Corydon M. Wassell fue un heroe de la IIGM.
Fue condecorado con la Navy Cross por una accion en Java.
Os vais a reir, pero fue una accion de gloria, honor, sacrificio, y sin armas.
Corydon McAlmont Wassell, julio de 1884 – mayo de 1958), era un medico de la US Navy.
Nacido en Little Rock, Arkansas, se graduo en 1909 en la universidad y ejercio en
Tillar, Arkansas. En 1913, Wassell sefue a China a ejercer de misionero, en Wuchang.
China. Tambien Wassell efectuo periodos con la reserva naval en 1936.
En la IIGM fue condecorado con la Navy Cross al salvar a 12 heridos del USS Marblehead, que estaban
bajo sus cuidados, negandose a abandonarlos en la evacuacion de Java, ante el avance nipon.
El mando de la U.S. Navy ordeno la evacuacion de todo el personal americano.
Los heridos que no pudieran valerse por si mismos no serian evacuados, por el temor a que los barcos fueran
hundidos por el enemigo y que no pudieran salvarse en el naufragio.
El doctor Wassell hizo caso omiso de la orden y translado a todos los heridos al puerto.
12 de los heridos imposibilitados no lograron subir a bordo ante lo evidente de sus heridas, y Wassell
se nego a abandonarlos, sabiendo que le esperaba la captura por los japoneses.
El doctor Wassell intento desplazarse con los heridos evitando la vanguardia enemiga y llegar al ultimmo punto de evacuacion
de la isla.
Fue ayudado por tropas britanicas que se retiraban, logrado, a duras penas y tras haber sufrido varios ataques
embarcar en el buque holandes M.S. Janssens, llegando al puerto de Fremantle en Australia, tras una sufrida navegacion bajo los ataques
de la aviacion japonesa.
En la citacion de la medalla se puede leer:
"For especially meritorious conduct, devotion to duty, and utter disregard of
personal safety, while in imminent contact with enemy forces and under attack
from enemy aircraft, in caring for and evacuating the wounded of the United
States Navy under his charge in Java, Netherlands East Indies, about March 1, 1942."
Tambien fue su hazaña narrada por Roosevelt en una emision radiofonica para elevar la moral de los ciudadanos.
"I should like to tell you one or two stories about the men we have in our
armed forces:
There is, for example, Dr. Corydon M. Wassell. He was a missionary, well known
for his good works in China. He is a simple, modest, retiring man, nearly
sixty years old, but he entered the service of his country and was
commissioned a lieutenant commander in the navy.
Dr. Wassell was assigned to duty in Java caring for wounded officers and men
of the cruisers Houston and Marblehead which had been in heavy action in the
Java seas.
When the Japanese advanced across the island, it was decided to evacuate as
many as possible of the wounded to Australia. But about twelve of the men were
so badly wounded that they couldn't be moved. Dr. Wassell remained with them,
knowing that he would be captured by the enemy. But he decided to make a last
desperate attempt to get the men out of Java. He asked each of them if he
wished to take the chance, and every one agreed.
He first had to get the twelve men to the seacoast-fifty miles away. To do
this, he had to improvise stretchers for the hazardous journey. The men were
suffering severely, but Dr. Wassell kept them alive by his skill, inspired
them by his own courage.
And as the official report said, Dr. Wassell was "almost like a Christ-like
shepherd devoted to his flock."
On the seacoast, he embarked the men on a little Dutch ship. They were bombed,
they were machinegunned by waves of Japanese planes. Dr. Wassell took virtual
command of the ship, and by great skill avoided destruction, hiding in little
bays and little inlets.
A few days later, Dr. Wassell and his small flock of wounded men reached
Australia safely.
And today Dr. Wassell wears the Navy Cross..."
Se edito un libro sobre la aventura y Cecil B. DeMille realizo una pelicula sobre la hazaña, que en España
se llamaria Por el valle de las sombras, con Gary Cooper.
El doctor Wassell fallecio en 1958 en Little Rock, Arkansas. con 74 años, y enterrado en el Arlington National Cemetery