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Please add those who are or were in the US Navy Dental Corps.
The Dental Corps of the United States Navy consists of naval officers who have a doctorate in either dental surgery (DDS) or dental medicine (DMD) and who practice dentistry for Sailors and Marines. The primary mission of the Corps is to prevent or remedy dental conditions that may interfere with the performance of duty by members of the active naval forces. In overseas locations, they sometimes also treat dependent family members.
History:
The Dental Corps was established on 22 August 1912 with 30 acting assistant dental surgeons as part of the Medical Department. In October 1912, Emory Bryant and William Cogan were the first two dental officers to enter active duty with the U.S. Navy. In 1916, Congress authorized the president to appoint and commission dental surgeons in the Navy at the rate of one dentist per 1000 enlisted personnel.
During WW 1 the dental officers had to complete a 10-week course in advanced oral surgery at the Naval Station Great Lakes and the Corps expanded from 35 to over 500 with 124 of those 500 commissioned in the regular Navy. The first dental officer stationed on a ship was LTJG Carl Ziesel aboard the transport USS Leviathan, which at that time was the world's largest ship. Two dental officers were awarded the Medal of Honor for their heroic actions while serving with the Marines in France, LTJG Alexander Lyle with the 5th Marine Regiment and LTJG Weedon Osborne posthumously with the 6th Marine Regiment during the advance on Bourches, France. The memory of LTJG Osborne lives on today with an annual award given in his name to the junior dental officer who exemplifies the qualities of high character, superior leadership, and devotion to duty.
Early in 1922 a Dental Division was created in the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. In February 1923 the US Naval Dental School opened as the dental department of the US Naval Medical School to furnish postgraduate instruction and to train & equip men in the Hospital Corps as dental assistants.
In WW II two Dental Corps officers were killed and four were wounded in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Active in nearly every engagement during the war, dental personnel who were assigned to operational units in the South Pacific often assisted in emergency medical operations ashore, especially facial trauma requiring surgery. Numerous dental officers were killed in action aboard war ships and in major battles in Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, and Iwo Jima. For their heroic efforts, 93 dental officers received personal awards, including the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, and the Bronze Star Medal.
The first woman dentist in the armed forces was Lt Sara Krout, DC, USNR in 1944. She retired on 1 December 1961 as a Commander.
During the post-war period, the Naval Dental College was commanded by Captain George Wm. "Bill" Ferguson, DDS, USN (dec.) who played a significant role in the desegregation of the military and in the creation of the State of Israel.
During the Korean War enlisted men of the Navy wore dental rating badges into combat for the first time. One such man was DN Thomas A. Christianson, awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for his gallant efforts while serving with the 1st Amphibious Tractor Battalion. As in World War I and World War II, dental personnel served heroically. Fifteen dental officers earned personal commendations, including the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Ribbon with Combat V.
Revolutionizing the field of dentistry worldwide, researchers led by Dr. Ferguson at the Naval Dental School developed pioneer models of the dental air turbine, hand piece and ultrasonic vibrating instruments, and sit-down lounge-type dental chair and stools. The late Dr. Ferguson was also mainly responsible for his creative ideas regarding sit-down, four-handed dentistry, Expanded Duty, and Dental Aux.
Today, the Dental Corps continues to maintain high operational readiness for operations in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The dental community is aggressively integrating with both the medical and line communities to prepare for the latest challenge, Homeland Defense. They deploy routinely with Marine Expeditionary Units and aboard ships, where beyond their dental duties, they assume roles in triage and surgical support at Marine Battalion Aid Stations and Battle Dressing Stations. Dental personnel continue to play a significant role in peacekeeping and nation-building through humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions in third world countries.
Notables in US Navy Dental Corps:
- Emory Bryant and William Cogan were the first two dental officers to enter active duty with the U.S. Navy.
- Carl Ziesel - first dental officer stationed on a ship
- Alexander Lyle (1889-1955) - awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic actions while serving with the Marines in France in WW II (Wikipedia - Alexander Gordon Lyle; Prabook - Alexander G Lyle)
- Weedon Osborne (1892-1918) - awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic actions while serving with the Marines in France in WW II; (Wikipedia - Weedon Osborne; Find A Grave - Lieut Weedon Edward Osborne; The Hall of Valor Project- Weedon Edward Osborne)
- Sara Krout, DC, USNR - 1st female dentist in the armed forces in June 1944
- George Wm. "Bill" Ferguson, DDS, USN
- DN Thomas A. Christianson, awarded the Navy Cross
- Dental Corps officer, Capt. Lena A. Hartzell (then Cmdr. Hartzell), earned the Bronze Star for meritorious achievement in connection with combat operations against the enemy while serving as political advisor for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Salah ad-Din, Iraq, from Oct. 13, 2003 to Mar. 11, 2004. She was the first female Dental Corps officer to be awarded this honor. (Marines Official Website - Dental officer earns Bronze Star for her Iraq Service. by Cpl Edward R Guevara Jr. 7 January 2005