“Vietnam had a transformative effect on my life. Vietnam is not part of who I was, Vietnam is part of who I am, and it will never, never go away. What I did in a year,I haven’t replicated in forty.”
From “Fort Chastity, 1969 – A Nurses Story of the Vietnam War,” by Bernadette J. Harrod, 2015 (pg.120)
Vietnam Women’s Memorial, Washington, DC
Image: Public Domain
Bernadette Joan Todesca was born on 24 January 1945. She grew up in Braintree, MA and was a member of the Braintree High School (BHS) Class of 1963.
Bernadette J. Todesca
Image: BHS Class of 1963 Yearbook
Following her BHS graduation, Bernadette attended the three-year nursing program at the Faulkner Hospital School of Nursing in Boston. She graduated from Faulkner in 1966 and stayed at that hospital to train and work as an Operating Room (OR) Nurse. By 1969,she was a skilled OR and Critical Care Nurse. That same year,at the age of 24, Bernadette volunteered to serve as a US Army Nurse. Seven weeks later, and after some very basic Army training, Second Lieutenant Todesca was enroute Vietnam.
Bernadette’s ultimate destination was the 22nd Surgical Hospital in Phu Bai. The 22nd was a Surgical MUST (Medical Unit,Self-Contained and Transportable). It was located near Hue,ten miles south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). It consisted of five inflated Quonset hut wards and four boxlike operating rooms. They were highly mobile.They could be moved by trucks,helicopters or cargo aircraft.
While at Phu Bai,Bernadette routinely witnessed the horrific aftermath of modern combat. The 22nd's goal was to keep the young GI’s alive to move them through the medical system for advanced treatment. The soldiers rarely stayed more than 24 hours.
22nd Surgical Hospital, Phu Bai, Vietnam, 1969
Image: Department of Defense
The expansion of the War in Vietnam placed major operational and logistics demands on the US Army. Likewise,the Army Nurse Corps was required to staff a burgeoning number of surgical, field and evacuation hospitals. By December 1968, 900 nurses in Vietnam worked in 23 Army Hospitals and one convalescent center.
From March 1962 to March 1973,more than 5,000 Army Nurses served in Vietnam. These critical care givers often worked around the clock in massive casualty situations, directing triage, assisting with emergency amputations and removing damaged tissue and shrapnel from wounds. Between January 1965 and December 1970, US medical facilities admitted 133,447 wounded, 97,659 of whom required hospitalization. Of note,the peak number of US troops in Vietnam was 543,482. This level was reached on 30 April 1969. The bloodiest year of the war for the US was 1968, when 16,899 Americans died. The total number of Vietnam War related deaths is 58,220.
Bell UH-1 “Huey” Dust Off
Image: National Museum of the US Army
It is also important to remember in Vietnam there were no front lines and no safe areas. Enemy forces could strike anywhere,but some areas were more susceptible to attack than others. During Bernadette's 14 months, she experienced 4 mortar attacks while working in clearly marked medical facilities.
Battle of Hue, Tet Offensive 1968
Image: Public Domain
The Army nurses who served in Vietnam averaged approximately 24 years of age. They were also relatively new to nursing; slightly over one-third had more than two years of experience. Like their combat branch brethren, their tour of duty was 12–14 months.
These unsung heroes volunteered for Vietnam for a few reasons. Some thought of it as their patriotic duty.Others sought adventure. Some believed their unique skill set could help save American soldiers in their time of need. While each nurse had her/his reasons,it's likely they were motivated by a combination of all the above.
When asked why she volunteered Bernadette stated...
“I grew up with John F. Kennedy,and his words were burned into my soul. When Vietnam was on fire,I chose the side of the patriots who responded when Uncle Sam called them to go.”
From “Fort Chastity,1969 – A Nurses Story of the Vietnam War,” by Bernadette Harrod (pg.2)
US Army Nurse Corps Insignia
Image: Public Domain
Bernadette (Todesca) Harrod in Vietnam
Image: “Fort Chastity, 1969 – A Nurses Story of the Vietnam War,” by Bernadette Harrod
While in Vietnam, Bernadette married Army Chaplain’s Assistant Leo B. Harrod. Leo was also stationed at Phu Bai.
The New Couple
Image: Cincinnati Post & Times Star, 24SEP69
Upon returning from Vietnam, Bernadette served as a critical care nurse in Cincinnati before settling in the Boston area. She earned a BS in Nursing from Boston College and a Masters in Critical Care Nursing from Boston University. She supervised nurses in several Boston hospitals before transitioning to clinical nursing instruction. Prior to her retirement,she taught at St. Elizabeth’s School of Nursing in Brighton.
For 31 years (1975 to 2005) she lived on Sandra Drive in Framingham. She also resided in Orleans, MA where she was a noted artist who sold her paintings at local studios and shops.
Bernadette J. Harrod
Adjustment to civilian life for Vietnam Veterans, including nurses, proved extremely difficult during a time of huge anti-war protests,outright public hostility towards returning veterans and the reluctance of families to listen to their experiences. Insomnia, depression,and symptoms of PTSD were common. No one was interested in the stories of trauma,and death. There were no parades or celebrations. In a 1993 Veterans Day article in the Middlesex News (written by Sharon Kahn), Bernadete stated:
“We were there alone. We felt alone and when we came home, we remembered alone...”
In 1993, Bernadette travelled to Washington, DC for the unveiling of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. She had joined the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Project,the grassroots effort to fund and commission a statue honoring the women who served during the Vietnam era. In many ways,the statue rekindled camaraderie, provided closure, facilitated healing and was the welcome home these unsung heroes never received.
Watch:Nurses-In Their Voices
It took close to 40 years for Bernadette to memorialize her Vietnam journey. In 2015, she authored "Fort Chastity, Vietnam, 1969 - A Nurse's Story of the Vietnam War." The book includes her personal experiences, poetry, and letters written home from the war zone. It provides us with a compelling personal perspective. It is a hard,and deeply impactful narrative.
Bernadette passed away on 22 November 2022 in Daytona Beach, FL. She was 77 years old. Her final resting place is the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.
Those Who Serve
By Bernadette Harrod
They also served a league of caring souls,
who left their homes,their comfort
to go to a far-off place,
to fight in a dirty little war.
For who has worn my boots
or knows the cries or felt my tears,
sensed the dread of death and dismembered bodies,
bloodied bodies on top of bloodied bodies,
six litters, followed by walking wounded.
Triage the ones we can save,
twelve-hour days in an operating room, six days a week.
And who cares?
Who knew who we even are?
They didn’t even count us as having been there.
Twenty years hence,interest is rekindled.
War is romanticized.
And they ask,
Why did you go?
What was it like?
How did you cope?
Too little,too late to really care.
Your question comes twenty years too late.
Your current interest is lost in all the years of
silence and envy.
From “Fort Chastity, 1969 – A Nurses Story of the Vietnam War,” by Bernadette Harrod (pg.96)
Sources
The Army Nurse Corps Association
Disabled American Veterans
“Fort Chastity, 1969 – A Nurses Story of the Vietnam War,” by Bernadette Harrod
National Museum of the US Army
US Army (army.mil)
The US Army Center of Military History
The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, 50th Anniversary
Vietnam Woman’s Memorial
