Customer Reviews

Officer, Nurse, Woman: The Army Nurse Corps in the Vietnam War (War/Society/Culture)

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This is a truly remarkable and groundbreaking book, one that will be of interest to anyone with even a passing curiosity in either military, social, or women's history. Professor Vuic's careful and thoroughly researched analysis promises to be the benchmark to which all studies of women and the Vietnam War will be compared to for many years to come.

There are a number of ways that make Professor Vuic's such a very important work. For one, she has examined an issue that has been neglected for far too long. Over forty years after the Women's Movement of the 1960s, there remains far too little scholarship on the role of women during wartime. It is about time that a writer and scholar with Professor Vuic's knowledge and expertise examine the role of gender during the nation's longest war. As Diana Carlson Evans had asked the Senate in 1988, "Who decides who America will remember?"

Another factor that makes this book a must read is Professor Vuic's unique approach to her topic. Drawing on more than 100 interviews, Professor Vuic gives the reader a personal account of how women impacted the war, and vice-versa. And the stories that she relates are incredibly moving and touching. Professor Vuic's study gives the reader such a wide variety of vivid and memorable recollections concerning the role of women nurses in the Vietnam War. In a war that is often reduced to statistics, Professor Vuic has provided a very human face.

Professor Vuic's fascinating text is also quite timely. It is indeed quite remarkable how, thirty-five years after the end of the war, the Vietnam War remains an essential part of the American psyche. Everything from the recent PBS American Experience documentary of the My Lai massacre to the controversy surrounding Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's past statements regarding his service during the Vietnam War demonstrate the continued power of the Vietnam conflict. And, of course, the controversial issue of women in combat has been an essential element to various analyses of our nation's current wars in both Iraq and in Afghanistan.

As a teacher of American history, I look forward to using this book in my classes. But what makes this book so important is it's usefulness to non-academic audiences alike. Anyone who wants to learn more about the Vietnam War, as well as about the impact and ramifications of the modern Women's Movement, would greatly benefit from the purchase of Professor Vuic's book. It is a must read.

This is a well-researched social history of the experiences of US Army nurses in Vietnam. The author blends personal accounts with documentary evidence to create a coherent narrative and description of nurses' experiences. Anyone interested in the serious study of historical contexts and the development of social phenomena must read this text.