During the Vietnam War, a special group of all-American women stepped forward to serve their country in extraordinary ways. Known as “Angels from Heaven,” these dedicated individuals were not drafted; they volunteered.
They were the nurses of the Vietnam War, and their bravery, skill, and compassion saved countless lives on and off the battlefield.
Tee It Up for the Troops paid tribute to a group of Vietnam War nurses at the 2023 Tee It Up for the Troops Event at Mendakota Country Club.
In attendance, honored and pictured left to right were: Mary Lu Ostergern- Brunner, Army Nurse Corps, 71st Evacuation Hospital, Pleiku, 1968-1969; Pam Barrows, Army Nurse Corps, 71st Evacuation Hospital, Pleiku, 1966-1967; Mary Breed, Army Nurse Corps, 95th Evacuation Hospital, Da Nang, 18th Surgical Hospital, Quang Tri, 1970-1971; Kay Bauer, Navy Nurse Corps, Vietnamese Provincial Hospital, Rach Gia, 1966-1967; Jeanne Mahaffey, Navy Nurse Corps, USS Sanctuary, Vietnam, 1971 – 1974; Lynn Bower, Army Nurse Corps, 24th Evacuation Hospital, Long Binh, Vietnam 1971.
The Vital Role of Nurses During the Vietnam War
This group of American nurses in the Vietnam War played a significant role in the war zone, providing high levels of care under extremely difficult conditions.
Despite their vital contributions, many nurses during the Vietnam War returned home only to encounter the same unfriendly reception as male veterans, compounded by the psychological trauma of their experiences.
Today, the nurses of the Vietnam War are still among the least recognized of American military veterans. Popular films and media often overlook their stories, but their legacy lives on through the gratitude of those they healed and the memories they helped preserve.
Learn more about how Tee It Up for the Troops honors veterans like these nurses: Tee It Up for the Troops.
How Many Women Served in Vietnam?
Nearly 10,000 American women served in Vietnam during the war. Of those, approximately 7,000 were nurses, many of whom were barely out of nursing school when they were sent overseas.
How Many Nurses Died in Vietnam?
Tragically, 9 American army nurses in Vietnam and 1 Air Force nurse lost their lives while serving, according to the Army Nurse Corpse Association:
- Captain Eleanor Alexander
- Second Lieutenant Carol Drazba
- First Lieutenant Pamela Donovan
- Lieutenant Colonel Annie Graham
- Second Lieutenant Elizabeth Jones
- First Lieutenant Sharon Lane
- First Lieutenant Jerome Olmsted
- Second Lieutenant Hedwig Orlowski
- First Lieutenant Kenneth Shoemaker
- Captain Mary Klinker, USAF
Honoring the Hospital Vietnam War Nurses
The group of hospital Vietnam War nurses honored by Tee It Up for the Troops originally met through a support group at the VA in Minnesota. Today, they continue to support one another through annual potluck lunches and support.
Two of these remarkable women, Pam Barrows and Mary Lu Ostergern-Brunner, both served at the 71st Evacuation Hospital in Pleiku, Vietnam, an area known for heavy combat.
Although they worked at the same facility—Pam in the ICU and Mary Lu in the OR—they never or connected while in Vietnam.
Once back in Minnesota, they met through the Veteran Home where Mary Lu was a board member and Pam was an Administrator at the Veteran Home in Luverne, MN.
Army Nurses in Vietnam: Stories of Courage and Commitment
Pam Barrows – Army Nurse Corps
“My best friend from nursing school and I entered the service together and we were supposed to be assigned to the same unit after basic but we weren’t,” said Army nurse Pam Barrows.
“We talked to those in charge and said ‘you promised’ we would be assigned together, and then they reassigned us both to Ft. Polk, which had the reputation for being the armpit of the Army. Hearing that we said we might as well go to Vietnam but had no clue what we were asking for!”
