Medical Cadet Corps

Missionary Cadets coat of arms

The Missionary Cadet Corps is an organization based on the beliefs and doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (Adventist church). At first they were intended to train people for the armed forces in the medical branch, but since the 1970s it has been working for the community by helping in disasters and rescues.

History

In the 1860s when the American Civil War was started, the youth all over the nation started to receive a letter for the obligatory service with the army. The Adventists were not the exception, and so they faced a problem, because of biblical and religious beliefs, they wouldn't carry any type of artillery or even more, not to kill at all. The complaints went up to the United States Congress, and thanks to it, a resolution was made. People were to pay the amount of $300.00 if they wanted to be free from the war. By 1865, the Civil War ended, and all of the Congress meetings were calmed, and everyone, including the Adventist church, continued with their lives as though nothing had happened.

In the year 1918, 52 years after the Civil War, the First World War exploded, and many Adventists were jailed for refusing to the obligatory service. The church started to see some repetitive patterns throughout the past wars, every soldier that entered through the medical service, were protected by carrying the cross and also were exempted from carrying any firearm. So between 1936 and 1940, the church created a medical branch with the help of officers from the Armed Forces. In the year 1940, medical and spiritual courses were developed and in 1945, after the Second World War, the Medical Cadet Corps was created, with their motto, creed and hymn, the same they are still using today.

Philosophy

The Adventist Medical Cadet Corps is a program under the administration of the Youth department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They accept people from both genders but older than 16 years. They are trained and capacitated to serve God, and the community, in order to aid at moments of necessity such as natural disasters or accidents. They organize effectively the human resources and materials in order to provide spiritual and logistic aid in a fast and secure way, maintaining their motto, “To Serve, To Serve and To Serve”. The organization provides spiritual growth for their members. They have developed programs, alongside the American Red Cross, for the modern concepts of Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), advanced rescue and preventive health and care, among others. The physical training is oriented to develop an optimal preparation of the body, maintaining a balance between mind and body.

Hymn and motto

Hymn

(The Hymn is in Spanish)

Somos la juventud (We are the youth)

que combatimos para el Señor, (that fight for the Lord)

guardamos su ley de amor (we keep his law of love)

sirviendo al mundo y Dios (serving the world and God)

y somos soldados de Dios ( and we are soldiers of God)

y somos la juventud de Dios. (and we are the youth of God).

(The Second time, the hymn is sung marching)

Motto

To serve, To serve and To serve

Creed

I am a medical Cadet, defender of the righteous rights of humanity, I serve all right and noble cause.

I am proud of it. I will always act correctly, continuously asking the Almighty to guide my steps everywere I go.

I am proud of my organization. I will do everything in my power to maintain in high esteem the moral and the principle that it follows.

I will be loyal to whom I serve. I will obey the orders and instructions of my superiors.

In God I trust.

AMEN.

Emblems

Uniform Patches - 1950s

Desmond T. Doss

Main article: Desmond Doss

Desmond T. Doss (January 17, 1919 – March 23, 2006) was the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor (Cpl. Thomas W. Bennett, an army medic during the Vietnam War, is the only other). He was a Private First Class (at the time of his Medal of Honor heroics) in the U.S. Army assigned to the Medical Detachment, 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division.

Desmond Doss wanted to serve, but refused to kill, or even carry a weapon into combat, because of his personal beliefs as a Seventh-day Adventist. He thus became a medic, and by serving in the Pacific theatre of World War II helped his country by saving the lives of his comrades, while also adhering to his religious convictions.

His Medal of Honor was earned by the extreme risks he took to save the lives of many comrades.

MCC Today-Yesterday

Trainings

Work

Past Training

2nd Lieutenant James F. Osborne
MCC Instructor Jan '51 - Jan '53
SDA Academy, Lodi CA

See also

• Seventh-day Adventist Church
• Pathfinders
• Military Service
• American Red Cross
• Conscription in the United States