Women at war: The crucible of Vietnam

Abstract

Relatively little has been written about the military women who served in Vietnam, and there is virtually no literature on deployed civilian women (non-military). We examined the experiences of 1285 American women, military and civilian, who served in Vietnam during the war and responded to a mail survey conducted approximately 25 years later in which they were asked to report and reflect upon their experiences and social and health histories.We compare civilian women, primarily American Red Cross workers, to military women stratified by length of service, describe their demographic characteristics and warzone experiences (including working conditions, exposure to casualties and sexual harassment), and their homecoming following Vietnam. We assess current health and well-being and also compare the sample to age- and temporally-comparable women in the General Social Survey (GSS), with which our survey shared some measures.Short-term (<10 years) military service women (28%) were more likely to report their Vietnam experience as “highly stressful” than were career (>20 years; 12%) and civilian women (13%). Additional differences regarding warzone experiences, homecoming support, and health outcomes were found among groups. All military and civilian women who served in Vietnam were less likely to have married or have had children than women from the general population, χ2 (8) = 643.72, p < .001. Career military women were happier than women in the general population (48% were “very happy”, as compared to 38%). Civilian women who served in Vietnam reported better health than women in the other groups. Regression analyses indicated that long-term physical health was mainly influenced by demographic characteristics, and that mental health and PTSD symptoms were influenced by warzone and homecoming experiences. Overall, this paper provides insight into the experiences of the understudied women who served in Vietnam, and sheds light on subgroup differences within the sample.

Healthcare delivery in the shadow of war: The experiences of Turkish nurses providing care to Syrian asylum‐seekers

“…This study details the rapid personal and professional development observed in response to these unique challenges. Nurses report extensive professional progress through encounters with various cases and diseases (Firouzkouhi, 2013; Kelly, 2010), opportunities for learning new languages and enhancing communication skills (Kaiser et al., 2017). There is also a noted increase in research skills, patience, confidence, creativity and awareness (Duncan et al., 2005; Sarnecky & Mason, 2001; Scannell‐Desch, 2005;Scannell‐Desch & Doherty, 2010).…”

“…There is also a noted increase in research skills, patience, confidence, creativity and awareness (Duncan et al., 2005; Sarnecky & Mason, 2001; Scannell‐Desch, 2005;Scannell‐Desch & Doherty, 2010). Caring for patients from different cultures has significantly contributed to nurses' professional growth (Kaiser et al., 2017). Furthermore, the research reveals that caring for patients affected by war brings about positive emotional effects such as peace, happiness and spiritual fulfilment among nurses (Elliott, 2015; Scannell‐Desch, 2005).…”

“…Caring for patients from different cultures has significantly contributed to nurses' professional growth (Kaiser et al, 2017). Furthermore, the research reveals that caring for patients affected by war brings about positive emotional effects such as peace, happiness and spiritual fulfilment among nurses (Elliott, 2015;Scannell-Desch, 2005).…”

Impact of Military Service in Vietnam on Coping and Health Behaviors of Aging Veterans During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Given the small numbers of women who served in Vietnam (believed to be fewer than 12,000), and their small numbers in Legion rosters, the survey was limited to men. We have reported elsewhere on experiences of female Vietnam veterans ( 25 ).…”

O dizer como enquadre de guerra: masculinidades bélicas e letramentos pós-identitários no Brasil contemporâneo

“…-e no fato de que, nas guerras, como observa Goldstein (2001, p. 10), "os combatentes são geralmente homens" -à época, dos 23 milhões de soldados em serviço no mundo, 97% eram homens. Em relação à Guerra do Vietnã (1954Vietnã ( -1975, por exemplo, as 25.000 mulheres que serviram ao exército estadunidense, segundo Kaiser et al (2017), não foram escaladas para posições de combate, mas para o cargo de enfermeiras. Por sua vez, na Segunda Guerra Mundial, as mulheres que ocupavam a posição de combatentes eram frequentemente submetidas ao descrédito e aos abusos de seus superiores, bem como às humilhações impostas pela estrutura do contexto de guerra, como ter que vestir roupas masculinas e sangrar durante os combates devido à falta de absorventes (ALEKSIÉVITCH, 2016).…”