March 13, 2024

Hold Your Breath:
An X-Ray Technologist’s Vietnam’s MASH Experience
Gary Saunders
(2024)
ISBN: 979-8873139583

New Vietnam Memoir Helps Fill Gap about Medical Personnel During War

Gary Saunders’ new memoir, Hold Your Breath: An X-Ray Technologist’s Vietnam MASH Experience is a much needed and illuminating look at the medical careers of those who served in the Vietnam War. Gary was stationed in Vietnam from December 12, 1970 to September 9, 1971. During that time, he served at the 27th Surgical Hospital, 91st Evacuation Hospital, and briefly with the 23rd Medical Company.

Gary begins by recounting his Vietnam training in the wilderness of Colorado and his last days at home with his family in Ohio before leaving for Vietnam. During those last days, besides spending time with his fiancée, who later became his wife, he saw the film M*A*S*H, which he loved and felt helped to prepare him for what to expect in Vietnam.

The trip to Vietnam was epic in itself. It took nineteen days for Gary to travel from home to the 27th Surgical Hospital. He details his flight there with his friends, one of whom was nervous and ill. They had a layover in Alaska and Japan, then arrived in Vietnam and began the drive to the hospital in Chu Lai. Gary had one companion, Lonnie, who was a conscientious objector. When they were riding to the hospital, Lonnie asked the driver, “How safe is Chu Lai?” The driver replied, “Last week, we were hit by a rocket attack and five medics were killed.”

Despite this news, Gary continually told himself he would return home, and though he experienced many dangers, he finally did. The same cannot be said for many of his patients. As an x-ray technologist, Gary was surprised that many of the hospital staff were not adequately trained for the type of patients received daily. He had to take x-rays of amputees and other wounded, which often required them getting into uncomfortable positions. Most cooperated and thanked him for his help, but some experienced terrible pain. Besides American soldiers, Gary x-rayed Vietnamese children and even one member of the Vietcong. Some of the most dramatic moments came when artillery struck around the hospital or fighting was happening nearby. Sometimes it was friendly fire, but they did not often know that. Gary describes how the hospital staff had to protect the patients: “On the patient wards, when rockets came in, the patients who were able were moved under their beds with a flak jacket and helmet. The patients who could not be moved were covered with flak jackets and helmets when possible. Sometimes it was not possible to protect patients because of their wounds, tubes, or other conditions. Everyone on duty wore a flak jacket and helmet.”

Besides his medical duties, Gary had to do night guard duty and gate guard duty. He found these experiences difficult since he was often under a light at night where the enemy might see him. His fellow guardsmen were frequently “duds” who would fall asleep or not want to talk to pass the time, forcing Gary to be vigilant alone. Fortunately, when he had a frightening experience on guard duty, it turned out to be a false alarm.

Some of the most insightful moments in the book are Gary’s experiences with Vietnamese culture. He describes in detail the role of the mama-sans, women who worked for the soldiers, washing their clothes and performing other duties. The women often became attached to the soldiers, but they also tended to beg and even steal underwear because they were so poor. Gary also got to visit an orphanage while there. Several of the children he recognized as those he had treated at the hospital. He discusses the poverty of the Vietnamese and what they ate and how they lived in ways that are hard to imagine for American readers.

Eventually, the 27th Surgical Hospital was closed. Gary described the process of closing it down, including how they had to move everything and destroy what they did not need by dumping it in the sea so the Vietcong could not use it. The Vietcong would use any scrap of metal to make explosives to hurt the American soldiers. The transition to another hospital was difficult because at the 91st Evacuation Hospital, those from the 27th were treated like they didn’t know what they were doing at first, though Gary acknowledges he saw far worse medical cases at the 27th.

While the drug use among the American soldiers in Vietnam has become legendary, Gary avoided the drug scene, though noting that many of the soldiers were on drugs or were alcoholics. Drugs were forbidden, but he assumes they got drugs via the black market. He often had to choose whether to bunk with the drunks or drug-users. Despite this, he managed to get along with everyone.

Because many of the local Vietnamese sympathized with the Vietcong, the soldiers never knew whom they could trust. They even had to fear the mama-sans stealing things or working for the Vietcong. Gary early on let this fear get to him when he went to the barbershop. After the Vietnamese barber finished cutting his hair, he said something Gary didn’t understand. Gary thought the barber asked if he was happy with the haircut. When he nodded, the barber thought that meant he wanted a neck massage, but Gary didn’t know that. When the barber put his hands on Gary’s neck and started to twist, Gary was sure he was a Vietcong infiltrator and reacted accordingly, managing after a short struggle to escape, only to have the situation explained to him later.

Not every moment of Gary’s time in Vietnam, however, was difficult or frightening. He details the pleasant friendships he developed with many of the men. He describes enjoyable days spent at the beach on the South China Sea, and he recalls wonderful holiday meals. And, of course, there were the much anticipated letters from home. He even had the opportunity to escort Miss Nevada when she and several other pageant winners accompanied Miss America to Vietnam.

Eventually, Gary was able to return to the United States, and just in time, because a month later, Typhoon Hester hit Chu Lai and destroyed the 91st Evacuation Hospital. Fortunately, the patients were evacuated before it hit. Gary then settled down to a long career working in hospitals, and about fifty years later, he found his journal from his tour and decided to write this book.

Readers of Hold Your Breath will enjoy reading about Gary’s experience, which is not so dissimilar from that depicted in M*A*S*H, even though that film was about the Korean War.The book fills a large gap in the history of the Vietnam War by providing a firsthand account from a medical person. Anyone interested in the Vietnam War, the military, US history, or just the human experience will find this book informative and entertaining.

For more information about Gary Saunders and Hold Your Breath, visit Amazon.

— Tyler R. Tichelaar, PhD and award-winning author of When Teddy Came to Town and Kawbawgam: The Chief, The Legend, The Man