Customer Reviews

12, 20 And 5: A Doctor's Year in Vietnam

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This first hand account views the Vietnam War from the perspective of a medical doctor. John Parrish did not want to go to Viet Nam -who in his right mind would - but like millions of others he answered his draft call and performed his service to the best of his abilities.

Doctors who were drafted for Vietnam received brief and perfunctory military training. This accelerated the movement of physicians to the very hectic and demanding field hospitals where their services were in great demand. Dr. Parrish describes in graphic and heart rendering details, the sights and sounds of wounded soldiers. He worked in a forward hospital so his unit received the injured right from the jungle battlefield. As the stretchers were brought in from the helicopters his task was to make an immediate assessment of the injured: some were stabilized and sent out to better equipped facilities; some were rushed into surgery and some were tragically beyond help and set aside to die.

Dr. Parrish ruminated with his hooch mates about the absurdity of attempting to win the hearts and minds of a rural population held in contempt by the ruling clique in Saigon and more in sympathy with there Northern brothers. His oppinions are sharpened by experiences during sick calls in local villages. Much to his consternation he realizes that most of the medications being handed is being collected by the Viet Cong or taken by the ARVAN.

The title of this books refers to a method used by medical corpsmen to alert the doctor's of the medical status and the number of incoming causalities: walking wounded, stretcher cases and dead. This proved to be practical shorthand in the pandemonium of a front line aid station of hospital unit.

Dr. Parrish and his co-workers are constantly referring to the calendar countdown to the end of their 12-month tour of duty. It is with some surprise that the book abruptly ends prior to his leaving Viet Nam. The book begs for a postscript.


I find that first hand accounts of military service in Viet-Nam facilitates my comprehension and appreciation for the difficult circumstances the war imposed on the soldiers. In addition to this excellent book other that I have read and would recommend are: "From Classrooms to Claymores" by Ches Schneider; "Time Heals No Wounds" by Jack Leninger and a favorite of mine "West Dickens Avenue" by John Colbert.

I have had this book for years but just recently decided to read it and
what an experience. This is truly an amazing, outstanding work. I am sorry there aren't more reviews as this book deserves a wide readership. I have not read "365 Days" by Dr. Ronald Glasser which I
understand was published a year before this book but will do so as it
has very favorable reviews as well. Dr. Parrish's book is so well written and constructed that I found myself planning to read for twenty minutes and was still reading an hour past that. It encompasses all the
elements of "MASH" - it is funny, heart wrenching, explicit, sad and maddening as well. You will meet his "hooch mates" which are just like characters out of "MASH" - the strange psychiatrist Prince, Roland the Motor Pool marine officer and a riot, Myron the Southern religious doctor and other interesting characters as well. The dedication of all these people and the hardships and human tragedy they endure is both inspiring and depressing at the same time. The total waste of life is brought home profoundly to the point the doctors have no time to even reflect on the dead but must move on to those have a chance to survive the war. I cannot do this book justice in a short review but I highly
encourage anyone interested in the Vietnam War or who served in the military to read this book. I was drafted in 1969 and stayed stateside but this book helped my understanding of the reality of the Vietnam War and all its ramifications.

I myself am not a big fan of war novels. HOWEVER, this book was amazing! It was written so personally that it was incredibly touching without being soppy. Written from the point of view of a medic sent into Vietnam, you see the conflict from a non-combatant's side instead of the soldier's side. The intense description of some of the scenes he saw may turn the stomachs of the more queasy among us, but they simply enhance the atmosphere around his situation. Although the day-to-day occurances could have become boring, Parrish picks out the things that you need to know, and discards the rest. Without focusing on places, or specific times or layouts of camps, instead he talks about the people, the events, the things personal to him - even talking about a touching conversation he has with his young daughter on the telephone. This book gives you a well-rounded view of the war in Vietnam without being too political in it's perceptions. It also isn't a veteran's list of the fallen - instead it is a touching account of one man's time in a hostile country and his fight to keep others - and himself - alive. Definately worth the read.
(Yes, this is the same review as I've written on another book - however, they are actually one and the same, and I thought this copy deserved it as well.

I myself am not a big fan of war novels. HOWEVER, this book was amazing! It was written so personally that it was incredibly touching without being soppy. Written from the point of view of a medic sent into Vietnam, you see the conflict from a non-combatant's side instead of the soldier's side. The intense description of some of the scenes he saw may turn the stomachs of the more queasy among us, but they simply enhance the atmosphere around his situation. Although the day-to-day occurances could have become boring, Parrish picks out the things that you need to know, and discards the rest. Without focusing on places, or specific times or layouts of camps, instead he talks about the people, the events, the things personal to him - even talking about a touching conversation he has with his young daughter on the telephone. This book gives you a well-rounded view of the war in Vietnam without being too political in it's perceptions. It also isn't a veteran's list of the fallen - instead it is a touching account of one man's time in a hostile country and his fight to keep others - and himself - alive. Definately worth the read.

I haven't read many books on Vietnam, I prefer fiction, but I picked this book up at a booksale and read it out of curiosity. The writer, who had not yet I believed graduated from medical school, was sent to Vietnam and served as a doctor at a first aid camp. The author does an excellent job of depicting the horror of Vietnam and also the stress that he goes through. His description of a furlough filled with adventure is one of the most vivid sections of the book and the one that still stands out in my mind. If you can track it down I'd reccomend reading it.