Specialist Frank Goldsmith was a rifleman with the 3rd platoon of A. Co. 2nd Bn. 8th Cavalry (Abn) . Trooper Goldsmith was wounded in action on the afternoon of February 23rd, 1966 while his platoon was engaged in a running battle with several units of the North Vietnamese Army. The treatment and evacuation of wounded soldiers was always a top priority in Vietnam combat outfits. A wounded soldier could expect immediate attention not only from the combat medics but also his fellow infantrymen who were trained in basic first aid. The first concern was to get the wounded trooper to safety and out of the line of fire, stabilize his wound and prepare him for evacuation to the nearest surgical hospital. The evacuation in most cases was done by chopper and in most cases was done under enemy fire.
From Parade Magazine in 1967: "Have the wounded any complaint against the medical service? Certainly not against the medics in the field. Parade talked to several Vietnam cases, who spoke with awe at how swiftly they were given a new chance at life. One after the other reported that he was out of immediate danger and getting skilled care within 10 minutes to an hour. Here are a few testimonials:
Spec 4 Frank Goldsmith, 33, Simpsonville, S.C., struck in the hip by a sniper: 'It took only 15 minutes for the chopper to reach us. In less than 45 minutes, I was on the operating table. Oh, yeah, we got the sniper.'"