Army Medicine In Vietnam 1 - WARNING GRAPHIC WAR FOOTAGE

[wkat950]

Though this is primitive compared to today- and war being horrible as it is- medical care in Vietnam made people in health care stateside wonder why more couldn't be done to save lives of car crash victims. Remember, the undertaker would pick you up in his "ambulance" and haul you off, with no airway or bleeding management, to a hospital. They would ring the doorbell and a nurse would come. No doctor except on call. And no OR until the surgeon came. Not to worry; you were dead already.

[timcloonan]

Was Capt USA MC was @ 93d Evac Jan-March '69. Ran Triage and helped in OR. Worked with good folks. Have pics if any fmr staff want. tcloonan@cox.net. Was sent to field w 173d Abn in Central Highlands

Tim Cloonan Surprise, AZ

[Spindry96]

l saw a video awhile back about surgery during the Falklands War. It's was incredibly graphic and really showed War for the horror that it is

[kapooka1000]

I watched this in 1981 in Australia ( Healesville) whilst being part of 5/81 med ord course, it is something I have never forgotten

[aaahhhhaaaahhhh]

@kapooka1000 I am 21 going into medicine at 23!, in mexico.

[timcloonan]

I was a Capt USA MC that worked in the Triage section of the 93d Evac Jan-Mar '69 before joining the 173d Abn Bgd as a Batt Surg

[wellston2]

In the 563rd Clr. co. in 66 most of the time our ER tents didn't even have floors. If we would have had it as good as these guys it would have been nice.

[charms71]

man did they burst people open like a lobster

[cber8860]

@charms71 if the wounds dont kill u the medicine will!

[charms71]

@cber8860 lol

[thissitesucks74]

@charms71 It's not like the minimally invasive surgery they have today!!!

[charms71]

@thissitesucks74 i'd be more scared of that old surgery than running into a VC!

[PoorDummIdiots]

@thissitesucks74 sad to say got war to thank for that since most of all medical break through s happened during war times.

[tyronebunkins]

type O low-tider blood, meaning the patient is much less likely to have a reaction to it, as type O blood comes from a universal donor

- critical care paramedic

[burt308308]

I think the most shocking thing I heard in that video was "return to combat in 2 weeks" after having his face blown open.

[Swissher420]

i came her cause im vietnam too :D and i can prove it cong mone nam xe :D

[drlugo28]

Awesomo doctors, Trauma specialist....

[PzAz04Maus]

>this shows the horrors of the battlefield while the narrator prattles on about how great the medical is.

It may be prattle, but what the guy's talking about is the difference between being forever broken or more, and the chance to walk.

For an 18 year old kid who then has to live with his consequences, which would you rather chose? In much earlier times, soldiers who lost limbs became beggars.

[hurmpfff]

return to duty in 2 weeks. that is the cherry on this horror show

[thissitesucks74]

@hurmpfff I saw that too and if I was alive back then and it was up to me that soldier would have gotten his 2 weeks in the hospital then 2 weeks in Hawaii on R&R.

[hotpopcorncake]

This make me feel like i can't either try to do both being a doctor or a solider...i would rather do office work or water boy in shame..

[hurmpfff]

@hotpopcorncake

me too

[TSM8088]

Great doctors..Amazing.

[o0Sp3cia1K0o]

i enjoyed this vid while eating my lunch...gag

[commiekiler2]

ow ow ow ow ow ow ow gotta hurt

[robertfoeli1]

at 3:00 did he just say in extreme circumstances type O tigerblood is given as a transfusion? does anyone know anything about this?

[ProConstitutioner]

@robertfoeli1 you heard that to? I thought i was trippin.

[robertfoeli1]

@ProConstitutioner yeah i definitely heard it, I did some research but couldn't find any info on it

[motonegros]

@robertfoeli1 He did say that and it got my attention too. Whats he talking about?

[TakeBackFreedom]

NO FUCKING WAY I COULD EVER.....

God bless you doctors and surgens.

[roy40ss]

I saw this while in the Canadian Army Reserves in '70 or '71. Made quite an impression on us. I had told a lot of people about this film, and now here it is on Youtube. Amazing.

[pigeonpsycho]

i love doctors, no way would i be able to do this job

[munky2487]

This video was also shown to British Infantry soldiers during our basic training when we were taught basic battlefield first aid. I haven't seen this video since 1989! Thanks for posting.

[DiamondEyeProduction]

Very, very interesting. Thank you for posting.

[frederickwpetersen]

Wow..Thanks for posting this. As a young medic training in Ft. Sam Houston in 1991 we were shown this film, I remembered it to this day...I have not seen this in 20 years,  Within a year...I found myself in the Philippine jungle performing surgical procedures in a jungle with full of flies and re-using bandages.

[Mainsail76]

@monkeyfister1 I'm surprised you had time to comment on this video seeing as how you usually have a cock in your mouth. Your name says it all.

[Derail07]

@Mainsail76 lol

[ralucagymnast]

Quite remarkable when you look at how primitive Vietnam was compared to the ultra-modernism of the USA that the VC were still able to hold off the might of the US military. Its almost like fighting a war with one side using bombs and guns and the other using sticks and stones, but the latter getting the better of the former.

[myez]

@ralucagymnast

It's not very remarkable, bombs and whatnot just help in conventional war where armies clash. Vietnam was in a dense jungle with thousands of teams of guerrilla fighters hiding in elaborate tunnel systems. US soldiers, trained to fight the Soviets in conventional warfare, didn't really have an overwhelming advantage. Kill to loss ratio was over 10:1 and all significant battles won, so that's predictable. Political climate is what lost the war.

[myez]

@ralucagymnast

Also Vietnam wasn't really a clear cut conflict with an objective, 'nor was it a "total war". The US, due to the cold war and little support for the war, were practically fighting with their arms tied. They would have loved to burn down half the jungle, fly in half a million soldiers and set up bases. Still, it's such a complicated conflict, so many unknowns that demoralized troops and halted the war effort.