A World of Hurt

Book excerpt: In 1970, twenty-three year-old Army nurse, Mary Reynolds boarded a plane bound for Vietnam. Uncertain and alone, Mary had no idea what lay ahead. Almost thirty years later, Mary tells the story of that year in her life: a year of discomfort, fear and anger, as well as courage, hope and love. She includes the stories of seven of her friends, among them a dustoff helicopter pilot, an infantry captain, a Vietnamese aide, a drug counselor, and an emergency room nurse, who were with her in Vietnam. A World of Hurt: Between and Arrogance in Vietnam describes a war "winding down," while thousands still died. The survivors discovered that their perspectives about war, their country and themselves were forever changed.