The 406th Mobile Medical Laboratory was the first unit of its type to arrive in South Vietnam, with a detachment arriving from Japan in 1962. The Mobile Medical Laboratory was part of the US Army's Medical Service, with their mission being to generate medical technical information for patient care, disease prevention, and forensic activity. In 1965 the 406th was placed control of the blood program with the responsibility to: calculate estimates of blood requirements, establish blood depot facilities, coordinate for delivery, establish procedures for appropriate utilization of blood, consolidate blood reports, and conduct inspections of medical treatment facilities utilizing blood.Sunday, September 23, 2012
406th Mobile Medical Laboratory
The 406th Mobile Medical Laboratory was the first unit of its type to arrive in South Vietnam, with a detachment arriving from Japan in 1962. The Mobile Medical Laboratory was part of the US Army's Medical Service, with their mission being to generate medical technical information for patient care, disease prevention, and forensic activity. In 1965 the 406th was placed control of the blood program with the responsibility to: calculate estimates of blood requirements, establish blood depot facilities, coordinate for delivery, establish procedures for appropriate utilization of blood, consolidate blood reports, and conduct inspections of medical treatment facilities utilizing blood.
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I served with the 406th Mobile Medical Laboratory from January 1967 until August of that same year, when the unit was returned to Japan. All personnel and equipment was then transferred to the 9th Medical Laboratory. The mission of the 406th/9th remained the same during the 19+ months I was with the unit. This laboratory ran the Central Blood Bank for US forces in Viet Nam, and also supported the 3rd Field/51st Field Hospitals with medical laboratory service. The CO of the 406th when I arrived in January 1967 was Lt. Col. Kenneth Dirks.followed by a Maj. George French and a Maj. Asa Barnes in ale 1967 and 1968, respectively. The 406th, and later the same unit under the aegis of the 9th Medical Laboratory, handled the operation of the Central Blood Bank for the U.S. Armed Forces in Viet Nam, including the pickup of the blood from incoming flights from Japan, to the distribution of the blood to various U.S. Armed Forces hospitals aroun the country. The above description barely touched the reality of what the 406th accomplished.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing such a great post. It is very useful and informative.
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