Army doctor in Vietnam

I was a medical doctor, not a surgeon, but treated complications of surgery and tropical infections such as malaria and amebiasis. This experience evolved into a lifelong career interest in infectious diseases and parasitology.

Although not on the "front lines," our base received nightly rocket attacks and we were attacked during the Tet Offensive, but the attack was repulsed. One of my college classmates, also a doctor, was killed during a rocket attack at another base, Nurses and corpsman worked tirelessly under difficult conditions in tents and Quonset huts often in extreme heat and humidity. 

Our unit went on "Medcap" trips to remote villages to treat civilians but this effort was mostly futile since medicines and supplies were confiscated by the VC as soon as we left. My most pleasant memories were the comraderie of our medical staff and attending a Bob Hope Christmas Show in 1967, complete with sandbag Santa Clauses. My most vivid memory is of the repeated whirling of incoming Medevac helicopter blades, day and night.

I have visited the Vietnam Memorial several times and am always moved by the statue of 3 soldiers facing the Memorial who seem to be saying, "There they are, there are our guys".