We’ve been learning about Pam Swennes’ service in Vietnam as an Army Nurse. Pam graduated from Marshall High School in 1963; completed nursing school in Denver; and volunteered for service in the Army Nurse Corps with nursing school friend, Diana Stewart. The two young officers volunteered for early assignment to Vietnam.

When Pam, arrived in Vietnam in March 1968, she requested assignment to the 71st Evacuation Hospital at Pleiku to be close to her fiancé, Jack, an infantry company commander at nearby Camp Enari.

The 71st Evac staff assigned Pam to Ward Six, Surgical for half of her Vietnam tour and then to an ICU/Recovery Ward for the last half.

Pam recalled the workload in her wards was pretty constant, with a higher patient volume earlier in her tour.

“Normally, we would do twelve hour shifts, six days a week and we didn’t have much down time. When I first got there a push of fifty was commonplace – fifty inbound [patients] at a time. By the end of the tour that would have been uncommon.”

The heavy patient load on Ward Six, Surgical stressed her; but she had an emotional backstop that helped her with the stress.

“My focus was on Jack and what he was doing in the field. So, anytime that we had surge coming in, that would be my focus. Is it his unit? Is it him? So, I think that kept me from focusing on me and what I was doing. It was kind of a relief that it was these other folks and I’ll take care of them.”

The young couple were able to see one another from time to time.

“There’s a picture of me on one of his APC’s (armored personnel carrier), going through Pleiku. He must have come and gotten me. He would occasionally visit at the hospital.”

Pam identified other factors that helped her manage the stress.

“For one thing, you’re young and stupid. (Pam laughed) You just do what you have to do. I got CARE packages from home. One of Mother’s family friends, Ruth Byers, was the Red Cross lady, so we did [Red Cross calls] a couple of times. I remember listening to Armed Forces Radio and hearing about the Tracy tornado. Even though it was negative, it was still a little bit of home”

But not everyone had an emotional backstop. Many fell into a type of cultural void.

There was no cultural orientation. We were Americans. We all had that common, American experience. We’d go into this land that is culturally totally different than ours. There’s nothing that says we have to be dropped into that and function with whatever we pick up about it. Consequently, you get caught up in the moment. I think a lot of people did things and got into relationships that they normally wouldn’t have. They got caught up and forgot they were going to go home to this land that they knew, instead of being in a land they didn’t know.”

She described how her relationships with the physicians at the 71st Evac changed over her tour.

“When I was in nursing school, the physicians were god. There was a high degree of respect from the nursing staff. I carried that into the military in the beginning. The Docs in the beginning were great – very professional. It changed over the year. A lot of them came with an attitude that they didn’t want to be there – they were too good to be there.”

But the GI patients and enlisted staff treated the nurses with great respect. Pam explained they had a special term for the Army nurses.

“To the GIs, at least that I ever knew, we were “round eyes,” the round-eyed women, and we were revered. It wouldn’t be appropriate today, calling us ’round eyes,’ but that’s what we were to them.”

The relationships between the nurses in her hootch were supportive, but not really close.

“We were compatible. We had fun together, but everybody rotated in and out. We were on different shifts on different units. I didn’t work with any of them, but if we were there during a rocket attack, we got together.”

Pam and Jack got married during their R&R.

“We went to Hawaii. Got married at Fort DeRussy. There were a couple wives waiting for their husbands. I didn’t have a bouquet so they made their leis into my bouquet and stood up for us. I didn’t have a dress to wear because I’d lost so much weight. So, I ended up buying this little white dress.”

They returned to Vietnam and completed their tours.

“We flew out together. I remember that flight. I think I was the only female on the plane and it was full. After being in fatigues and combat boots for a year, I had to wear my dress uniform; blouse and skirt, hose, and heels. We landed in Guam. My feet had swollen so much I couldn’t get them back in my shoes, so we took a pillow case and made footies for me so I could go on base. We had a short layover and flew to SeaTac (Seattle/Tacoma Airport).

Pam and Jack were assigned next to Fort Benning, Georgia. But even in the Army Pam did feel able to talk about her Vietnam experiences.

The Lyon County Museum is organizing an exhibit about the impact of the Vietnam War on Lyon County. If you would like to share Vietnam experiences or help with the exhibit, please contact me at prairieviewpressllc@gmail.com or call the museum at 537-6580.