"We were able to do what we do because we had people that had just finished their training that knew what they were doing and knew how to operate. And that's the whole reason that we were successful."
Description of Interview:
Dr. Casey Blitt talks about being drafted, obtaining a deferment, and finally serving at the 85th Evacuation Hospital in Phu Bai, Vietnam from 1970 to 1971. As the chief of anesthesia and operative services, Dr. Blitt describes the types of injuries treated in the hospital and the types of drugs administered to patients. "We had good surgeons," he says, "and we provided good care, and we had illegal drugs that were good for our patients, and that was it." The "illegal drugs" he refers to were ketamine and pancuronium. He had been working with ketamine at UCLA before being drafted and sent to Vietnam, and he realized that it had excellent potential as a trauma anesthesia, so he had it sent over outside of official channels to test his theory. He was right, and ketamine later became standard for trauma operations in the United States. Dr. Blitt also discusses the futility of fighting on foreign soil, and ponders the efficacy of democracy in some cultures. He has no idea why he earned a Bronze Star.
Key Words: UCLA, 101st Airborne Division, Camp Eagle, Screaming Eagles, trauma surgery, hypovolemic trauma, ketamine, pancuronium, Red Cross, vascular injuries, VA health care system, Agent Orange, dioxin, ping pong, Bronze Star, post-traumatic stress disorder
Key People: Bob Agostinelli, Gus Kappler, Senator John McCain, Mike Grossman
Read the Complete Transcript of this Interview.