What do you think?
A Surgeon's War: My Year in Vietnam
It’s 1965. A young surgeon is drafted into the U.S. Navy and sent to Vietnam, where he finds himself closer than he ever imagined to the carnage of war. He performs operations while under fire and sees wounds that can barely be contemplated. Marines are dying on the operating table in front of him. The small-town moral certainties he grew up believing in may themselves succumb to the ravages he is witnessing. More than anything, he wants to make it home to marry the woman he loves.
212 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2015
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 4, 2020
Satisfyingly thoughtful. Trueblood's view of the Vietnam War was specific, and clear: as a surgeon trying to save injured soldiers on the front line, he saw the worst that war has to offer.
We had very little sense of the actual enemy, except for the fact that we knew they had been in this war for a long time, and were not going home after a one-year tour. They were organized and committed, and knew this terrain. Eventually, most of the doctors, chaplains and corpsmen that I knew came to the same conclusion, through talking with the wounded, visiting with the Recon men or the always-informed Seabees: that the war seemed ill-conceived.
In spite of our discouragement, we had a job to do: to attend to our wounded Marines. And that's what we did. (170)
It ends up being just very nicely balanced, neither gung-ho military nor overwhelmingly critical, but with a clear sense that he was taking very very seriously a job that he'd never wanted, nor would wish on anyone else. Also interesting to note that Trueblood was raised Quaker and could realistically have registered as a conscientious objector—and that his father had had to make the same decision in World War II, and had gone to war anyway because the alternative was to have the draft notice passed on to a significantly older doctor in his small county. I just had an unrelated conversation about relative ethics, and that fits in well, no?
I'm not done reading Vietnam War memoirs yet, but this is by far the best one I've read recently.
A couple other quotations:
The surgeons I learned from thought out loud, shared their observations, and actively drew the entire team into identifying the issues and priorities for each patient. This was especially true in determining the incision point for the removal of shrapnel. CT scans had not yet been invented, so we had to imagine the internal location of the metal and the extent of the injury. We did so by using the few things that we did have: two-dimensional X-ray films and the location of the entry and exit wounds. (61)
We were, to be sure, dealing with Marines, and my experiences with them were sometimes different, I'm certain, than those my father had with his patients in Indianola. As I wrote to Nancy about two of my clinic patients, "I am afraid the Marine language is contagious. I asked a man in sick call what his problem was. He answered, 'My eye is all fucked up, sir.'...Another Marine, speaking of shrapnel that hit him close to an eye, said, 'But it didn't enter the brain housing mechanism, right, Doc?'" (79)
We had very little sense of the actual enemy, except for the fact that we knew they had been in this war for a long time, and were not going home after a one-year tour. They were organized and committed, and knew this terrain. Eventually, most of the doctors, chaplains and corpsmen that I knew came to the same conclusion, through talking with the wounded, visiting with the Recon men or the always-informed Seabees: that the war seemed ill-conceived.
In spite of our discouragement, we had a job to do: to attend to our wounded Marines. And that's what we did. (170)
It ends up being just very nicely balanced, neither gung-ho military nor overwhelmingly critical, but with a clear sense that he was taking very very seriously a job that he'd never wanted, nor would wish on anyone else. Also interesting to note that Trueblood was raised Quaker and could realistically have registered as a conscientious objector—and that his father had had to make the same decision in World War II, and had gone to war anyway because the alternative was to have the draft notice passed on to a significantly older doctor in his small county. I just had an unrelated conversation about relative ethics, and that fits in well, no?
I'm not done reading Vietnam War memoirs yet, but this is by far the best one I've read recently.
