Behead and Cure

Behead and Cure explores the ethics of humanitarianism during the Vietnam War through the experiences of medical teams from the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia. It brings civilian women, who played key roles in all aspects of caring for the injured and dying, from the sidelines of the Vietnam War to the centre.

Susan Armstrong-Reid is adjunct professor of history at the University of Guelph.

Figures vii Acknowledgments xi Abbreviations xv Introduction 3 Timeline 24 Part One – American Civilian Medical Teams 1 Different Perspectives of USAID Nurses in Vietnam 31 2 USAID and the MCC: The Humanitarian Experiences of Christian Women in Vietnam 65 Part Two – American Friends Service Committee: Bearing Witness to War 3 Launching the Quang Ngai Rehabilitation Centre, 1967–1968 99 4 Rebuilding Humanitarian Relationships in Quang Ngai, 1968–1972 118 5 Walking a Political and Ethical Tightrope, 1972–1975 133 Part Three – Private International Relief Agencies 6 Save the Children: A Global Vision of Childhood 161 7 Nursing with Dr Pat Smith: The Mother Teresa of Vietnam 190 Part Four – State-Sponsored Civilian Medical Teams: Australia and Canada 8 Australian Civilian Medical Teams: “Small Islands of Sanity, Security and Care” 219 9 “Not Everyone Who Came Home from Vietnam Ever Left There”: Leaving and New Directions Back Home 241 10 Claire Culhane: A Humanitarian Activist in Vietnam 259 Conclusion 293 Notes 317 Bibliography 375 Index 405