Title: M*A*S*H Vietnam: What It’s Like to Be A War Nurse
Author: Lorna Griess
Publisher: Laylor Press
ISBN: 9781732900028
Pages: 154
Genre: Memoir
Reviewed by: Lily Amanda
Hollywood Book Reviews
Based on real-life events, Lorna Griess’s book M*A*S*H Vietnam: What It’s Like To Be A War Nurse describes her experiences living and working in a South Vietnamese war zone during her one-year deployment.
Given that she was leaving everything she knew behind, Lorna, twenty-eight, a surgical nurse, and then First Lieutenant was terrified as she waited at the Travis airport on her way to Vietnam. Along with two other female nurses she was experiencing a combination of fear, grief, and exhilaration as they left California for what would become a tiresome twenty-four hour flight. The phrase “leaving all behind” took on a new meaning as the exhausting trip finally brought her to her destination, where she soon discovered that privacy, mobile phones, running water – among others – were luxuries.
The sounds of Hueys entering the hospital would eventually become monotonous, putting her and her team in automatic mode as they checked supplies, restocked drawers, cleaned and remade beds, and checked equipment to be ready for anything—soldiers, prisoners, and Vietnamese civilians suffering from any kind of disease or injury – sometimes arriving muddy, dirty, and bloody, all mixed together with sweat. During a “push,” or mass casualty, emotions ran high. Months would pass, and she would learn to adjust to the high-stakes setting with its emotional ups-and-downs, work pressure, and utmost discomfort. Even with a change of station, nothing could compare to the chill and anxiety caused by the familiar, heartstopping, hair-raising sound of helicopters coming toward her, most likely carrying patients en route to the critical care/resuscitation unit where she was assigned.
In a tone reminiscent of a one-on-one discussion, Lorna recounts her deployment to Vietnam forty-eight years later with vivid descriptions. The intense emotional fluctuations she remembers raise the question of how one copes with “normalcy” once they return home. Every attempt to save a soul presents her and her nation’s intervention as a brave and audacious act for the benefit of all people. Reminiscing about her lifestyle without things like a car or water helps one reflect on what matters most in life. Her admission of conquering PTSD is also quite amazing and a useful recommendation for others who have come home looking for their past life.
M*A*S*H Vietnam: What It’s Like To Be A War Nurse, by Lorna Griess, is an incredible story that is easily readable in one sitting. It encourages people not to forget about our war veterans and their rights. This author’s work is incredibly inspirational and satisfying, to say the least. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the human stories behind the history of conflict.