But gradually, it became clear to her that the Viet Cong were not the only combatants perpetrating bloodshed and violence -- injustice was manifest on both sides. The sheer number of American casualties was overwhelming, and many of the cases deemed hopeless received no care at all, because of limited medical supplies. Doctors and nurses were so weary during the nonstop work of treatment and surgery they could hardly stand. The stifling heat, unsanitary jungle, and the fear of being attacked were all constant for the physicians as well as the soldiers. Lynda's self-esteem had always been shaky, and with the daily horrors of Vietnam, she even grew more vulnerable to bad romantic decision-making, desperate for some comfort. Lynda entered into a series of doomed relationships with doctors, all of whom had wives and children back home.

The final section of the book details Lynda's return to America. Just like servicemen, nurses experienced a profound shock transitioning back to America. When she was walking around in uniform at home, Lynda was spat upon and cursed: "Welcome home, asshole!" anti-war protesters screamed at her (Van Devanter 209). There is a notable contrast between the beginning of the book, when people were friendly to young Lynda and Barbara as they traveled around the country in an unreliable car, and Lynda's reception as an army nurse after serving her country. Lynda's memories of Vietnam made it difficult to have an effective relationship with men and to simply trust people again. She found that her service and the service of other women were ignored. Many Americans simply did...

This was devastating for Lynda, and for her fellow nurses, who were haunted with guilt and the memories of what they had seen, particularly the suffering of the Vietnamese children. Lynda found herself replying, when asked what Vietnam was liked, that it "sucked" and then saying no more (Van Devanter 225).
But gradually Lynda began to reach out to the veteran community. She was named the National Women's Director of the Vietnam Veterans of America and began the Vietnam Veterans of America Women's Project to honor the women who lived -- and died -- serving in Vietnam. Working with other men and women who also suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) became a source of psychological healing for Lynda. "Vietnam doesn't own me anymore, I own it," she says (Van Devanter 303).

Lynda was drawn to nursing because of her desire to help others. She felt more like a soldier in Vietnam than a nurse, but through her post-war efforts, she was able to have a transformative psychological impact upon the lives of veterans. The "Epilogue" of the book chronicles the author's return to Vietnam, after many years. Much to her surprise, she is greeted warmly by the Vietnamese people in the now-united nation. Touring the nation with other veterans, she marvels: "We weren't at war, and I was safe. It was a revelation to me" (Van Devanter 310).

Work Cited

Van Devanter, Lynda. Home Before Morning: The Story of an Army Nurse in Vietnam.

University of Massachusetts Press, 2001.