Thomas F. (hardtack) -
A short but very entertaining book which brought back memories. I will never forget our corpsmen. There is a very good reason why Marines idolize the Navy's medical personnel assigned to the Fleet Marine Force.
But this is a book about an Army nurse, her peers and medical support personnel. If you've never been in the service, overseas, or in a war, some of the things she relates may seem phony or made up to you. But they are true.
For example, in one chapter the author remembers a number of men admitted to the hospital, all of them unconscious or close to it. Probably due to morphine injected by field medics to relieve the pain from their wounds. As she is adjusting one soldier's position, he awakens, sees her and says out loud, "It's a girl." With that the other men began to awaken, also saying "A girl," and they stare at her. Good story from Hollywood, right? No!
I remember in Viet Nam when a Navy hospital needed blood. My entire platoon volunteered. We trucked over to it and lined up. All my men were anxious to give blood. I was about the 8th or 9th to make it into the ward. As I lay there giving blood, I watched my men leave and others come in. I also watched the American nurses in clean uniforms.
When I finished giving my pint, I left and walked down the line of men in my platoon still waiting to give blood. I suddenly stopped and looked at two men who tried to avoid my eyes. I asked them, "What are you doing?" They replied, "Waiting to give blood sir." After a few seconds I said, "But you just finished giving blood about ten minutes ago. Get out of line and go outside." Other men in the line laughed, and the only response I got from the two men now going outside was, "Did you see those nurses?"
But this is a book about an Army nurse, her peers and medical support personnel. If you've never been in the service, overseas, or in a war, some of the things she relates may seem phony or made up to you. But they are true.
For example, in one chapter the author remembers a number of men admitted to the hospital, all of them unconscious or close to it. Probably due to morphine injected by field medics to relieve the pain from their wounds. As she is adjusting one soldier's position, he awakens, sees her and says out loud, "It's a girl." With that the other men began to awaken, also saying "A girl," and they stare at her. Good story from Hollywood, right? No!
I remember in Viet Nam when a Navy hospital needed blood. My entire platoon volunteered. We trucked over to it and lined up. All my men were anxious to give blood. I was about the 8th or 9th to make it into the ward. As I lay there giving blood, I watched my men leave and others come in. I also watched the American nurses in clean uniforms.
When I finished giving my pint, I left and walked down the line of men in my platoon still waiting to give blood. I suddenly stopped and looked at two men who tried to avoid my eyes. I asked them, "What are you doing?" They replied, "Waiting to give blood sir." After a few seconds I said, "But you just finished giving blood about ten minutes ago. Get out of line and go outside." Other men in the line laughed, and the only response I got from the two men now going outside was, "Did you see those nurses?"
