“Just What the Nurse Ordered”

Mrs. Lou Eisenbrandt, whom I’ve now come to refer to as Mrs. Lou, is a native of Mascoutah, Illinois. Before Mrs. Lou’s senior year of her nursing program she volunteered for an Army program which paid her a salary to finish school. In return, she was required to serve her country for two years. In 1968, Mrs. Lou went to officer’s basic training at Ft. Sam Houston, and upon completion was given her first orders to report to Ft. Dix in New Jersey. After nine months, she received a manilla envelope which said, “Congratulations, you’re going to Vietnam.” Mrs. Lou arrived in Vietnam and was asked where she would like to go. She knew nothing about the country, so she randomly put her finger on the map and said, “This looks like a pretty good place.” Mrs. Lou was assigned to the 91st Evacuation Hospital in Chu Lai where she remained for the rest of her time in Vietnam. Her first three months at the 91st Evac was spent in a medical ward where she cared for soldiers who were hospitalized for reasons other than war wounds. After three months, Mrs. Lou was asked if she would like to serve in the ER; she accepted. Mrs. Lou spent the rest of her time in Vietnam treating many different types of war injuries and saving as many lives as possible.

When I learned that I was going to be paired with the only female veteran on the trip, I was excited beyond words because she would provide a completely different perspective of the war, in addition to being a nurse. And unlike most of the other veterans, Mrs. Lou has been back to Vietnam on several previous occasions. With that in mind, both of us understood that our experience would most likely be different than most of the other veteran-student pairs, and agreed that we were both interested in observing the other veteran’s reactions to being back in Vietnam.

We were not sure what to expect from the veterans who had not been back since the war, but we are astonished at the poise and composure of these men. As far as we can tell, all of the veterans are overjoyed to have this experience. We have observed that they are willing to share story after story with us. We have also observed how amazed the veterans are at the dramatic urbanization of the places where they fought over 40 years ago. Finally, we have observed that for some of the veterans, being on this trip and seeing how much this country has changed has provided a sense of calm for their minds and hearts.

We are only half way through our adventure, and Mrs. Lou and I are having a wonderful experience. We are observing, learning, and listening to the veterans, and laughing most of the time about how much I like food. I could not have received a higher honor than being paired with Mrs. Lou Eisenbrandt. Thank you for your companionship on this trip; thank you for your service; and thank you for the lives you have saved.

Chase Davis