Vietname: Mia Maxima Culpa

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To all,

I posted my newest work, Honor First, Honor Last, Always Honor. I neglected a critical piece of information.

Someone left me a very nice note today. I really appreciate it. What I didn't appreciate was the way I absolutely failed in part of my own research. It wasn't all that difficult.

I wrote a story in which the heroine, after the end of active American official involvement visited Vietnam. Where I failed is I blithely did not research exactly how many women, or in how many different capacities, worked and died in Vietnam. What totally embarrasses me is the sheer number of female Americans (38) who died during Operation Bablylift, the military (and civilian) evacuation of orphan children to the continental United States.

From the information at http://www.vietnamwomensmemorial.org/index2.php, it is clear 38 died. One was a child, who died with her mother during Babylift.

As we honor our other veterans, we need to remember the eleven thousand women who were in combat conditions while in country, eight of which are still MIA. 48% of all women who served in Vietnam suffer/suffered from PTSD.

Whether hormones, other meds, or just embarrassment, I am in tears.
Beth

Comments

3rd Field Hospital – Tan Son Nhut AFB Vietnam

I passed through 3rd Field Hospital at Tan Son Nhut AFB Vietnam in November 1966. The hospital came under B47 rocket attack just after I was evacuated in a C 130 bound for Japan. I have no idea of how many nurses were KIA or WIA that day but every one of them I had contact with were bigger than any man I led in the field and I don't care how tall they were. They were all beautiful to those of us with more holes than God gave us. Now, I need a fresh box, or maybe a case, of tissue. I thought I was over that!

Best,

DJ

Women and War

Throughout history, women have always borne the tremendous weight of war. We may speak of death and rape and loss of our babies and husbands/lovers but the burden has always and everywhere been heavy on the backs of women.
Not allowed in Combat, what bull hockey.
I think the patriarchy has been terribly frightened of the very idea of armed women, As columnist Linda Ellerbee once said around the first Gulf War, "They send the wrong soldiers. Men fight wars; women fight dirty. Men fight for "Honor" and 'Glory'; for women, it's, "Touch mine and I WILL kill you."
Gives one pause, does it not.

Joani

Gives one pause

That's also why nobody, with a sane gene, picks a fight with an old man. He won't fight, he'll just kill you and be done with it.

DJ