Women at War: The Story of Fifty Military Nurses Who Served in Vietnam

by Elizabeth M. Norman

Book Overview

Norman tells the dramatic story of fifty women--members of the Army, Navy, and Air Force Nurse Corps--who went to war, working in military hospitals, aboard ships, and with air evacuation squadrons during the Vietnam War. Here, in a moving narrative, the women talk about why they went to war, the experiences they had while they were there, and how war affected them physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812213173
• ISBN13: 9780812213171
• Release Date: August 1990
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
• Length: 238 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Another Gem from Dr. Norman

Being a veteran of the Navy Hospital Corps during the Viet Nam Era, I couldn't wait to read this account of the Viet Nam Conflict from the perspective of the nurses who served. I have had the honor to work with many nurse veterans over the years, and often marveled at the stories they had to tell. This book presents these stories in a format that holds the reader's interest. To me, the most enlightening section of the book was in the conclusion. The nurses were given an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and asked: knowing what they know now; would they go through the experience again? The second question they were asked: what advise would they give to young nurses who were going off to war? This is a wonderful book for nursing students as it gives an illustration of the values and heritage of nursing as well as a description of how nurses cope when under extreme stress. Nurse veterans will appreciate the photography and the anecdotes of how time away from the hospital units were spent. I highly recommend this book, as well as Dr. Norman's other book, "We Band of Angels".

Recieved it in the afternoon and completed it before bedtime

This compilation is a strong, touching insight to the pre, intra, and post nursing experiences of some of our country's finest military nurses. I can feel the excitement, the danger, the hopelessness, and the tragedy of the time. I feel almost guilty that I was in junior and senior high school during this war, that I wasn't able to be there to try to keep our guys alive and well. This is a book for ALL nurses, especially for the ones who are getting a little burned and/or jaded. Our bad days at work are miniscule in comparison.

A profound and emotionally moving experience

i had to put the book down on several occasions. it magnified the horrors of war to a point where despair and despiration,filled my soul.There is one line which sums the entire feeling of book "you reach out to someone and then they are lost". a remarkable documentation which makes vietnam, whether it be a hospital or a battleground look like a gateway to a graveyard.