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Vietnam Nurse
A small town girl from Illinois decided to join the Army in order to help others and see the world. Arriving at the 91st Evacuation Hospital in Chu Lai on November 1, 1969, Lou cared for GIs, South Vietnamese soldiers and civilians, even Viet Cong and NVA soldiers. From malaria and hepatitis to double amputees, massive head traumas, and deadly bullet wounds, Lt. Graul saw it all during her year in Vietnam. Thanks to her journal and photographs, you can follow her journey. She takes you through the sights and sounds of combat nursing, water-skiing on the South China Sea, a weekend jeep trip with flak jackets and helmets, and surviving early-morning rocket attacks. When an old boyfriend appears in Vietnam, life becomes even more interesting! She also reports on the four return trips to Vietnam, the latest in September 2014 when she joined eleven other vets making their first return trip to the country.
108 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 26, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
February 11, 2021
My experience with this book has to include the presentation I saw Lou give at one of our library branches in 2017. I bought a copy of her book and this is what she wrote inside along with her autograph:
To Darla, Let us never forget that women served! Peace, Lou (June, 2017)
Since I had just heard her talk about her experiences and viewed her fascinating slide show, I went home and put the book on my TBR pile. It sat there much longer than it should have. Now it is January, 2021, and my library system (Mid-Continent Public Library) is sponsoring a Winter Reading Challenge and celebrating the upcoming Missouri state bicentennial. What better title to read as part of the program, than Lou's book? The cover is spot on. Young Lou was a bit naive about what was ahead, but she was ready to take it all on. Her Midwestern grit and optimism shine through in her story. Her book is like having a conversation with Lou which is part diary, part poetry, and part scrapbook. I highly recommend it!
To Darla, Let us never forget that women served! Peace, Lou (June, 2017)
Since I had just heard her talk about her experiences and viewed her fascinating slide show, I went home and put the book on my TBR pile. It sat there much longer than it should have. Now it is January, 2021, and my library system (Mid-Continent Public Library) is sponsoring a Winter Reading Challenge and celebrating the upcoming Missouri state bicentennial. What better title to read as part of the program, than Lou's book? The cover is spot on. Young Lou was a bit naive about what was ahead, but she was ready to take it all on. Her Midwestern grit and optimism shine through in her story. Her book is like having a conversation with Lou which is part diary, part poetry, and part scrapbook. I highly recommend it!
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February 19, 2021My experience with this book has to include the presentation I saw Lou give at one of our library branches in 2017. I bought a copy of her book and this is what she wrote inside along with her autograph:
To Darla, Let us never forget that women served! Peace, Lou (June, 2017)
Since I had just heard her talk about her experiences and viewed her fascinating slide show, I went home and put the book on my TBR pile. It sat there much longer than it should have. Now it is January, 2021, and my library system (Mid-Continent Public Library) is sponsoring a Winter Reading Challenge and celebrating the upcoming Missouri state bicentennial. What better title to read as part of the program, than Lou's book? The cover is spot on. Young Lou was a bit naive about what was ahead, but she was ready to take it all on. Her Midwestern grit and optimism shine through in her story. Her book is like having a conversation with Lou which is part diary, part poetry, and part scrapbook. I highly recommend it!
To Darla, Let us never forget that women served! Peace, Lou (June, 2017)
Since I had just heard her talk about her experiences and viewed her fascinating slide show, I went home and put the book on my TBR pile. It sat there much longer than it should have. Now it is January, 2021, and my library system (Mid-Continent Public Library) is sponsoring a Winter Reading Challenge and celebrating the upcoming Missouri state bicentennial. What better title to read as part of the program, than Lou's book? The cover is spot on. Young Lou was a bit naive about what was ahead, but she was ready to take it all on. Her Midwestern grit and optimism shine through in her story. Her book is like having a conversation with Lou which is part diary, part poetry, and part scrapbook. I highly recommend it!
January 24, 2016
I know Lou personally and have had the privilege of having her in my library 3 times now! I first met her in 2001! She is a strong woman with confidence and the ability to make even 8th graders listen to her amazing stories about her time in Vietnam. Her book is a quick read and one that my middle school students would enjoy and get a lot out of. I will be book talking it next week to my 7th graders! I'm so glad you came home Lou! Thank you for your service!
