67th Medical Group

The 67th Medical Group was a United States Army medical organization established during World War II. It was constituted on 13 July 1942 as the 67th Medical Regiment and activated on 20 August 1942 at Camp Barkeley, Texas. The unit was organized to coordinate medical collecting, clearing, evacuation, and related support elements in large-scale Army operations. Its responsibilities were operational rather than commercial: it supervised and coordinated subordinate medical companies and battalions, managed casualty evacuation systems, and helped organize medical support across changing combat areas. The regiment spent its first period in Texas building strength and conducting individual and unit training. It was initially associated administratively with X Corps, later with VIII Corps, and subsequently with 11th Headquarters Special Troops. In September 1943, the organization was reorganized from an organic medical regiment into a separate medical group. Its headquarters and headquarters and service company became the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment of the 67th Medical Group, while its subordinate companies were redesignated as medical collecting and clearing companies. This change reflected the Army's effort to create more flexible medical headquarters capable of supervising units that could be attached or detached according to operational requirements. The group moved to the United Kingdom in early 1944 and entered the European Theater of Operations. After additional training and the attachment of several medical battalions and companies, it crossed to France in July 1944 through Utah Beach. During the Allied advance across France and into Germany, the group coordinated medical evacuation and supervised medical formations operating near the front. Its work included ambulance regulation, management of collecting and clearing facilities, and oversight of casualty movement through changing army and corps sectors. Between 17 August and 30 November 1944, the group reported evacuating 35,220 casualties, including both litter and ambulatory patients. It continued operations through the Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns and later supported medical administration in occupied Germany, including the organization of sanitary inspection and delousing stations and the supervision of German hospitals. The group returned to the United States after the war and was inactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, on 20 November 1945. It was allotted to the Regular Army in 1954 and reactivated at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, on 20 October of that year. The reactivated organization later deployed to Vietnam, arriving at Bien Hoa on 24 September 1967 as part of the 44th Medical Brigade. It became operational on 23 October 1967 and moved to Da Nang on 28 February 1968. In Vietnam, the group supported medical operations during multiple officially recognized campaign phases, including the Tet and successive counteroffensives, as well as later consolidation operations. The 67th Medical Group received Army Meritorious Unit Commendations for its Vietnam service in 1968–1969 and 1969–1970. It was inactivated at Fort Lewis, Washington, on 20 January 1972 and has remained inactive. Because it was a military unit rather than a commercial enterprise, it had no consumer products, commercial sales, public shareholders, or conventional brand-management program. Its institutional identity was expressed through its insignia, motto, lineage, campaign credits, and medical mission.

The organization's lineage began on 13 July 1942, when it was constituted in the Army of the United States as the 67th Medical Regiment. It was activated at Camp Barkeley, Texas, on 20 August 1942. During its initial months, the regiment concentrated on recruitment, medical and surgical technician training, field exercises, marches, and preparation for overseas deployment. It was attached successively to major Army formations for administration and training supervision. On 15 September 1943, the regiment was reorganized as a separate medical group. The headquarters and headquarters and service company became the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 67th Medical Group. Several line companies became collecting companies, while other elements became clearing companies. This structure enabled the group to supervise a changing collection of medical battalions and companies without requiring all subordinate units to remain permanently organic to it. The group moved to the United Kingdom in February 1944 aboard the RMS Queen Mary and continued preparation for operations in continental Europe. It received and released attached medical units as the theater command adjusted its medical organization. In July 1944, the group crossed the English Channel and landed at Utah Beach. It then moved through France while coordinating casualty evacuation and operating ambulance regulating arrangements. The group occupied or supported operations in numerous locations across Normandy, northern France, and the eastern advance, including areas near Nancy. The group's World War II work involved controlling or supervising medical collecting, clearing, ambulance, and hospital-support units. In September 1944, it reported the evacuation of 8,076 casualties during a period in which it also suffered personnel listed as missing, a vehicle destroyed by enemy action, and ambulances captured by German forces. During November 1944, it reported the evacuation of 19,588 casualties. The group's cumulative reported total for 17 August through 30 November 1944 was 35,220 casualties, divided between litter and ambulatory patients. As the campaign progressed, the 67th Medical Group was attached to different higher headquarters, including the Third, Seventh, and Fifteenth Armies. In 1945 it supervised medical units in the Fifteenth Army area and later moved to Andernach and Bergisch Gladbach. After Germany's defeat, its responsibilities included helping establish a sanitary cordon, organizing dusting and delousing stations, supervising overrun German hospitals, and surveying medical facilities in the occupied area. The group departed Europe in November 1945 and was inactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, on 20 November. The organization was allotted to the Regular Army on 27 September 1954 and reactivated at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, on 20 October 1954. Its postwar service culminated in a Vietnam deployment. The group arrived at Bien Hoa on 24 September 1967 as part of the 44th Medical Brigade and became operational on 23 October. It was reassigned to Da Nang on 28 February 1968. Its Vietnam service covered multiple campaign periods from the 1967–1968 counteroffensive through later consolidation operations. The Army awarded the group Meritorious Unit Commendations for the periods 1968–1969 and 1969–1970. The 67th Medical Group was finally inactivated at Fort Lewis, Washington, on 20 January 1972 and has not been reactivated according to the cited reference.

