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P. 40
Continued from the previous page that ##***** bomb one more time –” He months I was reassigned to the GI medi-
never got a chance to finish his statement cal ward.
because it was bigger than hers. My room- because the whole class burst out laughing.
mate thought we were crazy. Funny thing; Most of the actual combat was north of
it was my roommate who was the first to Our class was so bad at marching that Cam Ranh, so nurses still had to wear
sign up followed shortly by my other friend. one of our instructors said we were going the old starched white uniforms, caps and
to give him a heart attack. The day after white shoes. We were not even supplied
Vietnam was the first war to come into our graduation, he actually had a heart attack. with helmets, flak jackets or bomb shel-
homes on a daily basis. Every evening, the That was probably a bad omen. ters. Our hooches were wood with glass
news showed pictures of dead and wounded windows and located not far from the run-
soldiers. My brother was enlisted in the I was at Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto way. One night, mortars were fired at the
Army, stationed in Quy Nhon, so I was Rico when the Cuban Missile Crisis took runways. With no other recourse, we all
more than concerned about telling my par- place. The commanding officer ordered took shelter in the latrine, like a bunch of
ents I was going there, too. I remember us to cover all the windows with blankets idiots. After what seemed like an eternity
sitting at the kitchen table and, after small so that no light could be seen. I wondered I decided I needed sleep - I’d be on duty in a
talk, saying, “I have something to tell you.” what war he was fighting—these were mis- few hours. I went back to my hooch, dabbed
My mom excitedly said, “You’re getting siles, not bombs. on my Joy Perfume, put on my pretty blue
married!” When I told them I was going baby doll pajamas and nestled on my cot.
to Vietnam, my dad simply looked away. In 1968 I was sent to Cam Ranh Bay in I figured if I’m going, I’m going this way.
Vietnam. I was assigned to the “Vietnam- The next day, windows were taped over,
Medical Officer Basic was at Gunter Air ese Only” ward. Patients were Vietnamese our quarters were reinforced by sand bags
Force Base. At that time, there was no soldiers and civilians, from babies to elderly and bunkers were built. We were finally
separate training for nurses and doctors. men and women. I saw things I had only supplied with helmets and flak jackets.
We attended classes together, listening read about before. I remember caring for a
to boring instructors and watching even South Vietnamese pilot who had his lower Things have changed in the military and
more boring training films. Every film jaw shot off. As a nurse, I think the hard- in our country. When I joined the Air Force,
began and ended with a clip of an atomic est part was not being able to provide my there was the notion that military women
bomb erupting into a mushroom cloud. patients with the care they deserved. I kept were either gay or wanted to find a hus-
After weeks of this, a male voice from saying that it didn’t matter if they were band. That was not it at all. Now support
the back of the room spurted, “If I see Vietnamese - they were people. After six groups and organizations are thanking us
for our service. That’s a good thing.
Col. Bev Dye (left) with author Diane Klutz, PhD (right) at the first Texas All
Women Honor Flight on October 7, 2016. Diane served in the Army Nurse Trudy Glackin
Corps (1970-1972) and wrote the book, Round Eyes: An American Nurse
in Vietnam. Navy-YN3 (1969-1972);
Army Reserves-Sgt (1974-1979)
38 | SUNRAYS NOVEMBER 2016
I remember watching old WWII movies
with the Andrews Sisters and Martha Ray
while growing up in Philadelphia. I knew
that when I was old enough, I would join.
When the time came I joined the Navy
because the WAVES uniforms were a lot
better looking than the Army or Air Force.
That was in 1969 and I was 18 years old.
Boot camp was in Bainbridge, MD. I
shared a room with three other girls. No
huge barracks like the guys. We were never
heckled by enlisted men in boot camp be-
cause they kept us segregated. Even the
mess hall had a long screen down the mid-
dle and two serving lines - boys on one side
and girls on the other. Stern warnings to
avoid communication with the enlisted men
were always followed by, “Men are trees
and people don’t talk to trees.”
My first duty station was Service School
Command at the San Diego Naval Train-
ing Center. I was assigned to the Electron-
ONLINE: SCTEXAS.ORG
