Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Into the Dragon's Jaws: A Canadian Combat Surgeon in the Vietnam War
Into the Dragon's Jaws: A Canadian Combat Surgeon in the Vietnam War
Into the Dragon's Jaws: A Canadian Combat Surgeon in the Vietnam War
Ebook629 pages6 hours

Into the Dragon's Jaws: A Canadian Combat Surgeon in the Vietnam War

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

()

Read preview

About this ebook

"Into The Dragon's Jaws" details the exciting adventures and experiences of a young Canadian Red Cross combat casualty surgeon who volunteered to assist Vietnamese-war wounded following the Tet Offensive in South Vietnam in 1968.

The intensity and drama of this book are enhanced by many photographs illustrating surgical care in oft-times dangerous and volatile circumstances. Dr. Willard describes his role as a trauma surgeon candidly. Some stories are heartwarming, others heartbreaking. Such is the pathos of war.

You will come away with an intimate perspective of the Vietnam War, as seen through his eyes at the height of the conflict.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 3, 2021
ISBN9780228825821
Into the Dragon's Jaws: A Canadian Combat Surgeon in the Vietnam War
Author

Dr. Garry L. Willard

GARRY L. WILLARD MD FRCSC FRCSEdin FACS FICS5 years after graduation from Queen’s University, Dr. Willard found himself in the heat of battle as a combat casualty surgeon in South Vietnam 1968.Large numbers of civilian casualties sustained during the Vietnamese New Year Tet Offensive January 1968 required urgent care. Canada responded to the International call for help by sending surgeons.Rigorous surgical training at the University of Toronto had prepared him for volunteer service with the Canadian Red Cross to Vietnam as a trauma surgeon.He and Queen’s Meds’63 classmate Brad, Dr. Kenneth J. Bradley, were the first two Canadian Medical Officers to be deployed and were sent to Danang from Saigon. They worked where surgical needs were greatest in several cities in the 5 northernmost provinces of South Vietnam below the DMZ. These provinces made up I Corps Military Tactical Zone. The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was the dividing buffer between North and South.History concludes that their postings were at the time and place of the most intense fighting of the Vietnam War. Although sent by the Canadian Red Cross, they were imbedded in the 1st Battalion 3rd Division of the United States Marine Corps (1/3 USMC) with rank of Major (Acting), earning a battlefield commendation and USMC decorations.In 1969, while Chief Surgical Resident at St. Michaels’ Hospital in Toronto, he obtained his Fellowship Degree in the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada (FRCSC). He then signed on as Ship’s Doctor on the iron ore carrier M.S.Livanita sailing to Europe for advanced surgical training as a Gordon E. Richards Travelling Fellow.He underwent post Fellowship training in: Neurosurgery at Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Thoracic Surgery at the Karolinska Institute, University of Stockholm, Sweden; AO Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery in the Universities of St. Gallen and Zurich, Switzerland; Hand Surgery at the University of Geneva; Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at Universities of Nijmegen and Groningen, Nederland; Pancreatic Surgery at L’Hopital Cochin, Universite de Paris, France; Cardiothoracic Surgery at Sully Thoracic Hospital, Cardiff University, Wales.From 1972, he practiced general, thoracic, vascular and trauma surgery at Etobicoke General Hospital, Toronto for thirty years, being elected as Chief of Surgery in 1981. He moved to a rural surgical practice in 2002 in Alliston, Ontario, continuing in the training of medical students and surgical residents, as Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery, McMaster University.He is currently an Assistant Surgeon at Brampton Civic Hospital, part of The William Osler Health System of the Greater Toronto Area.In addition to his FRCSC, he holds a Royal College Fellowship from Edinburgh, Scotland (FRCSEdin). His promoter was Regis Professor of Surgery, Sir Patrick Forrest. Dr. Willard is a Fellow of both the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and the International College of Surgeons (FICS). And a Diplomat of both the American National Board of Examiners and the American Board of Surgery.He holds memberships in a large number of North American professional associations, including the Flying Physicians, American Automotive Medical, and Aerospace Medical. He is a Life Member of the Ontario Medical Association and the New York Academy of Science. He was a Founding Member of the American Trauma Society.He lives on a rural property northwest of Toronto near Loretto with his wife Heather, his daughter Lisa, his autistic son Christopher, variously with his stepchildren Melissa and Matthew, and Scout, the last of a loyal trio of Yellow Labradors.

