We have been learning about Ann (Benson) Rudolph, who graduated from St. Olaf College’s nursing program in 1964 and began a two-year Army service obligation working at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. She married in July 1965 before receiving Vietnam deployment orders with the 93rd Evacuation Hospital (93rd Evac). The unit arrived by ship on Oct. 31, 1965. Ann worked with post-operative patients in a surgical ward and later as assistant head nurse of a medical ward.

Ann reflected on what was most difficult about her Vietnam tour.

“It was being away from Rudy, not even my family, just him. It was like we were just starting. I was pretty involved in writing letters to my husband. Being married made a big difference in all of my experiences there. We all got free postage. But that reminds me of another (source) of anger we both shared. Men got separation pay — married men. Married women did not. I would hope that’s changed.”

That year apart at the beginning of their marriage became a running joke with their two kids, who joined the family in the years after Ann returned from Vietnam and left the Army.

“We made a joke out of it, telling them, ‘We can’t tell you about our first year of marriage because Mom was in the war and Dad was at seminary. (Ann chuckled) Mommy went to war.'”

She did not recall any particularly difficult cases in Vietnam, other than the 93rd Evac corpsman who died of malaria. On the other hand, she remembered some appreciative patients.

“Apparently I made an impression on a couple of them, probably a lot, (Ann chuckled) but you don’t know that. I have a poem that one soldier wrote to me.”

Ann reported that she never felt fear for her or others’ safety at the 93rd Evac.

“I never felt like we were going to get bombarded. I thought everything was going to work out fine. We never had to take cover. I think we all felt pretty secure. We had celebrities (Danny Kaye among them) come visit.”

This feeling of living and working in a secure environment was helpful when writing to her parents.

“I think I was more supportive because I wasn’t afraid. I would tell them about my day or if I’d seen a movie. There really wasn’t all that much to share. I came across all the letters I wrote my mother, but I didn’t open them. Both my parents have since passed, so that might take a little while.”

Ann reflected on whether she felt any particular burden as a women serving in a combat zone.

“I don’t think so. People would later ask me, ‘How could you stand it?’ I’d say, ‘What did you think I was going to do about it?’ We worked in a hospital and wore fatigues — that was our nurse’s uniform. We were all dressed alike. After we got off-duty we could wear Bermuda shorts or whatever, because it was hot. But the momma-sans (local Vietnamese women) took care of our laundry, so we didn’t even have that chore.”

Ann reached her DEROS date (Date of Expected Return from Overseas Service) in July of 1966.

“I was home just in time for our 1st anniversary, which was on the 16th of July. I was on a plane from Vietnam to California and I was the only woman. We came into a base and I changed clothes because we were told not to wear a uniform.”

Ann ran into trouble trying to arrange a commercial flight back to Pennsylvania, Rudy, and her parents

“I went to the airport and needed to get to the East Coast, but they were having a strike. This was on a Thursday. The ticketing agent added, ‘We can get you there by Tuesday.’ I said, ‘I need to get there sooner.’ She replied, ‘Sorry.’

Ann came up with Plan B for her return to Pennsylvania.

“I went back to the Air Force Base (passenger terminal) and said, ‘Guess what guys? Can any of you get me to the East Coast?’ They replied, ‘Oh, sure! We’ve got C-130s going to the East Coast all the time.’ So, I’m put on one and they all knew that I needed to get back to my husband. A C-130, like in a big truck, has a bed behind the cockpit. Once again, being the only woman on board the plane, they let me sleep there. I don’t know how long it took. I couldn’t connect with Rudy the first couple of stops, so I finally called my brother and said, ‘Go find Rudy and tell him I am going to be at such and such a place on such and such a date.’ He was there to meet my plane. So, I puddle-jumped my way across the U.S. with these fine guys.

Ann looked forward to being free of the Army.

“I was done with my obligation. I wasn’t pregnant; I did my duty; and I said, ‘See ya.’ (Later) my husband and I were in our apartment in Gettysburg and the phone rang. He answered and it was the Army. They wanted me to come back in. They said I could be a captain! He said, ‘No, she’s not interested.’ They replied, ‘How do you know?’ He said, ‘I’m her husband and she’s not interested. Good-bye.’ (Ann laughed) We laughed about that for a long time.”

Ann was done with the Army, but her Army service in Vietnam was not done with her.

©2025 William D. Palmer.