men  of  that  Corps  shall  be  eligible  for transfer to the Hospital Corps and men of that Corps to other rating in the Navy and Marine  Corps.   ***  The  Secretary  of  the Navy is hereby empowered to limit and fix the numbers in the various ratings. *** and emoluents  of  enlisted  men  of  the  Hospital Corps shall be the same as are now, or may hereafter,  be  allowed  for  respective  cor- responding ratings.  *** Hospital and am- bulance service, with such commands and at such places as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy, shall be performed by  members  of  said  corps,  and  the  corps shall be a constituent part of the Medical Department  of  the  Navy: WORLD  WAR  I  AND  THE  YEARS FOLLOWING During World War I, 10 of the 13 chief par- macists  were  promoted  to  lieutenant  in  the Medical Corps of the Navy. During the war there were  94  temporary  commissioned  and  warrant  of- ficer,  and  16,000  enlisted  men  in  the  Hospital Corps. During  World  War  I,  the  reputation  of  the Hospital  Corps  for  performance  of  duty,  espe- cially  in  the  field  with  the  Marine  Corps,  was greatly  enhanced.  Many  of  the  members  were cited  for  valor  and  performance  of  duty  under fire, by both the United States and France. Fif- teen  corpsmen  were  killed  in  action,  2  died  of wounds, and 146 were wounded or gassed. There were  460  major  awards  and  citations,  including 2 Medals of Honor, 55 Navy Crosses, 31 Distin- guished  Service  Medals,  2  U.S.  Army  Distin- guished  Service  Medals,  and  27  letters  of commendation. In July 1922, all members of the corps holding temporary  commissions  of  warrants  were  reverted to  their  respective  permanent  ranks  or  ratings. From  the  period  of  World  War  I  to  World War  II,  the  Hospital  Corps  became  one  of  the outstanding corps of the military services. More schools  were  provided,  qualifications  for  advance- ment in ratings were raised, and a high degree of technical skill and knowledge was demonstrated by  all  members  of  the  corps. COMMENDATION   BY   SECRETARY FORRESTAL The Honorable James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy during World War II, and later the first 2-3 Secretary of Defense, paid honor to the Hospital Corps of the United States Navy for its singular attainments  during  that  conflict. Because his words ring so true today and tell so well the role of the corpsman not only in that conflict and the conflicts that have followed, but also  in  times  of  peace,  his  Commendation  is repeated from the 1953 edition of the Handbook of  the  Hospital  Corps.  Insofar  as  can  be  deter- mined, this is the first time in military history that a  single  corps  has  been  commended  by  the Secretary  of  the  Navy. Out  of  every  100  men  of  the  United States  Navy  and  Marine  Corps  who  were wounded  in  World  War  II,  97  recovered. That  is  a  record  not  equaled  anywhere, anytime. Every  individual  who  was  thus  saved from death, owes an everlasting debt to the Navy’s  Hospital  Corps.  The  Navy  is  in- debted  to  the  corps.  The  entire  nation  is its debtor for thousands of citizens are liv- ing  normal,  constructive,  happy  and  pro- ductive lives who, but for the skill and toil of  the  Hospital  Corps,  might  be  dead  or disheartened  by  crippling  invalidism. So,  to  the  200,000  men  and  women  of the Hospital Corps, I say on behalf of the United  States  Navy: “Well   Done.   Well   done,   indeed!” Without   your   service,   the   Navy’s Medical Corps could not have achieved the life-saving   record   and   the   mind-saving record  its  physicians  and  surgeons  and psychiatrists  achieved.  That  others  might live, your fellow corpsmen have given their lives; 889 of them were killed or mortally wounded.  Others  died  as  heroically  from diseases they were trying to combat. In all, the   Corps’   casualty   list   contains   1,724 names, an honor roll of special distinction because  none  among  them  bore  arms. The hospital corpsmen saved lives on all the beaches that the Marines stormed. Corpsmen  were  at  the  forefront  of  every invasion,  in  all  the  actions  at  sea,  on  all carrier  decks.  You  were  on  your  own  in submarines  and  the  smaller  ships  of  the fleet,   performing   emergency   surgery   at times  when  you  had  to  take  the  fearsome responsibility  of  trying  to  save  a  life  by heroic  means  or  see  the  patient  die.  Your presence  at  every  post  of  danger  gave