America's Memory

”Corpsman!” The Marine fires at the enemy and then places a hand on his fallen comrade. “Corpsman!” he yells one more time. He looks down. “Hold on, buddy.” A similarly dressed man runs up and drops down next to both of them. “I’ve got this,” he says. The Marine who had called out returns to firing. The corpsman begins a blood sweep and then reaches for a bandage. “We’re going to get you out of here,” he tells the wounded man. That fictional scene is seen in nearly every war film. These brave young men fight alongside other soldiers and marines, yet also perform battlefield medicine as bullets zing past them. They’re trained to calm their patient while treating sometimes horrific injuries as explosions ring out and dirt flies. They call them corpsman in the United States Marines and medics in the Army.  Clayton Beauchamp epitomized the job. He spent his childhood years in Weatherford, Texas; a child of the 90s. Full of personality, he had an affinity for hard work, humor, and family. His big smile helped him