to get our wounded to the rear.  Most of the time, we medics provided our own perimeter security for the station.  That meant we took turns in staying in foxholes guarding our station.  Usually we were far enough to the rear of the actual small arms fire that we could operate the station without the enemy invading the area.  Since we received wounded from the entire regiment, we saw practically everyone who was wounded in the entire regiment.”

A medical HQ in Korea

Selley was the main person who saw that the proper tag was given to each casualty.  The tag was for identification, brief explanation of the injuries and a record for the regiment.  Such records were essential for future medals, disability pensions, statistics, Army files and family information.

Emphasis was on teamwork. “All of us medics in the station were part of a team,” he said.  “We knew what to do when a wounded man was sent to us.  Often I performed emergency treatment and procedures that the assigned doctor in our station could not do.  He was too busy to do it all.  We had to pitch in and do everything we could.  Often the doctor went from one casualty to another giving advice to the medic as to what should be done.

Medics Crit Nash, Harry Kane & Harold Selley in Korea

“The doctor knew the medic’s capabilities.  This is not meant to be arrogant in nature.  It simply means that we medics treated so many casualties (hundreds) that we became rather proficient.  We performed emergency amputations, treated spinal injuries, worked on *pneumothoraxes, did emergency repairs on fractured bones, stopped bleeding, removed shrapnel and attended to shock (most were in shock!).

” Many died before we could get them evacuated to the rear.  Dead and wounded were all around us daily.  Often we went without sleep during a heavy fighting.  I went without sleep for 4 days once, working continuously on wounded.”  Selley knew of course that the infantrymen in the frontline battles also went long periods without sleep – for days on end!

“My medical company lost several aid stations, including the doctors and medical personnel.  We were always in danger of being attacked by the enemy.  The medics assigned to the aid stations in the battalions knew their life expectancy was short.  Memory of these men should always heralded as valor and total allegiance to the fighting men, Army and United States.”

doctor and medic w/ wounded soldier

For Selley, the memories of being under artillery fire, strafed by planes several times and close to small arms fire will always be remembered.  But for him, the most memorable thoughts are the wounded.  “I saw about every possible injury that could happen.  I got to the point that no injury was too tough to handle, that is, too tough to examine or treat.  But, when the wounded died in my hands, that is when I realized I was so inadequate in helping someone.  I was drenched in blood most of the time.  I tried with all my being to help people live, and when they died, I felt so helpless.  I didn’t have time to feel sad or even weep over them.  That came later, much later, after I returned from Korea – and still to this day.”

Selley returned to his home and college only to find the younger students did not share his thoughts on America.  They had not been through a war and were conditioned to be isolated from the unpleasantries of life.  The final line of his story reads  – “Let us not make this a forgotten war!”____Harold Selley 2001

*pneumothoraxes: an abnormal collection of air in the area between the lung and chest wall; usually caused by blunt force trauma during combat.

This story was taken and condensed from HERE>

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Farewell Salutes –

Alwyn Berland – Toronto, Canada & Chicago, IL; US Navy, WWII

George Allen – Bethesda, MD; US Army, WWII, ETO

U.S. Navy emblem

Leonard Coleman – Delray Beach, FL; US Army, WWII

Walter “Mick” Hocker – Portland, ME; US Navy, Capt. (Ret.)

Colin G. Mitchel – New Zealand; Australian Imperial Force, WWII # 120010, Cpl., Sig. 35th Infantry Battalion

Raymond Monte – Chicago, IL; US Army, WWII

William Ridenour – Wilshire, OH & Lake Worth, FL; US Navy, WWII

James Skene – Fairview, TX; US Navy, Korea

Edward K. Steffen – Ahwatukee, AZ; US Navy, Vietnam

Andrew A. Turner – Auckland, NZ; Regt. # 596141v, SA Air Force

Nicholas Vitucci – Riverhead, NY; US Navy, SeaBee

Richard J. Watkins – Papatoetoe, NZ; RAF # 4078049, Korea

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