"Many times the guys would wake up and say to you, 'Did I die? Did I go to heaven? You’re the first round-eyed woman I’ve seen in months.'" (Video Interview, 20:14)

Julia M. Grabner Haskell

Julia Haskell at the 91st Evacuation Hospital Tuy Hoa, Vietnam [1969] War: Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Army Nurse Corps Unit: 6th Convalescent Center; 91st EVAC Hospital Service Location: Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; Fort Sam Houston, Texas (basic training); Tuy Hoa, and Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam Rank: First Lieutenant Place of Birth: NY

In 1968, as the Vietnam War became a flash point of controversy for many young Americans, 23-year-old Julia Grabner enlisted in the Army simply because she saw a need for nurses. In her interview, she’s honest about the intensity of her duty experiences: treating GI casualties as well as Vietnamese villagers, and the hard partying with her “big brother” comrades that helped relieve the stress of her 72-hour work weeks. Grabner didn’t leave the lessons of her experiences behind; she has worked with veteran support groups and to educate young people about the aftershocks of war.