• 1972

  Final inactivation

  [1]67th Medical Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The 67th Medical Group was inactivated at Fort Lewis, Washington, on 20 January and has remained inactive.

• 1968

  Move to Da Nang

  [1]67th Medical Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group was reassigned from Bien Hoa to Da Nang on 28 February.

• 1967

  Vietnam deployment

  [1]67th Medical Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group arrived at Bien Hoa on 24 September as part of the 44th Medical Brigade and became operational on 23 October.

• 1954

  Regular Army reactivation

  [1]67th Medical Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group was allotted to the Regular Army and reactivated at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, on 20 October.

• 1945

  End of World War II service

  [1]67th Medical Groupen.wikipedia.org

  After supporting medical administration and sanitary operations in occupied Germany, the group returned to the United States and was inactivated at Camp Kilmer on 20 November.

• 1944

  Deployment to the European Theater

  [1]67th Medical Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group sailed to the United Kingdom in February and landed at Utah Beach in July to support Allied medical operations in France and later Germany.

• 1943

  Reorganization as a medical group

  [1]67th Medical Groupen.wikipedia.org

  On 15 September, the regiment was reorganized as the separate 67th Medical Group, with its former companies redesignated as collecting and clearing organizations.

• 1942

  Constitution as the 67th Medical Regiment

  [1]67th Medical Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The organization was constituted on 13 July 1942 in the Army of the United States as the 67th Medical Regiment.

• 1942

  Activation at Camp Barkeley

  [1]67th Medical Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The regiment was activated at Camp Barkeley, Texas, on 20 August 1942.

A United States Army medical command organization focused on coordinating battlefield medical evacuation, clearing, collecting, sanitary, and hospital-support operations.

• Military medical service · 1943

  Medical collecting operations

  Collecting elements associated with the group moved casualties from forward areas toward more developed medical facilities. These operations depended on ambulances, regulating points, attached collecting companies, and coordination with combat formations. The group did not sell a product; collecting was one of its core battlefield medical functions.

• Military medical service · 1943

  Medical clearing operations

  Clearing companies and related units provided intermediate treatment, sorting, and onward evacuation for wounded personnel. The group supervised changing combinations of clearing, collecting, ambulance, and medical battalion elements during World War II and Vietnam.

• Military medical command · 1944

  Casualty evacuation coordination

  The group coordinated the movement of litter and ambulatory casualties through medical channels. In the European Theater it operated ambulance regulating arrangements and reported more than 35,000 casualties evacuated between 17 August and 30 November 1944.

• Military public health · 1945

  Sanitary and hospital-support missions

  After Germany's defeat, the group helped establish sanitary inspection and delousing stations, supervised overrun German hospitals, and surveyed medical facilities. These activities extended its role beyond battlefield evacuation into occupation medical administration and public-health control.

• 1967Vietnam campaign series

  Vietnam

  The group participated in the Vietnam Counteroffensives, Tet Counteroffensives, Sanctuary Counteroffensive, and later Consolidation operations while serving under the 44th Medical Brigade.

  Outcome. The group received campaign participation credit for Counteroffensive Phases III through VII, Tet 69/Counteroffensive, Summer-Fall 1969, Winter-Spring 1970, Sanctuary Counteroffensive, and Consolidation I and II.

  Source
• 1945Central Europe

  Germany

  The group supported medical administration and sanitary responsibilities during the final Central Europe operations and postwar occupation period.

  Outcome. Campaign participation credit awarded.

  Source
• 1944Normandy

  France

  The group entered continental Europe through Utah Beach and supported medical evacuation during the Normandy phase of the Allied campaign.

  Outcome. Campaign participation credit awarded.

  Source
• 1944Northern France

  France

  The group moved across northern France while coordinating collecting, clearing, and evacuation activities for advancing Allied forces.

  Outcome. Campaign participation credit awarded.

  Source
• 1944Rhineland

  France · Belgium · Germany

  The organization supported medical formations during the advance into the Rhineland and its associated casualty evacuation operations.

  Outcome. Campaign participation credit awarded.

  Source
• 1944Ardennes-Alsace

  Belgium · France

  The group received campaign credit for medical support associated with the Ardennes-Alsace operations.

  Outcome. Campaign participation credit awarded.

  Source

1. 167th Medical Groupen.wikipedia.org