March 31, 2016
Fantastic biography about a strong woman who endured many challenges in a combat zone called Vietnam. The photos enhanced my understanding and her speech at the Leavenworth, KS VA on 23 Mar 2016 was tremendous. I recommend this for all military or people who want to have a unique insight into the Vietnam experience in 1969-1970.
April 4, 2024
2.75/5.00. I was expecting a little more from this novel, hoping for more perspective on what it was like to be a nurse in the Vietnam War, or even a women in the Vietnam war. This novel was brief and didn’t cover much, and the author plainly tells readers that she didn’t think she was affected as much due to her training in a military hospital before she shipped to Vietnam.
Still, this novel is worth a read for someone who like an introduction to the role of women in the Vietnam War.
Still, this novel is worth a read for someone who like an introduction to the role of women in the Vietnam War.
October 10, 2024
This is a great book to read if you loved “The Women” by Kristin Hannah and want to learn more about the Vietnam experience of military women/nurses. Thank you for sharing your story!
August 24, 2024
I Know
I have a unique perspective from other readers of this book. I witnessed the horrific injuries our men suffered during the Vietnam War.
My Air Force Reserve unit was stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, MD. Along with base hospital personnel, as medics, we manned a casualty receiving hospital unit for flights arriving from Vietnam. We cared for these men until they were sent out on flights returning them home the next day.
The traumatic injuries she describes, the smells, the mud- and blood-spattered uniforms brought home to me memories from a time in my service long ago."The heroic, stoic nature of these men still stays with me to this day."
In the future, when we commit our forces to a conflict far away, I hope our country commits to a pledge to providing our men and women with all of the resources necessary for them to succeed, with pride for their sacrifice and the honor due them from the American people.
Please remember our veterans who sacrificed so much for us. That memory remains with me to this day.I have a unique perspective from other readers of this book. I witnessed the horrific injuries our men suffered during the Vietnam War.
My Air Force Reserve unit was stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, MD. Along with base hospital personnel, as medics, we manned a casualty receiving hospital unit for flights coming in from Vietnam. We cared for these men until they were sent out on flights returning them home the next day.
The traumatic injuries she describes, the smells, the mud- and blood-spattered uniforms brought home to me memories from a time in my service long ago. Please remember the following text:
"The heroic and stoic nature of these men remains with me to this day.
In the future, when we commit our forces to a conflict far away, I hope our country will pledge to provide our men and women with all the resources necessary for them to succeed. They deserve the pride for their sacrifice and the honor due to them from the American people."
Please remember our veterans who sacrificed so much for us. That memory remains with me to this day.
I have a unique perspective from other readers of this book. I witnessed the horrific injuries our men suffered during the Vietnam War.
My Air Force Reserve unit was stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, MD. Along with base hospital personnel, as medics, we manned a casualty receiving hospital unit for flights arriving from Vietnam. We cared for these men until they were sent out on flights returning them home the next day.
The traumatic injuries she describes, the smells, the mud- and blood-spattered uniforms brought home to me memories from a time in my service long ago."The heroic, stoic nature of these men still stays with me to this day."
In the future, when we commit our forces to a conflict far away, I hope our country commits to a pledge to providing our men and women with all of the resources necessary for them to succeed, with pride for their sacrifice and the honor due them from the American people.
Please remember our veterans who sacrificed so much for us. That memory remains with me to this day.I have a unique perspective from other readers of this book. I witnessed the horrific injuries our men suffered during the Vietnam War.
My Air Force Reserve unit was stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, MD. Along with base hospital personnel, as medics, we manned a casualty receiving hospital unit for flights coming in from Vietnam. We cared for these men until they were sent out on flights returning them home the next day.
The traumatic injuries she describes, the smells, the mud- and blood-spattered uniforms brought home to me memories from a time in my service long ago. Please remember the following text:
"The heroic and stoic nature of these men remains with me to this day.
In the future, when we commit our forces to a conflict far away, I hope our country will pledge to provide our men and women with all the resources necessary for them to succeed. They deserve the pride for their sacrifice and the honor due to them from the American people."
Please remember our veterans who sacrificed so much for us. That memory remains with me to this day.
