Blood, Tears, And Iv's: A Memoir of a Combat Medic in Operation Iraqi Freedom

by Elissa M. Lonsdale

Blood, Tears, and IV's, a memoir of a combat medic, explores the challenging and emotional experiences of one twenty-four-year-old combat medic serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, based out of Vicenza, Italy. Sergeant Elissa Lonsdale, the author, was sent to Iraq on the Fourth of July, 2003. She knew the situation she was going into would be a difficult one. Based on her journal she kept while she was in Iraq, this book details her most memorable situations. Some are positive, and others were difficult to put into words. With a major part of the Army still deployed and continuing to deploy, Sergeant Lonsdale wanted to share her memories, as they will stick with her always. "You realize when you get back that there is no way to erase bad memories, only ways to try and make sense of them." Sergeant Lonsdale participated in the treatment of combat casualties, including soldiers, civilians and Iraqis. She recounts in this book her many strange date-related events, such as when her convoy was ambushed on her birthday; she lost a fellow medic to a stroke; another soldier and friend was electrocuted doing his job on Christmas Eve; many missions to villages surrounded by Iraqi children; rendering care to the sick and wounded; and the bond she formed with the medics she was deployed with. Sergeant Lonsdale is still serving on active duty in the Army and currently holds a position in an emergency room as a shift leader.

108 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2005

Reviews

[Patrick Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blood, Tears, and IV’s offers a raw and insightful journey into the life of a young combat medic, Sergeant Elissa Lonsdale, as she faces the realities of war during her deployment in Iraq. This memoir, built upon Lonsdale’s personal journal entries, is a tribute to the courage, resilience, and dedication of combat medics who bear witness to humanity's extremes.

What stands out in this book is its authentic voice. Rather than feeling like a polished, removed account, the narrative reads with a sincerity and immediacy that reflects Lonsdale’s experiences. She takes the reader alongside her through moments of camaraderie, loss, and surreal coincidence—the ambush on her birthday, the loss of a close friend on Christmas Eve, and the haunting encounters with the civilian casualties she tended to with care and compassion.

Though at times the book leans more on factual recounting than on emotional introspection, this lends it a quality of realism and guarded resilience. For those who may not have firsthand experience in war, the distance Lonsdale keeps while recounting her memories gives insight into how medics may cope with such intense and frequent trauma. Through her memories, Lonsdale reveals that the scars from war are deep and enduring, underscoring her strength and the impact of those relentless months on her life.

This memoir reminds us of the bravery and sacrifices that military medics, and all service members, make in the line of duty. It’s an honest, important read, especially for those who wish to understand the unvarnished experiences of those serving on the front lines.

[Tracey Cramer-Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book read like a journal rather than a memoir, which as I found out, it basically was. Putting it into book form was a form of therapy for Lonsdale after her tour. It was an interesting read, but it felt largely factual, rather than emotional, as if everything was written from a careful distance (and maybe it was, because it was hard to assimilate everything that happened). It was sometimes hard to get the true picture, but I was left with a distinct impression of how difficult that year must have been. I have nothing but admiration for the medics!