We have been learning about Sharon McCully, who grew up in rural southwest Minnesota, graduated from Russell High School in 1957, trained as a registered nurse in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, graduating in 1962, and practiced nursing for six years before volunteering to be commissioned in the Air Force Nurse Corps in 1968. She served at Otis Air Force Base on Cape Cod, Massachusetts for almost two years before being promoted to captain and volunteering for flight nurse training.

“I was there (Otis AFB) until about February of 1970 when I was selected to go to flight school. That was my dream. I wanted those wings on my lapel. For that we went to Brooke Air Force Base in San Antonio. It was a six or eight week course.”

Sharon described her class and some of their training.

“That was a good experience. It was quite a class — close to six or seven dozen. We had a lot of anatomy and physiology, a lot on injuries, and review of medications because we were always going to be carrying medications on us. You learned the effects of medication and altitude.”

Sharon explained that flight nurses carried medication in case a patient required medication while in flight. She also explained that they only administered medication consistent with orders in the patient file.

Another element of training related to the unique environment of monitoring patients loaded on a medevac aircraft in vertical tiers.

“First of all, you became more astute as far as observation of the patient. We had a simulation, but it was geared for the type of aircraft they used stateside, not the kind of aircraft that we would be using overseas. For our planes (in Vietnam) we flew C-130’s; C-7’s; and C-123’s. For example, in the C-130’s there were stanchions that came down (from the top of the aircraft) and from just above the floor to near the top of the plane there were five litters (with patients). So, you learned observation.”

Sharon described the student accommodations at Brooke and her roommate during flight training.

“We had nice quarters there at Brooke. You had a large room for yourself and your own bathroom. There was a little kitchenette and on the other side of the kitchenette was the same kind of situation, only reversed. I had a roommate, a dear, Black woman, Georgia. She was about my age, but had been in the military for several years and had overseas experience.”

The roommates shared a common fear that nearly washed them out of the course.

“(The course) was, at times, difficult. One of the most difficult was water survival school. I have this fear about water. I am not a swimmer. The other thing about Georgia was she was deathly afraid of water. What they were going to do for water survival was fly us down to the coast. There was a little island off the coast where they put you on a boat and you were supposed to jump off the boat and swim back to the island. I knew I couldn’t do that. Fortunately we didn’t have to go because the weather was bad. (Sharon laughed) We did some things in a swimming pool there on base and Georgia and I made it through by the skin of our teeth.”

The Air Force issued Sharon assignment orders, but those orders later changed.

“Initially, I had orders to go to the hospital in Anchorage, Alaska, and I was looking forward to that. Of course, they were always asking for volunteers and, at one point, my little hand went up and I said I would go to Vietnam. I was in the military and serving my country, but I wanted to do something more and there was so much negative about Vietnam and our being there. When the final orders came down, my orders were for Vietnam; to Cam Ranh Bay, the 903rd Medical Evacuation Squadron.”

Her change of assignment led to a difficult call with her folks.

“I recall that it was right about Easter 1970, maybe Good Friday, when I called my mother to tell her where I was going. My mother said, ‘Oh, Sharon!’ I said, ‘But Mom, this is my opportunity to serve my country, I’m looking forward to this.’ She replied, ‘OK.’ She called my dad and I talked with him. He said, ‘OK, we’ll support you in this.'”

Sharon and Georgia completed the course.

“We had a graduation. Then I got to have my wings pinned on and that was the greatest! Not just a nurse pin, but now the flight nurse.”

She returned to Otis AFB to clear the installation and took several weeks’ pre-deployment leave at home before reporting to McChord Air Force Base, Washington, for her overseas flight.

“The airline was called Flying Tiger. Oh, my! (Sharon chuckled) I think there was only one other woman on the flight and all these men — very awkward. They were all dressed in fatigues and I think we were dressed in our blue pants and shirt.”

Sharon’s arrival in Vietnam left a big impression on her.

“We arrived at Cam Ranh Bay. Well, first of all they said, ‘Get down! In-coming!’ So, you got down. That was your welcome. And, of course, having gone through the International Date Line, by that time you didn’t know if you were alive or asleep. Then it was the next day or so that we took another flight to Saigon where we had to sign in at our headquarters.”

Welcome to ‘Nam, Captain Johnson!

©2024 William D. Palmer