Tom

Tom worked the same tour I was on at the 24^th Evac. He was a Vietnamese civilian who, from what I understand, was a former ARVN soldier who had been wounded. He had a significant limp when walking which I believe was wound related. His duties included cleaning our area just outside of the ER, help getting wounded GI’s off the choppers and other duties. He spoke only a few words of English and was overall just quiet, did his work and read a newspaper if there was any time.

I got along very well with him as did everyone else. And although he spoke only a few words of English there were several times he would be chatting away with me in Vietnamese what seemed to be a story of some sort he wanted to tell. I could not help but laugh along with him as he was so animated and laughing when telling his story and I had no clue what he was saying.

One night I was the only one working. I think it was due to others being sick due some type of spreading eye infection. Of course, we got calls coming in regarding mass casualties and were going to have several choppers coming in with the wounded. I sort of panicked wondering how I was going to be able to get them all in once the chopper landed. He knew I was panicked, came over and put his hand on my shoulder and said “No Sweat”. I felt a little embarrassed and calmed down. When the choppers were coming in I grabbed anyone I could to help, even a GI who was outside. After things settled down and all the casualties were in, the soldier I recruited outside came over to me and said something like “Need any more help son?” I looked over and saw that this guy was a very high ranking officer. I was shocked but did get out a no thank you sir and smiled and said some type of nice comments to me and then left.

One night I had to go to the other side of the hospital and Tom came along to help with whatever it was I had to do. All of a sudden he took my hand, held it, and kind of swung our arms back and forth, laughing and chatting away as we walked. I was embarrassed and worried someone would see this. Later I asked our interceptor if Tom liked guys. He wanted to know what I meant and I told him what happened. He told me that Tom really liked me, that I was kind to him and that I liked everybody. He said the hand holding fell into their custom. He also told me Tom was married and had a number of kids. He told me of mistreatment Vietnamese have had, mistreatment from the French before us as well as from some of the Americans now in their Country.

Tom was there my entire tour and I’m not sure I had the chance to tell him goodbye. I left suddenly, right at the end of my tour, due to emergency leave. I often wonder about him, especially what happened to him after the Americans left and what his fate was. After all, he was a former ARVN and worked for the Americans.

Almost Scalped

A young soldier came into us who had most of his scalp torn off. It was night and he was running, he apparently ran into the metal sheets with holes in it slides together for the helipads, etc. For some reason this material was elevated, but not enough to where one could avoid running into it. I can still see him laying on a litter in the ER. His scalp still connected in the back bottom of his head by about six inches or so, hanging from his head. You could see his skull. If I remember it correctly, he laid there as they shaved the hair around his scalp where it was ripped off. They also shaved around the flap of the scalp that was hanging. Once that was completed they kept irrigating the wound with saline solution and began to sew it back together. It was strange to be there and watch this procedure as well as having the GI talking as he scalp was sewn back together. After they were done, they told him they would have to keep coming back to the hospital for a number of days so they could insert a syringe to suction out any blood that he may be bleeding under his scalp.

I spoke with the doctor later. I asked him if he was going to be OK. He said it would and that he was going to have a terrible headache.

I keep trying to read information on the Internet regarding people who may have had this happen. I always think of this young GI and what the end result was and did this all end up OK for him. Most times I am so overwhelmed with memories and not knowing the outcome makes it even worse. I just feel so lost sometimes.

The Loach chopper and the burned pilot.

It was just getting dark as the radio came to life that we had a burn patient coming in via chopper in five minutes. I remember that we not only needed a gurney but a litter as well.  From what I remember it was bringing in a chopper pilot. We got the gurney and litter ready and got on the helipad. Much to our surprise a small "Loach" chopper was coming in wildly for a landing and was all over the place. As it landed, it was sliding across the helipad heading for us. We dived out of the way fearing we would get hit by it or the rotors. It came to a stop and the door opened and out came the burned pilot. His shirt was burned off and he was screaming in pain holding both his arms up once he got away from the chopper. There was no laying him on the litter, just him screaming and literally running with us into the ER a short distance away. It was no wonder the pilot was flying wildly. Not only flying that small chopper with a wounded soldier in it, but one of his own, another pilot.

Burn patients were the worst. The smell of burned flesh, the pain, the treatment and the recovery. Of everything I saw and did, burned patients were the worse.