Romans used the now universal medical symbol cadeuceus as an emblem of peace. Described best in an ancient myth in which Hermes (Mercury) threw his rod between two fighting snakes and stopped their battle, at which point they wrapped themselves around the wand causing instant harmony from hostility... Or so the tale goes...

During Operation Just Cause in Panama, at the Battle for Pacora Bridge; an ODA was Helo inserted to intercept a Panamanian convoy. Well into the action, a pair of Sergeants one of which was the ODA's Combat Medic; chased four Panamanian soldiers in a fire fight onto the bridge. Two of the four Panamanians survived jumping over the bridge in hiding. The two Sergeants found these two snakes in the grass, fired on them and the Medic - instead of a rod, then tossed a frag their way. When all became still, the one sergeant who was a medic went down to patch up the groaning survivor. Later the Medics co-patriots would tease him about the shoot-'em-up/patch-'em job on the Panamanian... who later forgave the Sergeant for his work. Our full color stylized, smiling 'Death Head' resplent with Flash and Crest Green Beret, is in front of airborne wings and the medical caduceus. A reminder to the kind of spirit all Special Forces Combat Medics display, during a host of little known actions, of which the incident at Pacora Bridge, is but one of many.