Nurses in Vietnam did whatever was asked of them. They often worked round the clock in massive casualty situations, directing triage, assisting with emergency tracheotomies and amputations, inserting tubes to assist surgeons, and removing damaged tissue and shrapnel from wounds.
Pam said they were called “Pluckers” because they plucked out shrapnel from wounded soldiers.
“Our shifts were 12 hours, 6 days a week and our incoming came by helicopter,” said Pam who worked in the Surgical ICU at the 71st Evacuation Hospital in Pleiku, Vietnam.
“It would be called a ‘PUSH’ and the wounded were triaged in the ER. Often when working day shifts, we might have to crawl to safety if under a rocket attack.”
Pam said there was a high mental stress side of military nursing. “We never knew what was happening outside of our compound.”
“We would hear groundfire close by when working nights and during blackouts. I worried about my fiancé who was a Company Commander of a Mechanized Infantry Unit with the 4th Division on the other side of Pleiku. I worried about rats coming into our ‘hootch’ or living quarters and rocket attacks.”
Mary Breed – Army Nurse Corps
“My brother was wounded in Vietnam and my friend from church, as well as my girlfriend’s brother, were both killed in Vietnam,” said Mary Breed.
“That is why I volunteered as a nurse to serve in the Army. I graduated from nursing school at the Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis in 1969 and arrived in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, on September 5, 1970.”
She worked as an OR nurse at the 95th Evac Hospital in DaNang and the 18th Surgical Hospital in Quang Tri.
“You can never prepare for war. You do not understand a war until you are there and in it,” Mary described.
“I still cry when I think of Vietnam and certain instances. Everybody that goes to war goes through PTSD because war is just not normal.”
Mary vividly remembers her 24th birthday in Vietnam: “I was cutting a birthday cake the cook had made when we heard a radio call that Hill 950, west of Quang Tri Provence, was getting run over with mortars.”
“Our hospital sent two ‘Dust Offs’ or Medevac helicopters. The fighting was intense and they could only get in with one helicopter that only evacuated one of three Americans. One soldier was later deemed missing in action and the other a POW,” Mary recalled.
“Back at the hospital, we awaited the chopper to return, which was tenuous because the chopper was being shot at and had to make an emergency landing at Khe Sahn. It turned out to be a good birthday because our two crews made it home safe.”
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Kay Bauer – Navy Nurse Corps
Kay Bauer grew up in St. Paul with 13 brothers and sisters. Kay was a U.S. Navy Nurse for 35 years. She was one of two women in a forward surgical team of 7 people who worked in a provincial hospital in South Vietnam in 1966.
“The hospital had no running water, no electricity, and we had a generator in the operating room,” said Bauer in an interview.
Even the walk to work from her quarters became dangerous. At one point, she witnessed a U.S. helicopter getting shot down with bullets coming perilously close.
“The bullets went past, whoosh, whoosh. I will move a little bit faster here,” Kay said.
Despite the danger, Kay likes to remember the good times, like christening a boat in a nearby harbor or immunizing local children. “The other things are just too hard,” she said.
Shortly after returning home, Kay received an invitation to lunch at the White House where she was honored by President Johnson. He signed legislation allowing women to achieve higher military ranks, such as General or Admiral.
Kay retired as a Captain in the Navy Nurse Corps and still keeps in touch with the awesome women who served.
Watch an interview with Kay Bauuer that was part of Veteran Day news coverage from North Metro TV in Blaine, MN. Kay’s story begins at the .48-second mark in the segment.
A Lasting Legacy of Compassion and Courage
The nurses of the Vietnam War remain a symbol of unwavering dedication and courage. Tee It Up for the Troops is deeply honored to have recognized their invaluable service and sacrifice. Their stories remind us of the profound contributions made by women in times of war, often under the most challenging circumstances imaginable.
To learn how you can support veterans like these heroic nurses, please visit our sponsorship opportunities page or contact us.
God bless the “Angels from Heaven” who served with such compassion and bravery!
