55th Medical Group (United States)

• World War II:[1]

1. Normandy;
2. Northern France;
3. Rhineland;
4. Ardennes-Alsace;
5. Central Europe

• Vietnam:[1]

1. Counteroffensive;
2. Counteroffensive, Phase II;
3. Counteroffensive, Phase III;
4. Tet Counteroffensive;
5. Counteroffensive, Phase IV;
6. Counteroffensive, Phase V;
7. Counteroffensive, Phase VI;
8. Tet 69/Counteroffensive;
9. Summer-Fall 1969;
10. Winter-Spring 1970;
11. Sanctuary Counteroffensive

• Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for:

1. VIETNAM 1966-1968
2. VIETNAM 1968-1969[1]

The 55th Medical Battalion (Corps) was activated 10 February 1941 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas in accordance with General Order No. 3, Headquarters Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Three Medical Corps Captains, fifteen Medical Corps First Lieutenants, two Dental Corps First Lieutenants, three Medical Administrative Corps First Lieutenants, and one Medical Administrative Corps Second Lieutenant were assigned to the organization under the command of Major Alvin L. Gorby, Medical Corps, who was transferred from the 2nd Medical Battalion, 2nd Division.[2] A cadre of twenty enlisted men from the Second Medical Battalion, Fort Sam Houston, Texas was transferred to this organization. The organization was assigned barracks in the vicinity of the W. W. White Road and Garden Avenue on the Fort Sam Houston Reservation, was brought to training strength by the receipt of 440 selectees from the Fort Sam Houston Reception Center, and a unit training program was started.[3]

A medical battalion (Corps) had the same general function for the corps troops as the division medical battalion did to the division, with the additional mission of reinforcing divisional medical battalions as required. As originally organized, the battalion had a headquarters battalion, three lettered collecting companies (A-C companies), and a clearing company (D company). The headquarters detachment distributed medical supplies to the battalion and also established a medical supply point for medical detachments in the corps area. The collecting companies established corps collecting stations when necessary, supported or reinforced division collecting companies, provided area sanitation, additional litter bearers for hospitals operating in the corps area, and their ambulance sections could operate area ambulance services. The battalion clearing company established clearing stations for corps troops or could be used to relieve or reinforce divisional clearing stations. They could be used to relieve hospitals of minor, contagious, or chemical casualties or, when properly augmented by teams from an auxiliary surgical group, in place of a surgical hospital for limited periods of time.[4]

On June 1, 1941, Major Frank Y. Leaver, Medical Corps assumed command. On the same date a detachment of enlisted men and two officers departed from Fort Sam Houston, Texas at 7:30 A.M. for the VIII Army Corps field Exercises in the vicinity of Rising Star, Texas. On June 2, 1941 a detachment of 60 enlisted men from Company "C" departed for the VIII Army Corps Field Exercises. June 4, 1941, four officers and three enlisted men departed; and on June 7, 1941 the remainder of the 55th Medical Battalion departed for the maneuver area. The Battalion furnished second echelon medical attention for the VIII Army Corps Troops. At the close of the exercises the battalion returned to Fort Sam Houston, Texas, closing on the post on return on June 16, 1941.[3]

After the June maneuvers the battalion resumed training and began preparation for the August and September maneuvers in the Louisiana Maneuver Area. On August 5, 1941 a detachment from Headquarters Detachment, Companies “A” and “D” left Fort Sam Houston for the initial bivouac area near Mansfield, Louisiana. The remainder of the Headquarters Detachment, Companies “B” and “C” left home station on August 10, 1941. The whole Battalion was assembled in bivouac on August 11, 1941. Second echelon medical attention was furnished the VIII Army Corps Troops during the entire maneuver period in addition to the operation of medical supply service to the Corps Troops. The strength of the Corps Troops varied from about 8,000 to 14,000. The battalion moved by shuttling a total of twelve times during the maneuvers. Moves were coordinated in such a manner that one platoon of Company “D” had a clearing station set up at all times, for the care and treatment of patients. A total of 1483 ill and 200 injured were treated, and 525 of these cases were evacuated to hospitals by Army units. The entire battalion returned to Fort Sam Houston on October 2, 1941.[3]

The experience gained in these maneuvers demonstrated that litter ­ bearers in the Collecting Companies could be greatly reduced or entirely eliminated as in all cases evacuation from Corps Troops could be accomplished by ambulance directly. A shortage of transportation restricted the use of the Collecting Companies and multiple trips using organic transportation was necessary to move the battalion.[3]

Care and operation of motor transportation was stressed upon return from maneuvers and the battalion received a commendation on their motor maintenance and the excellent condition of their vehicles from the 2nd Division Motor Inspector.[3]

By the end of 1941, the battalion had 30 of its 34 authorized officers assigned, with their maximum number of months of duty, excluding the commanding Officer, being 30 months, the minimum one month, and the average eleven months. The enlisted strength of the battalion at year end was 280 assigned against 434 authorizations. Most of this was due to the transfer of men over 28 years old to the Enlisted Reserve Corps.[3]

In July 1942 the battalion again participated in the maneuvers in Louisiana, this time on a scale smaller than those of the 1941 Louisiana Maneuvers, again is support of the VIII Corps (redesignated from the VIII Army Corps), which was also headquartered at Fort Sam Houston. The Headquarters Detachment and companies A and D returned to Fort Sam Houston in September, with companies B and C joining them at their home station in November 1942.[5]

After completion of training and the 1942 Louisiana maneuvers, the battalion was ordered to Desert Training Center, California and arrived at Camp Young on 1 February 1943. Training was continued with the battalion performing its primary mission of providing 2nd echelon medical support to non-divisional troops.[6]

