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Our Vietnam Nurses
An inspiring and astounding look at the extraordinary courage and contribution of Australian nurses and medics during the Vietnam War. From the bestselling author of Bush Nurses and Nurses of the Outback comes this collection of compelling and moving stories of our heroic nurses in the Vietnam War. Being a nurse always requires a cool head, a steady hand and an open heart. But if you’re working in a war zone, the challenges are much harder. When Australia joined the Vietnam War, civilian and military nurses were there to save lives and comfort the wounded. With spirit and good humour, they worked hard and held strong, even though most of them were completely unprepared for the war before they landed in the middle of it. Working incredibly long hours and surrounded by chaos and turmoil, these brave nurses and medics were integral to our war effort. These 15 stories show a side to the Vietnam War that has received little recognition but played an important part in shaping Australia’s presence in the war. From flying with critically wounded Australian soldiers out of turbulent war zones, to being held at gunpoint, the compassion, courage and grace under fire in Our Vietnam Nurses will inspire and astound.
- GenresNonfiction
MP3 CD
First published May 2, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 10, 2016
Fifteen independent stories, from nurses and medics who served on the front line in the Vietnam War, are the focus of Annabelle Brayley’s latest non fiction offering, Our Vietnam Nurses.
Annabelle Brayley travelled across Australia far and wide, conducting interviews and gathering the very personal anecdotes that helped form her compelling story collection. This book is narrated by Brayley but her approach to conveying these stories allows all fifteen chapters a chance to shine. Reading through the stories, each of the featured nurses/medics experiences appear very different however, they also exude a strong sense of commonality. What I derived from Our Vietnam Nurses were a number of important aspects. Firstly, the nurses and medics sent to Vietnam’s front line were unprepared for what lay ahead of them. Their training and lack of experienc,e made their experiences all the more harrowing. Conditions were clearly tough and emotionally draining. These brave personnel, who put their lives on the line in order to save the casualties of war, also suffered when they returned home. The female nurses in particular, did not have their service in Vietnam recognised for many years to come. I found this utterly appalling. It also opened my eyes to PTSD, which was felt by many of the serving nurses and medics of Vietnam. For so many, this condition was untreated. I do hope that the release of this book will make a contribution to raising our awareness to the injustices experienced by the brave nurses/medics of the Vietnam War. I also hope that it will keep their contribution to the war effort alive, for years to come.
Our Vietnam Nurses is an accessible account, of a handful of diverse and important personal stories to come out of these selfless serving nurses/medics in Vietnam. It is well worth your time to read it.
https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Annabelle Brayley travelled across Australia far and wide, conducting interviews and gathering the very personal anecdotes that helped form her compelling story collection. This book is narrated by Brayley but her approach to conveying these stories allows all fifteen chapters a chance to shine. Reading through the stories, each of the featured nurses/medics experiences appear very different however, they also exude a strong sense of commonality. What I derived from Our Vietnam Nurses were a number of important aspects. Firstly, the nurses and medics sent to Vietnam’s front line were unprepared for what lay ahead of them. Their training and lack of experienc,e made their experiences all the more harrowing. Conditions were clearly tough and emotionally draining. These brave personnel, who put their lives on the line in order to save the casualties of war, also suffered when they returned home. The female nurses in particular, did not have their service in Vietnam recognised for many years to come. I found this utterly appalling. It also opened my eyes to PTSD, which was felt by many of the serving nurses and medics of Vietnam. For so many, this condition was untreated. I do hope that the release of this book will make a contribution to raising our awareness to the injustices experienced by the brave nurses/medics of the Vietnam War. I also hope that it will keep their contribution to the war effort alive, for years to come.
Our Vietnam Nurses is an accessible account, of a handful of diverse and important personal stories to come out of these selfless serving nurses/medics in Vietnam. It is well worth your time to read it.
https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
August 20, 2016
This book provides interesting insights into the experiences of Australian nurses working during the Vietnam War. The experiences of both military and civilian nurses are covered, and it's interesting to note both the similarities and differences in their experiences. The book also tells about the nurses' lives following their return from Vietnam, and the ongoing impact of their service.
The book is generally well-written, with an accessible writing style which doesn't distract from the nurses' stories.
I was not familiar with the role of Australian nurses in the Vietnam War before reading this book, and I hope its publication results in increased recognition of their contribution.
The book is generally well-written, with an accessible writing style which doesn't distract from the nurses' stories.
I was not familiar with the role of Australian nurses in the Vietnam War before reading this book, and I hope its publication results in increased recognition of their contribution.
August 14, 2017
Learned more about Vietnam war than I expected. Really well thought out and put together.
May 15, 2018
Inspiring tales of the nurses who served and were not recognised for their efforts.
March 5, 2023
Very interesting, there were things I didn't know about and the fact that the nurses were not recognised as veterans for so long was very surprising and disappointing.
May 31, 2024
Incredible stories, from amazing women. To have lived through this era & not been aware of the dedication & sacrifice these Nurses made, I feel guilty. Finally they have recognition. Well written.
July 26, 2025
A wonderful, passionate book about the nurses and medics who served in the Vietnam War
April 25, 2016
One thing’s for sure about the people working in creative industries, they like to be involved in new, original and different projects. So my guess is that journalists in the media approach certain commemorative events with an inward groan… how do you do something different with the annual Christmas and Easter programming, and – even more challenging – how do you make something new and interesting about more controversial commemorations such as Australia Day and yes, Anzac Day?
Teachers face the same dilemma. Every year they are required to acknowledge Anzac and Remembrance Day to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the age of the students they teach. As Director of Curriculum before I retired, it was my job to coordinate the whole school program, so that the kids didn’t get the same old lesson every year, and if you read my post at LisaHillSchoolStuff you can see that I implore publishers to think outside the box, especially when it comes to acknowledging the participation of those often overlooked in the national narrative. Always on the lookout for background reading to improve my own knowledge about the service of indigenous Australians, peacekeepers and women, I would have been pleased to discover Our Vietnam Nurses had it been available while I was developing resources for my students to use.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2016/04/25/o...
Teachers face the same dilemma. Every year they are required to acknowledge Anzac and Remembrance Day to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the age of the students they teach. As Director of Curriculum before I retired, it was my job to coordinate the whole school program, so that the kids didn’t get the same old lesson every year, and if you read my post at LisaHillSchoolStuff you can see that I implore publishers to think outside the box, especially when it comes to acknowledging the participation of those often overlooked in the national narrative. Always on the lookout for background reading to improve my own knowledge about the service of indigenous Australians, peacekeepers and women, I would have been pleased to discover Our Vietnam Nurses had it been available while I was developing resources for my students to use.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2016/04/25/o...
July 6, 2016
An interesting look into the stories of nurses involved in this war- hard to believe their efforts were not recognised by the Department of Defence until the 90's.... worth reading...
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January 19, 2018Wonderful Story well worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews