Army Veterinarians in Invasion of Sicily and Italian Theater

Can anyone confirm if US Army Veterinary Corps or individuals involved experienced any action during the invasion of Sicily and the subsequent thrust to take Italy from Axis control?
So far my research has led me to believe Army veterinarians were primarily a back line operation that operated to ensure animals used as food sources for the troops were sound and healthy.
However, I have also come across info that states thousands and thousands of mules, horses and dogs were involved in different aspects, theaters and campaigns of WW2. It makes sense to me that Army and/or Marine Corps veterinarians would be with all these animals to help keep them alive and healthy to serve.

 

Thank you Lou. Yes that is one of my primary sources. Yet for all that information, I cannot tell if any veterinarians actually went into combat during the invasion of Sicily and Italian theater. I know enlisted men were trained as mule skinners and primarily kept after the animals for example. Did actual vets go into combat to provide services or lagged behind as the front moved?

 

In my studies of the 1st Ranger Battalion through Sicily and Italy I've only seen a few mentions about mules being used in the mountains but they were used up so much there was a shortage. I would guess that mules were seen in the same class logistically as Jeeps, and other equipment and high attrition at the front was the cost of war.

Army Mules: The Beast of Burden in War

 

The "Military Encyclopedia" compiled by HQ (Mark Clark's) 15 Army Group makes no mention of Veterinarian Services or Mules in its 600 pages which manage to mention all manner of other detail e.g. problems of managing civilian "lunatics" in a country under provided with mental hospitals.

I suspect that the mules used in the Italian campaign in support of US soldiers were supplied by mule companies of the Italian Army - Co-belligerents of the allies. The problems of mule health would be someone else's problem.

 

Okay thank you all for your responses. What about on the Asian front? Army Mules: The Beast of Burden in War speaks about greater use of pack mules due to the terrain. Would any veterinarians have gone along for care taking or would it have been just another occurrence of "high attrition and cost of war" as wooley12 states?

 

From what I've read a mule can out run a horse over longer distances and I would think could out run men. Would it have been handling and/or loading/unloading issues that would cause them to be left behind?

 

Hey, I'd LOVE to read that memoir. It sounds very interesting for sure!

 

Can you request it or get me in touch with the estate? Hardly a life and death matter but now my interest is piqued. Appreciate it much!

 

In a case like that who do you need permission from? Just one of the survivors or a specific one? Or is the estate still tied up in court?

 

I didn't even mean to hint at you not publishing without permission. The question was if in a case like this do you just need permission from one grandchild or a specific one or the majority or ? I suspect the rights to this were not enumerated in the will which would have clarified things to someone like me who has little or no idea of how things like this work.