April 4, 2024
HEROES
I was 9 when Lou joined the Army. I had a cousin I'd never met in Vietnam. He didn't make it home. I had always wanted to be a nurse, and I thought I wanted to be an Army nurse. I guess I'm glad I was too young.
I worked at the VA clinic and my PTSD vets broke my heart. I absolutely hate war and how it completely ruins a life. I have a good friend who has severe PTSD from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Lou's book gives a real look from inside the war. Not the garbage our government tried to sell. I greatly admire the men and women that served, and I will forever be heartbroken by what they're dealing with now.
Thank you, Lou. For going and for sharing. You're all heroes in my mind.
I was 9 when Lou joined the Army. I had a cousin I'd never met in Vietnam. He didn't make it home. I had always wanted to be a nurse, and I thought I wanted to be an Army nurse. I guess I'm glad I was too young.
I worked at the VA clinic and my PTSD vets broke my heart. I absolutely hate war and how it completely ruins a life. I have a good friend who has severe PTSD from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Lou's book gives a real look from inside the war. Not the garbage our government tried to sell. I greatly admire the men and women that served, and I will forever be heartbroken by what they're dealing with now.
Thank you, Lou. For going and for sharing. You're all heroes in my mind.
March 6, 2024
The best Vietnam Nurse book I have read! It had all of the elements: the nursing skills required, describing triage, taking us through day to day life as both a nurse and a human being in a war zone on the beach and in the jungle! She talks about love and loss then and now. Shred has such an open mind about the soldiers, it was very refreshing.
Lou has returned to Vietnam 4x since the war and explained PTSD to me in a way I've never grasped. The 5th star was sealed because she is an excellent excellent writer!!
Lou has returned to Vietnam 4x since the war and explained PTSD to me in a way I've never grasped. The 5th star was sealed because she is an excellent excellent writer!!
May 28, 2022
A Nurses' Mission & Commitment
Very well written and interesting reading! In addition to performing her mission, Lou touches on both operational and personal components in helping servicemen, women and Vietnamese civilians. In addition to her story, Lou has touched (and helped save) the lives of wounded service members, and passed along her knowledge to students and readers alike. Well done, and Welcome Home! Thank you!
Very well written and interesting reading! In addition to performing her mission, Lou touches on both operational and personal components in helping servicemen, women and Vietnamese civilians. In addition to her story, Lou has touched (and helped save) the lives of wounded service members, and passed along her knowledge to students and readers alike. Well done, and Welcome Home! Thank you!
March 20, 2026
What a wonderful firsthand memoir. It’s a quick read but no less enjoyable. I have read many books of Vietnam experiences, not many from a female’s perspective and certainly not hers. But it was refreshing to read and I would recommend reading it if even as an introduction of learning about first-hand accounts of Vietnam experiences. Lou sounds like a gorgeous lady and I would love to travel with her!
August 17, 2024
This book is partly about the author's experience in Vietnam as a nurse and partly about the reasons she chose to go there and how she spent her time in the years afterwards recovering and returning to Vietnam four times. It's an interesting read and worth your time if you are interested in women serving in Vietnam.
June 26, 2024
Loved this, a quick read, but I really enjoyed reading a first hand account of a nurse in Vietnam after reading the women. I’m also in the thick of it with TOG and it was a nice little break.
May 17, 2025
Grateful that the author wrote down her story. Interesting to read about her experiences in the Vietnam War. A true hero and an inspiring journey.
June 24, 2025
Welcome Home Lou
Welcome home Lou and thank you for sharing your experience in Vietnam
It brought back lots of memories of my year there
Greatly recommend your book
Welcome home Lou and thank you for sharing your experience in Vietnam
It brought back lots of memories of my year there
Greatly recommend your book
August 3, 2026
I loved her story telling and how I felt like I was there. It was an easy read and I'm interested in reading about more woman that serviced in the military at this time.
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March 25, 2018MWSA Review
A young woman trains as a nurse and goes to Nam to find her personal and professional way!
To satisfy wanderlust, Eisenbrandt chooses a nursing vocation to finish high school and the Army to “see the world” and develop her skills. Not the norm for a young woman to go to the war zone, this VIETNAM NURSE shares her field hospital lifestyle that year in 1970. The author narrative describes the routines and incoming patients, recreation on the China Sea, and the limited social outlets and available relationships.
