The Mission of the Society for the History of Navy Medicine is to encourage research, study and publication of all aspects of the history of maritime medicine.

Society member James O Finnegan, MD, was a combat surgeon in Vietnam during the siege of Khe Sanh. His book In the Company of Marines: A Surgeon Remembers Vietnam relates his experiences and brings forth the tremendous respect Finnegan developed for the Marines with whom he served. The Marines must have held Dr Finnegan in pretty high regard, too, for they saw to it that he was awarded a Bronze Star with Combat “V” to accompany his Purple Heart–and the Marines are known for taking such awards very seriously.

With often poignant and moving vignettes, his is a very personal take on a unique corner of the history of Navy medicine.

Jim Finnegan practices general and thoracic surgery in Pennsylvania.