Minnesota's Women Vietnam Veterans Oral History Project: Interview with MaryLu Brunner

Titles: Minnesota's Women Vietnam Veterans Oral History Project: Interview with MaryLu Brunner (Supplied title)

Description: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: MaryLu Brunner was born in Minnesota. She obtained a nursing degree from St. Gabriel's School of Nursing and worked at the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital. She enlisted in the U.S. Army as a nurse and served in Vietnam. Upon returning to the United States, she worked again for the VA and helped fundraise for the Minnesota Vietnam Memorial in St. Paul. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family; education; working at the VA and then deciding to enlist in the U.S. Army; role of religion in her life; patriotism; awareness of the political situation; Communism and the Cold War; race and discrimination; gender roles; going to nursing school; satisfaction of being a nurse; meeting war veterans; volunteering to go to Vietnam; family reactions to her enlistment; training at Letterman Army Hospital in California; not feeling prepared for Vietnam; flying to Vietnam; being stationed in Pleiku at an evacuation hospital; relationships with colleagues; dating; fond memories; birthday celebrations; views on war; contact with Vietnamese people; personal safety; a typical workday; not getting to know patients on a personal level; treating injuries; respect; reading books written by female Vietnam veterans; best and worst experiences in Vietnam; homecoming; working at the VA; getting married; joining the Reserves; reaction to the Anti-War Movement; post-traumatic stress disorder; the importance of a women's memorial; opening up about Vietnam experiences.

Dates

• 05/23/2006 (Creation)

Creation

• interviewer: Heikkila, Kim
• interviewee: Brunner, MaryLu

Identifiers

• Library Call Number: OH 113
• Accession Number: AV2007.38.5

Holding Type: Oral History - Interview

Project

• Oral History - Project, MHS Collection, project: 'Minnesota's Women Vietnam Veterans Oral History Project' <OH 113>

Quantity: 3 hours sound cassette 52 pages transcript

Format

• Content Category: sound recordings
• Content Category: text

Measurements

• 180 minutes length

Subjects

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