A couple other quotations:
The surgeons I learned from thought out loud, shared their observations, and actively drew the entire team into identifying the issues and priorities for each patient. This was especially true in determining the incision point for the removal of shrapnel. CT scans had not yet been invented, so we had to imagine the internal location of the metal and the extent of the injury. We did so by using the few things that we did have: two-dimensional X-ray films and the location of the entry and exit wounds. (61)
We were, to be sure, dealing with Marines, and my experiences with them were sometimes different, I'm certain, than those my father had with his patients in Indianola. As I wrote to Nancy about two of my clinic patients, "I am afraid the Marine language is contagious. I asked a man in sick call what his problem was. He answered, 'My eye is all fucked up, sir.'...Another Marine, speaking of shrapnel that hit him close to an eye, said, 'But it didn't enter the brain housing mechanism, right, Doc?'" (79)
August 4, 2018
The author of this book now lives in our retirement community. A Surgeon's War is, despite being a memoire about his service in Vietnam, also a love letter to his wife (girlfriend and fiancé at the time the events happened). Unlike my brother-in-law who spent his service time as a doctor in the Vietnam war handing out drugs for venereal diseases and planning basketball games, Ward Trueblood was in the heart of the action. The memoire portrays the horror of war but also the dignity and courage of the men who fought it. Long hours, damp living conditions, fear, noise, literally blood, sweat and tears were his life for that year. In writing the memoire he was able to release some of the demons that haunt every man or woman who has had to face combat. The courage of the marines who guarded the hospital or tent, depending on where he was, the medical corps who entered the field to save and triage the wounded are portrayed with respect for their courage and ability to adapt to any situation.
February 5, 2021
Superb writing
This is a story of a Navy medical officer's year at the Naval Medical Unit and Naval Hospital at Danang, Republic of South Vietnam, during 1965-66. The reader is elbow deep in the author's surgical excursions. He is articulate and a maturing medical professional, so he writes clearly and clinically, even about circumstances that should evoke terror. I recommend this book, and I would want him as my surgeon anywhere, anytime. I feel a particular kinship to the author, having served as an enlisted journalist at NAS Memphis 1968-71, where part of my beat was the Naval Hospital there. I too found the recovering, severely wounded patients expressing their desire to return to their units, to their dangerous circumstances, to the war, to be with their mates, the ones they could rely on, their brothers who understood what I, carefully recording their stories, would never be able to capture or convey. Bless them all.
This is a story of a Navy medical officer's year at the Naval Medical Unit and Naval Hospital at Danang, Republic of South Vietnam, during 1965-66. The reader is elbow deep in the author's surgical excursions. He is articulate and a maturing medical professional, so he writes clearly and clinically, even about circumstances that should evoke terror. I recommend this book, and I would want him as my surgeon anywhere, anytime. I feel a particular kinship to the author, having served as an enlisted journalist at NAS Memphis 1968-71, where part of my beat was the Naval Hospital there. I too found the recovering, severely wounded patients expressing their desire to return to their units, to their dangerous circumstances, to the war, to be with their mates, the ones they could rely on, their brothers who understood what I, carefully recording their stories, would never be able to capture or convey. Bless them all.
August 29, 2026
This was a phenomenal and deeply touching book. I am left speechless by this memoir. War is raw horror. I am in awe of all of those that served in the Vietnam war and in awe of Dr. Trueblood & his colleagues: for the medical battles they waged to save the lives of their brothers in arms, for their bravery in deploying, and for the sacrifices of their families.
This was a very impactful novel. US imperialism has killed millions & maimed the physical body and psyche of many more. While I do not agree with the Vietnam war, most men serving there were drafted against their will and merely trying to survive. The ones drafted that agreed with the US’s conquest? They didn’t deserve to die for their ignorance. I think of the 2 million Vietnamese civilians killed in the war. I think of the 1.1 million Vietnamese soldiers killed. War is a tragedy in every direction. ….. “tragedy” feels far too light a term.
I will be putting this book in a Little Free Library near me because it needs to be read by more people!
This was a very impactful novel. US imperialism has killed millions & maimed the physical body and psyche of many more. While I do not agree with the Vietnam war, most men serving there were drafted against their will and merely trying to survive. The ones drafted that agreed with the US’s conquest? They didn’t deserve to die for their ignorance. I think of the 2 million Vietnamese civilians killed in the war. I think of the 1.1 million Vietnamese soldiers killed. War is a tragedy in every direction. ….. “tragedy” feels far too light a term.