The battalion received training in all phases of its primary mission while at Desert Training Center. In addition to participating in maneuvers conducted by IV Armored Corps and IX Corps the battalion operated a dispensary serving the 76th Field Artillery Brigade, in addition to its usual duties.[6]

In August 1943, the battalion was transferred to the Communication Zone, Desert Training Center. The battalion under Communication Zone operated the central dispensary at Camp Young, two reinforced ambulance detachments, and constructed and operated the 500 bed Banning Convalescent Hospital. The two reinforced ambulance detachments, in a period of 2 months evacuated 6,814 patients, traveling a distance of 253,004 miles without an accident.[6]

At the end of 1943 the authorized strength of the battalion was 25 Medical Corps officers, 2 Dental Corps officers, 8 Medical Administrative Corps officers, and an attached Chaplain, as well as 484 enlisted.[6]

Life at Camp Young was austere. At Fort Sam Houston the battalion was quartered in wooden barracks and serviced by the Post Laundry. During its stay at the Desert Training Center the battalion was quartered in pyramidal tents. There were no bathing installations a greater portion of the time they were there, and the men of the battalion constructed showers by adding shower heads and reversing the flow of water from the unit water trailers. Laundry was provided by civilian establishments and occasionally by Quartermaster mobile laundry units but were never adequate, the service being very unreliable and at times unavailable.[6]

Additionally, at Fort Sam Houston the battalion received Class A rations which were prepared in permanent post mess halls. In DTC, the rations were chiefly types “B” and “C” and were prepared on the unit’s field ranges. Sewage and wastes were disposed of by incineration and burial. Insect control was not a problem except for flies at Desert Training Center-which were controlled through use of fly traps, swatting and other usual controls.[6]

In December 1943, the 55th Medical Battalion arrived in the European Theater of Operations and began intensive training for expected operations on the continent.[6]

The 5th Evacuation Hospital (Semimobile), which had previously seen service in both World Wars, was again activated at Fort Bragg on 2 October 1950, and would serve at Fort Bragg through various reconfigurations as a Combat Support Hospital, again as an Evacuation Hospital, and as a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, before finally being inactivated in the late 1990s.[7]

The 56th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) was transferred from Camp Zama, Japan to Fort Bragg in 1 July 1955, with the first personnel assigned to the detachment arriving in August, but no aircraft were assigned to the unit for another year. The detachment flew its first evacuation mission in August 1956, completing a total of 56 evacuation missions in 1956; 166 in 1957; 199 in 1958, 155 in 1959, and an unknown number in 1960 before it was inactivated on 15 August 1960.[8]

The 45th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) was activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina on 6 June 1960, partly staffed and equipped using assets from the 56th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance).[8] The 45th would serve at Fort Bragg until it departed for Vietnam on July 16, 1967.[9]

The 2nd Surgical Hospital (Mobile) (Army) was alerted for overseas movement on 2 August 1965, and departed Fort Bragg for the Republic of Vietnam on 15 October 1965, arriving in country on 7 November 1965.[10]

By 1966, the 55th Medical Group was composed of the following units:[11]

• Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 55th Medical Group
• 5th Evacuation Hospital (Semi-mobile)
• 15th Field Hospital
• 34th Medical Detachment (KK)
• 39th Medical Detachment (KJ) (Dental Services)
• 45th Medical Company (Air Ambulance)
• 69th Medical Detachment (JA) (Veterinary Services Team, Large)
• 545th Medical Detachment (FC, GB, GC) (Medical Supply)
• 563rd Medical Company (Clearing)
• 584th Medical Company (Ambulance)
• 714th Preventive Medicine Unit (Service) (Field)

The organizations shown in bold would all deploy to the Republic of Vietnam and serve under the 44th Medical Brigade, if not under the 55th Medical Group itself.[12]

On January 10, 1966 the group headquarters was alerted for deployment to the Republic of Vietnam and began preparing for overseas movement. On April 16, the group was relieved of command responsibility for all subordinate units at Fort Bragg to allow it to concentrate fully on deployment preparation. The group's main body shipped for Vietnam aboard the USNS General W. H. Gordon (AP-117) on May 16, 1966, arriving at the port of Qui Nhon, Vietnam on June 10, 1966. An advance party consisting of the group executive officer, S-3, and S-4 departed the United States by air on May 22 and arrived in Vietnam the next day.[11]

• Group Headquarters reduced to zero strength on June 15, 1969 and assigned to Headquarters, 68th Medical Group for Command and Control.[13]
• Inactivated in the Republic of Vietnam on June 25, 1970[14]

• Activated March 25, 1971 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.[1]
• Inactivated September 21, 1974, with the Group staff serving as cadre for the newly reactivated 44th Medical Brigade, and the Group Commander, COL Robert E. Mathias, assuming command of the Brigade.[15]
• Activated October 1, 1992 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina as part of the 44th Medical Command.[1]
• Inactivated April 21, 2010.

A Silver color metal and enamel device 1 and 1/8 inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Sanguine, a cross quarterly pierced Argent in fess point a mullet of the like. Attached above the shield a rounded Silver scroll inscribed “CONSERVE FIGHTING STRENGTH” in Maroon letters.[16]

The shield is in the colors of the Army Medical Service. The cross represents the nature of the service of the unit and the mullet indicates the organization’s point of origin as Texas. The five maroon areas also allude to the five World War II campaign streamers credited to the organization.[16]

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 55th Medical Battalion on June 20, 1941. It was redesignated for the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 55th Medical Battalion on May 29, 1957. The insignia was redesignated for the 55th Medical Group on December 15, 1967.[16]