Related to Into the Dragon's Jaws

Related ebooks

Historical Biographies For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Into the Dragon's Jaws

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings

0 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    Into the Dragon's Jaws - Dr. Garry L. Willard

    Fcbook_preview_excerpt.html}[rȶTt˲U9(6)}@2),(uaP 6 b*K7ߥJ 7IQ{d_%imrim((,b0.&Iv ZWD{闏oZ;1$f> 0"/s 0bYf$S)k3cff 3Zlcw A\p20יp}'$Aod_Y"Zc&oMݦM4K\bG JIp3xcwM88y$Do6&94 bߑ}ƤsP\@|m6g5IMy9IPױW">^1WB sbRtQP{Љ(3H LߘAt-dY™%~#﹄i{ō@,n(GTَ$6R(JI5 `:M!XM6avOP(}iZOC| BHPP-Sfw4ttgq4Ȍ@6$)#f)x#[9oTm\ /8\.mb#&} E ߜ"?7/]%Du͹5q䳇RnXGIVESM8ɦCV]^P~P6 Ŧ(Ȟ5sí7eWhY1%K0/I0 2heprbhu|N?}<@JWTW߽}B@ pRCr$q^QWªF08KW60@Ay-caSO(a-,ËbZ<y#bbk Do|QR Fy_Y(k3c1/@.E!Ȫ Q.ddd;%9!n%Wϱ"-H1ʕ3mF7 .XDe^Uꚠ˦0;E7Ml."m}>PMO&Sf;Bl>PъU H+}8WSF h&X@ܨYDSމpZ7>C16~8Ζ" L醕@Y(]$7 ^ݑo!TC C*, 99'Y3 'X젚4 %\ Pvh@](B JpS%I Xl3 ]z3ڇzA4\h6Ms:d\fg~}/{CԣOǽn?`<Ӭ?~nLw;??0?9fWx֛Ssu3S|fPw8d4]< [?{9npkhd4}v~ϦQ}ps9hrݿѿh L4_?_Ȝx G~4zhPţ ctg@ctboL.eh:Gry7Ʃ {bWphF8r 0s,)$:ǐP.݊4]2*VV{aG CO2p*IL6TJFE-p"pqg`BBC'^_-2/cĹJS.sUC&v˨ Vd!-Ml# d_뭆,A:y">p,&wA&z˧Pu6)7t)CKsBHadnXqj@JF|#lyY$iD}ULijs3LuqP50_=TDYfMSBҐ@H2i0g0WRtt;K(NY'dPoR I)ftf0{b'upS*͖,p@i!o'$osȜbh,RP7⬡GɜJzJ]VŎz{xCC<{/m(3:7=^rfB%X,4UYEg*_KT3B(>fj&$b1}M\bϡv ɛ-(~Ug119ΫR2Xjd&!Y\(u]"r(n ]i֒_}A Ib?w옞&Kf^;cUR\{W+MswĀcډ9p]X8>,?,r\LXi«킸wxS*{t)/s(:;jʼ4jأ ɸj-R<KvLcnz3 :"TaUތX/k=_bŽtӏ|6zbjWdaהSݦJ2E.|MT)B`ϞCfTɒef[ o.M}/-6=RMi.Ͼ%LbR, (SV`^ cw2=bHZyn*opfƳD:\$%>,Ը.߲<om/X19{ q:4,OENyKM3+mҾЗ8H l?Yu0vC ܐeV$Cz=T'cƾd,38}k5DO/a ;oY](Q <^wsvi.3dn4ݨR8QED搗qLo5&!