I will be putting this book in a Little Free Library near me because it needs to be read by more people!
October 11, 2017
Good read for medical and nonmedical readers
As a surgeon I found this book very interesting but I think non medical readers will find it very interesting as well. It is unfortunate that much of modern trauma care was developed based on the experience of physicians in war but by bringing these experiences to light hopefully we will learn that war is horrible and to be avoided if at all possible.
As a surgeon I found this book very interesting but I think non medical readers will find it very interesting as well. It is unfortunate that much of modern trauma care was developed based on the experience of physicians in war but by bringing these experiences to light hopefully we will learn that war is horrible and to be avoided if at all possible.
July 30, 2024
A Surgeon’s War
What an excellent book. I truly enjoyed the author’s description of what he saw, felt and learned during his time in Vietnam. What valuable lessons he learned on working as a unit. I thoroughly enjoyed his candor and insights as he described his time there. His book flowed so seamlessly from one chapter to the next. Definitely a well written book. Thank you for sharing your life and the lives of those you all worked tirelessly to save.
What an excellent book. I truly enjoyed the author’s description of what he saw, felt and learned during his time in Vietnam. What valuable lessons he learned on working as a unit. I thoroughly enjoyed his candor and insights as he described his time there. His book flowed so seamlessly from one chapter to the next. Definitely a well written book. Thank you for sharing your life and the lives of those you all worked tirelessly to save.
March 16, 2025
A good introspection
I loved the specific stories with personal introspection. Most helpful to understanding how he returned with having met the challenges and learned some valuable personal and mental health skills. Those are skills added to his foundational skills and seem to be something he uses to this day upon which to continue to build.
I loved the specific stories with personal introspection. Most helpful to understanding how he returned with having met the challenges and learned some valuable personal and mental health skills. Those are skills added to his foundational skills and seem to be something he uses to this day upon which to continue to build.
September 4, 2026
One of the best Vietnam books I've read
This book told me more humanity about the Vietnam War than I ever thought. His time in Vietnam also enlightened me to what my Seabee husband contributed as he was there at the same time. In the same place. He never told his story.
This book told me more humanity about the Vietnam War than I ever thought. His time in Vietnam also enlightened me to what my Seabee husband contributed as he was there at the same time. In the same place. He never told his story.
May 25, 2021
Great book
I could not put this book down and didn’t want it to end. It is an honest and unflinching memoir of a young doctor’s experience of war. It is profound.
I could not put this book down and didn’t want it to end. It is an honest and unflinching memoir of a young doctor’s experience of war. It is profound.
March 28, 2026
Wonderful book. I, as a ER nurse found this book very interesting.
March 24, 2016
This was a really interesting read. I have always been fascinated by modern history and the history of medicine. Dr. Trueblood gives a compelling and thoughtful account of working in the unimaginably traumatic conditions of a wartime Vietnam Naval hospital. - I should note that I have met Dr. Trueblood through my work as an X-ray tech in trauma center and can say that he description of himself as a calm and dedicated trauma surgeon is 100% accurate.
September 27, 2016
An excellent read
As a vietnam veteran I don't know what compelled to read this book other than curiosity. I thoroughly enjoyed it and understand how doctors and nurses who served in vietnam suffered the same problems with PTSD as did combatants . It is well written put me in the OR with Dr. Trueblood.
As a vietnam veteran I don't know what compelled to read this book other than curiosity. I thoroughly enjoyed it and understand how doctors and nurses who served in vietnam suffered the same problems with PTSD as did combatants . It is well written put me in the OR with Dr. Trueblood.
November 13, 2015
Dr. Trueblood's account is vivid, captivating, and brutally honest. As a trauma nurse, this book has illustrated the realities of war in a way no other retelling has previously been able to do- and leaves a lasting impression. I strongly recommend this book.
June 23, 2021
Блестящая и горькая автобиографическая книга в моем любимом жанре заметок про жизнь и людей. К концу второй трети ее я начала безудержно рыдать и рыдала до конца книжки.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews