the year is 1968. lt. dee, a skilled army surgical nurse volunteers to serve in the vietnam War. after a grueling twenty-four hour flight in full military uniform, including nylons and heels, dee steps off the plane into an intense tropical heat that immediately assaults her body. her mind and senses are likewise bombarded with the smells and noises of a war zone. within minutes, dee and the other nurses witness a convoy of coffins bound for a homeward flight. no sooner have they changed into fatigues, then they are asked to assign cause of death in a morgue. (the doctors are need in surgery).these two challenges are followed by an encounter with a stunning air force captain named skip (because she skips from base to base on evacuation missions). follow dee by chopper to a remote nursing outpost surrounded by jungle. in surgery, she encounters the brutal reality of war beginning with a conveyor belt of wounded soldiers.her affair with air force captain skip contravenes military law and both women find themselves risking potential dishonorable discharges for love. the reader will notice the research that has been carried out to present a realistic story of nurses who served in Vietnam and medical and political issues facing them as veterans.this novel honors their incredible courage and medical skills.