̫yubլ h{5Db0ýBw@:MjB{y'L-@! \QK,w66SCuD\;t\l<Vqq9'6d_E'.D3](a so5caj 0ӶJ) WX+NoRM=D,}J~o袹q얎QIWeZ&0*5feVV|AJ܌}Uǣ ;T;3" ,g `-oog.3yK '8b8 R:u(u~"j4),`.,J_յ2o)69;1eHVuC_^3⹣ȭMIO` `vjZ9OW㒗EtzZhRT9>w*h*SM۶^9ƈ 4;tTlyMeHx,Vdugʎc\2-/5-xQ9u<{նhָ-JCaYkOFL9K{#KkMia, jgY_#L.I&VG[r"NJ+ wH]j;D3L2 <8 t[1 σU Db)2/PhNY9]7gəڥ@>ay5 zбʿ^.rZ}BٰQBËvNK] ~1RtO\(tuyk]7d"cwyF CZbiӧ<ƌnK90b;H*xHY iFPu"U-:7 p-`bJ,LJ4>`m-YFj 245,t߭GC UȞPJĖl$g]:) ayU5%Za}@ [ҝ9bH XBBδN!SX􅒟OI:U%-Z6lqK6LXobp yxѯSHnY!}Bbyz%3aI םŷ6O4_u C5zft]9O[Cw C RоR ] EFEZ%v]G#GQ!y b&"D4C$ $5:(UW'* ?Dé).;hg7otcr{˺)t7O4tNgR}&X(s}~{ShT=}9=ѩxA1Sr 2ϴ8<[q(V `gD\kĕG4H0.{J>(hqCDu}$ *R`o[E[Y+H\ q#U2Y"tgmֈGT>6jر]ު/:"ޣ|QJ_*Jhhu 9P3tV4@e$ 9u7\MN.n4}(+AۤL-7RO,m; JWjU=E#Q,͈s!)jmy5\;5Ӻ_̙5=/n"&T uykvV`?ʧeUAAr(y*^Ad!0zKy|t.T n0:7VrQBm$uo0h]X V^9v1w'?wtQd |]ž]2fW_.Čl7FbQjZ+dFVͣe/t'r+(?pKUR:7{9ҮUٞʈ`.ԧ %¥ % h嚂pCƺ7w0v[۷o$3eٖJ_b[t >[WeщJ( \U94$8t&#Dl،U,Wl wֿQ3oS"&d[jUGL-@g.fǬuuԔlڄL!\`Gꨔnl25Na!&X D~x![mSb 7ie]5L-\kqk%h/ uW^i'jhn{SVa+3[*C&{hF?R# O%p:%5lpQ{Xw @\rS5l2󻪆9P;UDIfNjQ;?sP55m7m@>_)G%u:ٍev(ɶ]w9- 5L ŚH@۲L|)|XCxPB5z9mO-h6M\ n6|q8W7ӕaa%-of[w!wsKvg+-? q{˸\Jur43,\oE} U-2RI/XG3s!ŠI^5F$Gy tI$RzJ#gludct> s5 QD~ o_2,X™ǰIB|{JYsa.'ɹ{ n'ϣ#YP,H궚b"={K_*ׂB\ߢ* #(p{-fXlП^5z7ޡ9Jx4\ιAieuG^p-GϬ4e< 7'k?mZhHBR>ɟ/SL>Lsp,{ #e8<19t@q48z}MtYkx:Sj3DjxO@ۻM؎M^|GiOiMc1ɾ_\&0fOͯnoʮeӯ5+u:(_{|3`e%wS''ׯe~jE/A /'|:]c7Ն%fc !Ϛ >${ ,]jJo=LF'z *9q0I\_ y=p]7S# anu ^{`~|Y YPwMhj$J٤Uُ [sz(TpQ%9g;`{|IlA_N~4uݥl?_ZǍzK|-mzBRg,CBE>lx'eխgFsCH 6*%b`HAR:M H+ w4>@d3&{^W@L]fZ\*2D/Ml~W}̷lChM/v66g1 Lg'Cidfwxvs-BS(w!rO0BVS<`Ӱ/>&͎#24@VWzKЙ4L GfItϺC P Pi-lJTbh=nxJ~@ϡ_0lM!