After her tour, Lou Eisenbrandt reflects on four return trips to Vietnam after the war ended and as she aged, with her varying feelings and impressions. Not the normal war story, this book relates to the impact of war on a young woman and her ongoing relative success to travel and mend as much as anyone may with a scarred war background.
MWSA Reviewer: Hodge Wood
A young woman trains as a nurse and goes to Nam to find her personal and professional way!
To satisfy wanderlust, Eisenbrandt chooses a nursing vocation to finish high school and the Army to “see the world” and develop her skills. Not the norm for a young woman to go to the war zone, this VIETNAM NURSE shares her field hospital lifestyle that year in 1970. The author narrative describes the routines and incoming patients, recreation on the China Sea, and the limited social outlets and available relationships.
After her tour, Lou Eisenbrandt reflects on four return trips to Vietnam after the war ended and as she aged, with her varying feelings and impressions. Not the normal war story, this book relates to the impact of war on a young woman and her ongoing relative success to travel and mend as much as anyone may with a scarred war background.
MWSA Reviewer: Hodge Wood
August 9, 2020
Quick little read about being a nurse in the Vietnam War. Eisenbrandt describes a fair bit of naïveté in her decision to join the army—joining during the war and then it being something of a revelation to realise that she'd be likely to go to Vietnam. But go to Vietnam she did. For Eisenbrandt, as with Douglas Moore, it seems to have been an experience largely without regrets. I'd have liked some more story, though—there are very few fleshed-out scenes here.
October 28, 2021
I heard Lou Eisenbrandt read at an event honoring Veterans’ Voices and was touched by her reading so I purchased her book. It’s a memoir of how she became a nurse in Vietnam during the war, her time served there and her return trips to the country later in life. I found this well-written story about a life well-lived moving and inspiring. Sometimes when I read a memoir, it feels like it was written for the writer’s family. In this case, I felt like this memoir was written for the writer’s country, especially its women. I’m glad I read it. It gave me a new appreciation for Lou Eisenbrandt and the women like her that served in Vietnam.
January 3, 2026
A quick, enlightening, wonderful read. Doesn't dwell on gory details (though being a nurse in a combat triage tent there certainly would've been ample opportunity). Lots of reflections on service, women in uniform, recognition, life after the war, going back to Vietnam on several trips, and so forth. I kinda wish every vet could find their way to writing a story or two or even a little memoir like this one.
August 30, 2016
This is a magnificent autobiographical book describing a year in the life of Lou Eisenbrandt as a nurse during the Vietnam War. She is very succinct and factual with her depiction. It is both fascinating and uplifting. Lou lives in Overland Park and spoke to Curt's high school students. It is a very effective and gripping way to learn a slice of history.
September 13, 2022
I met Lou recently on a cruise. The tenacity, dedication, humor she wrote about in her Vietnam journey comes through in conversation with her. Thank you for your service as a nurse in Vietnam, and your service now to the Parkinson organization. To quote Lou, "just keep moving" - a mantra we can all adopt.
June 15, 2016
Quick read
I can't criticize someone else's memories but this read more like a long synopsis than an actual remembrance.
I was left wanting more.
I can't criticize someone else's memories but this read more like a long synopsis than an actual remembrance.
I was left wanting more.
February 6, 2017
Amazing read in one sitting! Thank you for your service!
December 29, 2018
Remembering Vietnam
As a male nurse I was there too in 67-68. This book brought back feelings of what it was like to be in Vietnam. A very good read.
As a male nurse I was there too in 67-68. This book brought back feelings of what it was like to be in Vietnam. A very good read.
February 21, 2019
Wonderful story!
May 12, 2020
Impressive
I enjoyed reading about Lou's experience in Vietnam. However, I would have liked more detail. As this was a story of highlights. Overall a good read.
I enjoyed reading about Lou's experience in Vietnam. However, I would have liked more detail. As this was a story of highlights. Overall a good read.
July 20, 2021
It was interesting as I was in high school & college during the Vietnam War.
April 24, 2022
Really enjoyed reading it!! I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Lou and hearing her speak at my school. She is an absolutely incredible individual!
January 22, 2025
Had the privilege of meeting Lou Eisenbrandt and hearing some of her story firsthand!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews