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Corpsman Helps Marja’s Elderly
(March 18, 2010) |
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| WASHINGTON, March 15, 2010 – After an eight-hour post, Navy
Seaman Vince Edward Chu Lo, a corpsman for 2nd Combat
Engineer Battalion, finally reached his long-awaited
sleeping bag.
But moments after he sat down, someone shouted, “Doc Lo!”
and the corpsman knew it was back to business.
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| Navy Seaman Vince Edward
Chu Lo, a corpsman with 2nd Combat Engineer
Battalion, gives medical treatment to a resident
of Marja, Afghanistan, March 7, 2010 |
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When he answered the call, Lo was relieved to find that no
Marines were injured. Two elderly residents of Marja,
Afghanistan, had minor injuries and needed his help, which
the corpsman was happy to provide.
Lo said watching his mother, a nurse, give medical treatment
to underprivileged people while he was growing up in Lawang
City, Philippines, provided inspiration for his current job.
"You always grow up wanting to be like your mom or dad. I’m
a momma’s boy," Lo said.
Through a translator, Lo discovered that the two Afghans
were Abdoul Kayoom, 60, and Aji Mohamad Sharij, 58. Kayoom
had knee injuries, and Sharij experienced complications with
his vision.
Lo inspected their injuries and concluded they would need
inpatient treatment at a hospital. Meanwhile, he chose to
help them with the limited tools he had.
"As a combat corpsman, we don’t have the equipment for those
problems,” he explained. “But I just tried to help them with
what I had. I grew up in a Third World country. For me,
helping another person is a good thing."
Grabbing a bandage from his medical bag, Lo began wrapping
Kayoom’s knees, making a makeshift knee brace on both legs
to reduce the pressure on the joints. For Sharij, Lo gave
medicated drops to relieve his eye pain, and foot cream for
what he suspected to be a case of athlete’s foot.
After Lo’s work was done, the translator was not needed. The
smiles and handshakes by Sharij and Kayoom said it all.
"We are very thankful for what our new friend did for us,"
Sharij said.
For Lo, just knowing he had helped others made his day.
"When I helped them, it reminded me of what my mom used to
do, and [it] made me happy, even if it was a simple thing,”
he said, adding that he plans to continue to learn all he
can to be a better corpsman.
Senior corpsmen in his battalion recognize his efforts.
"He’s proficient in what he does, because he takes this
seriously and tries to improve,” said Navy Petty Officer 3rd
Class Guerwin E. Weeks. “He’s willing to ask for advice and
take advice to be a better corpsman. On my other two
deployments, I would have loved to have him." | |
Article and photo by
USMC LCpl. Walter Marino
1st Marine Division’s Regimental Combat Team 7 public
affairs office
Special to American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2010
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