Medical Civic Action Program

An Army can wage war on may fronts.  In Vietnam the government and the combined military forces initiated many programs aimed at improving life for the people in rural communities in an effort to break the grip of Communist forces and build support for the Saigon government.   One very effective program was the Medical Civic Action Program (MEDCAP) where doctors and medics provided free medical care to the villagers on a regular basis.  This document also shows one of the many facets of military command - the need to not only have fighting men in the field, but to plan and schedule activities, provide support in the form of transportation, supplies, communications, and maintain a full-time staff of support people to make it all work.  Here, the Battalion Adjutant, Captain Vasylionis, is responding to a request from 25th Infantry Division headquarters for a report on the effects and results of the MEDCAP programs the Battalion had been ordered to conduct.

SUBJECT: Medical Civic Action Program

TO:      Commanding Officer
         1st Bde, 25th Inf Div
         ATTN:  S-5
         APO SF 96225

     1. IAW pers 6, letter dtd 7 Sep 67, subject: Medical Civic Action Program, this Report of Findings on effects and results of scheduled MEDCAP's is submitted.

     2. Villagers throughout AO Scarlet generally accepted and appreciated the scheduled service since it afforded them regular medical service which previously had not been available.  However, several instances appeared where villagers would report for treatment of the same illness week after week with the apparent motive of acquiring their own stock of medicine.  Also many villagers, either through the inability of US Forces personnel to communicate accurately, or the failure of villagers to accept the nature of their illnesses, were continuously disappointed when treatment could never be received for incurable conditions such as advanced cataracts, tuberculosis, and the disfiguring effects of childhood diseases such as polio and rickets.

     3. CLIP outposts at Vinh Cu and Tan Phu Trung operated under ideal conditions for training Vietnamese personnel in simple first aid since they were permanently stationed in their respective villages and worked on a daily basis with these villagers.  In conducting daily MEDCAP's they have been able to train Vietnamese youths in treating simple illnesses under US supervision.  One foreseeable problem will be the inability of these semi-trained personnel to acquire the needed medical tools and equipment once US personnel leave the area.  In other MEDCAP's throughout AO Scarlet this unit has not been able to actively pursue a strong training program due to continuous military operations and a shortage of medical personnel.

     4. US medical personnel from this unit believe that this program has enabled them to better prepare for MEDCAP's since they are aware of the types of illness prevalent in a particular village.  They are also better able to monitor certain conditions and can keep a more accurate record of the types of illnesses treated.   To have continuous success, however, medical personnel from this unit feel that the same personnel should be used for each MEDCAP if the above mentioned conditions are to be maintained.

     5. Based on this unit's operational need for medical personnel, the availability of adequate security and the presence of the required number of medics for MEDCAP's, this unit does not recommend any changes in the present schedule.

     FOR THE COMMANDER

 

                            PAUL VASYLIONIS
                            CPT, Infantry
                            Adjutant

 

This Battalion Report has been reproduced to appear like the original.  The copy was obtained by and has been generously contributed by Matt Vuolo, HHC,  2/14th Inf., 66-67.

Medical Civic Action Program
Copyright © 2008 Kirk S. Ramsey
Last modified: February 07, 2008