The incidence of gas gangrene has steadily declined in American combat casualties in the past four wars. Only twenty-two cases were recorded during the eight years of combat in Viet Nam. In the past ten years in Miami clostridial infection occurred in at least twenty-seven patients. The significant difference in wound management between the Viet Nam military experience and the Miami civilian experience was adequacy of débridement and timing of closure. In Viet Nam primary closure of wounds was rarely done, whereas all of the twenty-seven patients in Miami had primary closure of their wounds.