-x=ojRR"܇s+7dە^fi=2;Mz%'zk SyZ6q89.=hzr>՝E[piVIUQR-O0נBAT5ۄR/C饱?0^]С6S=6q&6O/y$*\e^:CTղVh'tˬWZSˍ(-XA@#zĂp)_CXDn={mp`/Z{߷q*QLԡ{(d0' T.iV]yoסz|/.0t,^O3M1 _QZ'T)SA9%be΋͐+|ɝ`-Ϧ9[rYtT7ope&޶$fMB9&x4^iOr 3;ݞ|bR>i_% }5 i>WaKIq +8W)/2(Yo#L֘ Yi8apYx"GGH{6]jʙXgU:RvQ?lwǣ}eS䲱cSLMQ"گ*kvgf;ʧXKO|#%|'9[TRIt.+/Uh3yxRG6a8ϒ) :ٕ#.hET}KF8m~\f u]B)DE[o=<1`Z p_ߵ:6^x{ ş<\byըVd2fC[idR†yXg0өyy5î$0<ţS6&YV)oz=8VD2/o0LJJ%OО>V D ’iX43 W&X2Vy?Akc?U`]Gs<2 X7U#Ruh0_-x,E5۳ o}@ pyRfXE6@Š?H䦹R1[/>"H>b퇏&hrt{ᾞu.X6!7MνrG;6?vao=v$x]{DE!IhHJU8"d[A_$0 L(v;xbp%YJSL6={~2'g̥nwMX8J(asCَ`3!̙xYB쪾H?겸'Us탺qUy|5w* zOp# mY=h=n0.9E1_`"']Kk*[swL'7d*@Zsy+/&./4~\H>ېyܫ q>t$$uɟ3 Pv}aN=:hTjޤOns{Lfxn46Ob1{S4L^%o-)ӬT~Fwk0/,Һц ٶuH%Bk-ivK(^Vq8H KٍHY\^MqxJH hϩMeFr:bi?S, iCF[rI@nRKV[X6gsEANMz+%qx.餒ڵ_6 /?$pE̲6ZhEJ:ڑ04,Hvff|JGP6*# ]w]ᥚX`zi`)HR[wl.8W($v@;l0.]\@ƭS)\_eհ⪍Nḁx (5\n-QgVe%D/zhaε[aWr60qdLÛ]k +7;raK-pAu $;UW7vu*V&.]ٮV̚fIy|UBt . JTXƛ\Rd\h\Ih5o'.lIܘ]m\&[reu+jb/m tЙڼ}͸NXP^|}.r%/q7SHX0]QUyΡnB7+Zy;oKj @KJ`[CCWPQhd>cKS 3Jeo VI y52ÚpꥮnC^僒nҴ. =EOHI6(qhse |(㫂TRYg'm|q/yCUU"$5YG{vjGP0sj7W.:`>D,;lʕrU!Tm9V+8dq?kYXu.'~ma7FG4UG[SSi,h)+chz :Ds^;lUӦ fX(̨.wDm$Mѐ|z93jE/'dSs׮bFCWq}%Z.|V.Ok\es0vmGcx"K+Wȑ8T.S'Wfzg e}X6a yQ^^ (1hwXޔLYltwiGĦlOޱ3I,H ^AK8q܈ŽXgDȤF{+J.NN~`oSJQmu2O岭<]`2 _`tX1m)A1ڞ`MBg6oQ\*>R~0adY*;%^}ZAU}[4.3 eJHRWa:ڧVd2b(ٹ\0a3mO>&]n$J7#Nc.W`(1"f^l0=lrIL jHYaGPS S|xG+}g);5uzSUv%w lJ81&*kI;z(ndVf_xUN[yK :%t,TAun5Stm^1ZUT5 BEE=652I<5dCv;5 vLrdCv.\&uvgǝdqa^'`YW
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1