MASH 1969 - Visions of War, Dreams of Peace

Summary:

Profiles of poet George Evans, a veteran medic, and Lynda Van Devanter, whose experiences as Vietnam nurse inspired China Beach. Warning: Graphic Depictions of Medical Operations.

Website:

http://www.centerforemergingmedia.com

Additional Credits and Funding:

Host and Executive Producer, Marc Steiner
Producer, Steve Elliot
Engineer, Andrew Eppig
Funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Osprey Foundation

Tones:

Emotional, Personal, Raw

Language:

English

Description:

Profiles of Vietnam Veteran medic and poet George Evans, who beat a court martial, and veteran nurse Lynda Van Devanter, whose controversial writings inspired the television series "China Beach."

Includes interviews with George from his trip with Marc Steiner and two other Veterans, who travelled to Vietnam on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the fall of Saigon. He talks of his passive resistance to orders as a protest to the war, and his court martial trial, which he won. Also included is a recording of Lynda Van Devanter, whose book Home Before Morning:The Story of an Army Nurse in Vietnam, first published in 1983, was the inspiration for the television series "China Beach."

Lynda passed away in 2002, and this is the only known recording of her describing her experiences and reading passages from her work. Lynda's writings were first created to deal with her post traumatic stress syndrome, and once published, created controversy among the nurses who served, who either cheered her candidness, or loathed her for painting a negative picture of the nurses and doctors who served. She was also an advocate and founding executive director of the Women's Project of the Vietnam Veterans of America from 1979 to 1984, testifying before Congress and other government agencies on behalf of the 7,465 women Vietnam veterans.

To quote author Wayne Karlin, who knew Lynda: "Many of us loved her. Many others hated her. But they didn?t matter. She was a truth-teller and those who hated her were threatened by the truth she had to tell."

WARNING: Please be advised the the following program has graphic depictions of the wounded and their medical treatment, and language that some may find objectionable.

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