Photos by Dave Rolls Col. Jeffrey Davies gives an overview of the Medical Service Corps at the Community Activities Center

In last year’s message honoring this anniversary, Brig. Gen. Sheila R. Baxter, Medical Service Corps chief pointed out that ‘‘Our Corps has a long and distinguished history. Precursors such as Revolutionary War apothecaries, Civil War officers of the Ambulance Corps and the Army Medical Storekeepers led to the establishment of the Sanitary Corps on June 30, 1917 during World War I. Today, our officers continue this proud legacy. Because of your superb efforts, the survival rate of Soldiers wounded in combat today is higher than any time in our history.”

Col. Lawrence R. Suddendorf, Ph.D., certified medical technologist by the American Society of Clinical Pathologist, is the honorary president of Fort Detrick’s Silver Caduceus Society, said that while the Medical Service Corps may be small in numbers, ‘‘we are very diverse -- the most diverse branch in the Army. We have eight medical functional areas and 24 areas of concentration within one branch. But we all have common goals.”

The SCS hosted the event.

Suddendorf has belonged to two SCS chapters, one at Fort Detrick and the second at Fort Sam Houston Texas.

Col. Jeff Davies gave an overview of the Medical Service Corps, stating that the Corps has a ‘‘rich history that has touched many; our rich history goes deep.” Davies pointed out the many contributions that the Corps has made throughout history including advances in syphilis detection, mitigation of the plague, and advances in blood transfusions.

‘‘We exist because of the services we provide,” he concluded.

The SCS’s current president, Lt. Col. Dave Giles, wished happy birthday to the Corps on its 91st birthday and introduced a video presentation, ‘‘Army Medic: The Spirit of Courage,” an emotion-filled timeline through the fields of war on which the ‘‘unsung heroes of every Army, the combat medic” have served.

According to the video, the medic brings humanity into the unit that represents this nation’s feeling of life and family. ‘‘Their actions of heroism are remembered; their names are not forgotten.”

The somber mood that permeated the room after the video finished was lifted when Capt. Ian Breckenridge and Davies gripped the ceremonial sword simultaneously and cut the birthday cake.

‘‘It makes you proud to be part of this unit,” said Giles, who is looking ahead to the coming year of his presidency of SCS. One of his goals for the coming year is to increase SCS membership and participation in the group’s many upcoming activities.

‘‘It is always nice to see the old faces at our meetings,” Giles said, ‘‘but I also like to see new, fresh faces, ideas, and visions.”

Giles said he also plans to increase participation in the mentorship activities for which the organization is known.

‘‘Mentorship is very important to the SCS,” said Col. John Kelly, who has belonged to four SCS chapters during his Army career. ‘‘I am at a point now in my career where I can share what I have learned with junior officers.

‘‘Camaraderie is very important to this organization, as is learning. The SCS provides us with the opportunity to be more aware of what is going on and to keep up with what others are doing in our field.”