Ken “Doc” Caswell Character Analysis

A Navy corpsman, Doc distinguishes himself through his generosity, bravery, and self-sacrifice. He plays a crucial role in helping Sledge retain his sanity when he tells him not to collect a dead Japanese soldier’s gold tooth, knowing that Sledge would degrade himself through such insensitive behavior. In battle, Doc proves capable of self-sacrifice, ignoring his own wounds in order to tend to others, thus revealing the seriousness with which he understands his commitment as a corpsman. Although he is later severely wounded in Okinawa, he survives and is sent back to his native Texas, where he remains one of Sledge’s closest friends from the war.