12, 20 & 5; A Doctor's Year in Vietnam

by John A. Parrish

Book Overview

Whether a medivac chopper was setting down or Graves Registration was befuddled by a corpse that moaned, the radio crackled--12 stretcher-borne wounded, 20 walking wounded, and 5 dead. The numbers... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525224556
• ISBN13: 9780525224556
• Release Date: January 1972
• Publisher: Not Avail
• Length: 348 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Incredible book on Vietnam war - a must read!

I have had this book for years but just recently decided to read it and what an experience. This is truly an amazing, outstanding work. I am sorry there aren't more reviews as this book deserves a wide readership. I have not read "365 Days" by Dr. Ronald Glasser which I understand was published a year before this book but will do so as it has very favorable reviews as well. Dr. Parrish's book is so well written and constructed that I found myself planning to read for twenty minutes and was still reading an hour past that. It encompasses all the elements of "MASH" - it is funny, heart wrenching, explicit, sad and maddening as well. You will meet his "hooch mates" which are just like characters out of "MASH" - the strange psychiatrist Prince, Roland the Motor Pool marine officer and a riot, Myron the Southern religious doctor and other interesting characters as well. The dedication of all these people and the hardships and human tragedy they endure is both inspiring and depressing at the same time. The total waste of life is brought home profoundly to the point the doctors have no time to even reflect on the dead but must move on to those have a chance to survive the war. I cannot do this book justice in a short review but I highly encourage anyone interested in the Vietnam War or who served in the military to read this book. I was drafted in 1969 and stayed stateside but this book helped my understanding of the reality of the Vietnam War and all its ramifications.

Personal and Catching

I myself am not a big fan of war novels. HOWEVER, this book was amazing! It was written so personally that it was incredibly touching without being soppy. Written from the point of view of a medic sent into Vietnam, you see the conflict from a non-combatant's side instead of the soldier's side. The intense description of some of the scenes he saw may turn the stomachs of the more queasy among us, but they simply enhance the atmosphere around his situation. Although the day-to-day occurances could have become boring, Parrish picks out the things that you need to know, and discards the rest. Without focusing on places, or specific times or layouts of camps, instead he talks about the people, the events, the things personal to him - even talking about a touching conversation he has with his young daughter on the telephone. This book gives you a well-rounded view of the war in Vietnam without being too political in it's perceptions. It also isn't a veteran's list of the fallen - instead it is a touching account of one man's time in a hostile country and his fight to keep others - and himself - alive. Definately worth the read.(Yes, this is the same review as I've written on another book - however, they are actually one and the same, and I thought this copy deserved it as well.

Personal and Catching

I myself am not a big fan of war novels. HOWEVER, this book was amazing! It was written so personally that it was incredibly touching without being soppy. Written from the point of view of a medic sent into Vietnam, you see the conflict from a non-combatant's side instead of the soldier's side. The intense description of some of the scenes he saw may turn the stomachs of the more queasy among us, but they simply enhance the atmosphere around his situation. Although the day-to-day occurances could have become boring, Parrish picks out the things that you need to know, and discards the rest. Without focusing on places, or specific times or layouts of camps, instead he talks about the people, the events, the things personal to him - even talking about a touching conversation he has with his young daughter on the telephone. This book gives you a well-rounded view of the war in Vietnam without being too political in it's perceptions. It also isn't a veteran's list of the fallen - instead it is a touching account of one man's time in a hostile country and his fight to keep others - and himself - alive. Definately worth the read.

Pretty Good, and gave an interesting perspective on the War

I haven't read many books on Vietnam, I prefer fiction, but I picked this book up at a booksale and read it out of curiosity. The writer, who had not yet I believed graduated from medical school, was sent to Vietnam and served as a doctor at a first aid camp. The author does an excellent job of depicting the horror of Vietnam and also the stress that he goes through. His description of a furlough filled with adventure is one of the most vivid sections of the book and the one that still stands out in my mind. If you can track it down I'd reccomend reading it.