"Women in the Warzone"
In 2019, Colorado State University Student, Cassie Franks, created a podcast about Vietnam Army nurses. Cassie knew Lynne persionally, and She used Lynne's tapes as primary sources, and historical evidence to chronologize the experiences of Army Nurses in the Vietnam War. This podcast tells a story of what these women experienced, felt, and the work they did.
(Cassie with Lynne, 2009)
Podcast Episodes
Episode one explores the Army and medical training that these women recieved. It then sets the stage for the rest of the podcast by showing where these women served.
Episode two answers the question "What was it like there?" It begins by describing the layout of Army Hospitals, such as the 71st Evacuation Hospital. It moves into discussions of gender, power, and social experiences the nurses had.
Episode three dives into explanations of what type of work Army Nurses did. It discusses battlefield triage, the use of helicopters, and the relationships nurses had with their patients.
Episode four, the final episode explores post-war experiences of Army Nurses. This episode discusses how women went unrepresented and unrecognized since the end of the Vietnam War.
Lynne Morgan (Ruyle), the army nurse who's tapes were used for this podcast is Cassie Frank's grandmother, Lynne Morgan-Ruyle. Lynne served in Pleiku, Vietnam, from 1969-1970. Cassie wanted to shine a light on the work of Army Nurses during the Vietnam War and share their stories.
Lynne was in her early twenties when she was shipped off to not fight, but save the lives of servicemen, and the women and children of Vietnam. Her granddaughter, Cassie, is pursuing her Masters Degree in History. Her studies focus is Women in Military History.
In this photo, Cassie is wearing the exact helmet that her grandmother had worn 51 years prior. In this photo, Cassie is 23 years old, the exact same age her grandmother was while serving in Vietnam.