Bataan Death March

Written by: HM2 Joshua Dancel

The Bataan Death March was one of the darkest hours of the Alliance between the United States of America and the Philippines during World War II. About 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war captured by the Imperial Army of Japan after the Fall of Bataan in 1942 were forced to march 60 miles from the Bataan peninsula prison camps to concentration camps in Capaz, Tarlac without food and just one sip of water. Under the sweltering summer heat, the prisoners were mercilessly murdered along the 60-mile hump. Anyone who complained, was too weak to march or helped those who could not walk or stopped were all summarily beheaded, shot, had throats cut, or were run over by trucks that were travelling behind them. For the next five days, bodies of American and Filipino soldiers littered the dirt road as testimonies to the brutal cruelty of the Japanese Imperial soldiers. It was estimated that out of the 75,000 prisoners, only about 54,000 made it their destination alive.

So as not to forget their ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom and democracy, Expeditionary Medical Faciltiy Kuwait warriors participated in the first Bataan Memorial Death March in Camp Arafjan on 21 March 2010 carrying 35 pound packs and marching 12.5 miles.

Warrior Spotlight - Expeditionary Medical Facility Kuwait

The United States indeed is the land of opportunity for those who earnestly seek it. LCDR Amer Skopic, would attest to this fact.

Originally from war-torn Bosnia, LCDR Skopic was only 17 years old when he and his family were expelled from Bosnia as part of a so-called “ethnic cleansing” being instigated by Serbians in that part of the world.

He and his family resided in a Serb “occupied town” for a year before being expelled from the country he called home. “My family was offered asylum in the United States after my father was freed by the Red Cross from one of the Serb held concentration camps,” LCDR Skopic said.

Despite the harsh experience his family went through, it did not daunt this young Bosnian’s will to pursue his dreams of becoming a medical doctor in a foreign country that welcomed them with open arms.

LCDR Skopic enrolled at the Central Connecticut State University from 1993 to 1997. He worked as Certified Nursing Assistant through those years and two years after graduation, he was accepted to Medical School, completing his M.D. in 2003. He went on to specialize in Gastroenterology.

Now 36 years of age, LCDR Skopic and his wife Carrie Skopic, have two children, Ramajana, 3 years, and Zerin, 11 months. He is currently stationed at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) in Bethesda, MD.

He has been on active duty with the United States Navy for six years in the Medical Corps, but has been in the Navy Reserves since 1999. “I joined the Navy for multiple reasons, including the opportunity to serve and give back to country that provided so much for me and my family,” he said.

What he thought violence, hatred, and war took away from him and his family, he got back more than a hundred fold through the help of the Navy in the country he now calls home.

A special patient at Camp Buehring TMC

On March 9th 2010 the troop medical clinic (TMC) at Camp Buehring was visited by a very important patient. “Nina” from the Camp Buehring K-9 unit was brought to the TMC for a bad rash on her back. Working hand in hand with Sgt Kohler from the Army’s 719th MDVS unit Dr. Holmes assessed and recommended a course of treatment for the patient.

The TMC has continued its partnership with the 719th MDVS unit and has provided other services such as x-rays and laboratory testing for dogs of the Camp Buehring K-9 unit.

Welcome Juliet Detachment!

Friends and families of EMFK,

Welcome to the first blog of Juliet detachment. All of India detachment has sailed onto the next leg of their voyage, and Juliet’s 1st wave is boots on the ground and takin’ charge. We currently are running leaner than India, with ~160 of our 207 warriors here doing what needs to be done. And they are doing an amazing job. This further proves the resiliency and innovation of a US Navy Sailor. When a knockout punch is thrown, we do a little sidestep, and get back in the fight meaner and leaner than ever. We’re proving the outstanding medical care that our colleagues out here have come to expect from us, without a stumble at all. Well done Warriors!

We will continue to get reinforcements for the next couple of months. As we do we will adjust fire on the projects we have ongoing, and will be able to step up the pace on our efforts to become even more effective an efficient in the fight against terror. As our nation transitions from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation Enduring Freedom, our priorities will change, and we will adapt to meet them. We are continuing to actively prepare for the transition from a Navy facility to an Army facility in the near future.

For families that are new to EMFK, I’m going to reprint some information from the 1st blog on how to contact us. Part of my goal in having this blog is to ensure you keep in touch with your warrior should there be an accident or disaster over here. I also what to ensure you know how to get help for any concerns you may have about family, pay, orders, or anything on your mind.
Please read the section below, and don’t be afraid to call.
Until next time, be safe, and stay in touch!
R/
CAPT Welling
CO, EMFK

Please remember these ways to contact your warrior, or get emergency information to/from them should you need to. As always, myself, the XO and the CMC, along with our spouses are here to help.

Please print this out and put it on your refrigerator, or in some other place you can find it should you need it. If you have an emergency at home, or hear of a potential emergency or disaster over here in Kuwait, these are the procedures you can use to get in touch with your warrior to get as much information as possible. They are listed in order.

Contact your warrior via the method you have already set up. In most cases this should work. However, due to operational security, there are times when the phone and internet lines to the base are shut off, and then you must use an alternate method, and be prepared to wait until the authorities open the communications up.

Contact your warrior’s parent command (i.e., the one they are normally attached to or their duty station from which they deployed). You should have been given contact information for the CIAC (command individual augmentee coordinator), the POMI (plans operational medical intelligence), or the CMC/XO/CO. We will attempt to get information to the commands as soon as possible after an event out here. Your parent command also has good contact information on your warriors, and can get messages to them out here.

If your warrior is on GSA orders, you should be getting a GSA monthly deployment newsletter. Read it, as it has good generic information on getting assistance for all sorts of issues. It also lists phone numbers and emails for the duty crew that can be of assistance. For Kuwait, these contact #’s are:

ECRC family help desk ecrc.fs.fct@navy.mil
Team Kuwait: ecrc.gsa_other.fct@navy.mil, Telephone Number: 757-462-4744 Ext(s) 123, 126, 143 or 235

If none of the above are able to help you, you can call the following numbers, they are international and long distance charges will apply. We will call you back as soon as possible.

CO – CAPT Lynn Welling: Cell: 011.965.9965.6095, DSN: 318.430.1913
XO – CAPT Robert Alonso: Cell: 011.965.9901.7024 DSN: 318.430.1910
CMC – HMCM Tom Countryman: Cell: 011.965.9965.8984, DSN: 318.430.1908

Our leadership spouses are available to assist also, and may have important information sooner than some of the official sources:
CO Spouse –Patricia Welling - 619.995.1766
XO Spouse – Rhonda Alonso – 757.635.5630

CMC Spouse – Cindy Countryman – 360. 874.1354

Enjoy the site, and lets stay in touch!

Regards,

CAPT Lynn Welling

Commanding Officer

Expeditionary Medical Facility Kuwait.

Juliet Detachment has arrived!

Juliet detachment has arrived! It will be a busy week for them as well for the India Detachment.

We will keep you posted.