Baghdad er

bahamabread · May 28, 2006

Yes...........my husband is military and they are brave..........not to mention sexy men ( and women)

HOWEVER.............I think I still imagine combat hospitals to look like they did in the series MASH. That hospital is WAAAAYYYY better lookingthan my hospital in the Bahamas. I was surprised.

Trauma Columnist · May 28, 2006

Yes, and what was so interesting was that one of the soldiers who was a pt in the Bagdad ER eventually died. His mother (in the states) saw the Bagdad ER show and was able to view some of her son's last moments. It was very touching.

marilynmom, LPN, NP · May 28, 2006

Yes me and my husband watched it the other night and it is awesome and sad. Those Dr and RNs, etc just plain ROCK the world!!!

Faeriewand, ASN, RN · May 28, 2006

I don't get HBO. I wish I could see this show. I admire anyone over there. My daughter was in Kosovo for a year (Army) and was relatively safe. We just hope she doesn't get shipped over to Iraq. She is willing to go wherever they put her.

Corvette Guy · May 28, 2006

I started a similiar Thread in the Miltary Nursing Forum section.

Corvette Guy · May 28, 2006

I don't get HBO. I wish I could see this show. I admire anyone over there. My daughter was in Kosovo for a year (Army) and was relatively safe. We just hope she doesn't get shipped over to Iraq. She is willing to go wherever they put her.

I know you are very proud of your Soldier, and we appreciate her military service.

Corvette Guy · May 28, 2006

Yes, and what was so interesting was that one of the soldiers who was a pt in the Bagdad ER eventually died. His mother (in the states) saw the Bagdad ER show and was able to view some of her son's last moments. It was very touching.

Ma'am, are you referring to the Marine, LCpl Robert Mininger?

Source

AMY GOODMAN: We're also joined on the phone by Paula Zwillinger. Her son U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Robert Mininger was killed in Iraq June 6, 2005. He was 21 years old. This film has to bring back memories for you. First of all, condolences on the loss of your son, Paula.

PAULA ZWILLINGER: Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that.

AMY GOODMAN: How important do you think it is for people to see these images?

PAULA ZWILLINGER: I think it's very important. It brings the reality of the war into the home. Right now, as we've talked about previously, what is the public really seeing nowadays? They're seeing a paragraph on the second page of a newspaper saying that, you know, we lost X number of lives today, whether it be an I.E.D., whether a tank rolled over, and it's just a little paragraph, and you don't really get the visual image of really what war is about until you see the movie.

It's very easy to read it in the paper. There's no getting around it. It's a little cold. It's not detailed. You know, you never get details in the newspaper, but when you see the documentary it really hits home, because it's reality. What you're going to see is war, and it's the outcome of war, whether it be positive or negative.

AMY GOODMAN: And your feelings now about the Army seeming to pull back, withdraw support from showing this film, saying it's going to cause post-traumatic stress and even putting pressure on HBO to change this film, to delete scenes?

PAULA ZWILLINGER: Well, you know, I have an opinion and, you know, the more I think about it, as Jon mentioned that, you know, it does have political ties to it, but you know, everybody has to take from this documentary their own feelings, and right now with -- everybody has an opinion about the war. Of course, with the polls and everything showing, you know, where the American public really resides as to our opinion as to whether we should be there or not and how things have changed, I mean, that's an ever ongoing situation, but it definitely has a strong image of what war is about.

AMY GOODMAN: Paula, Matt and Jon brought you to New York, because they had filmed the death of your son in the Baghdad ER.

PAULA ZWILLINGER: Correct.

AMY GOODMAN: You, alone, watched this with your husband.

PAULA ZWILLINGER: Yes.

AMY GOODMAN: What were your feelings?

PAULA ZWILLINGER: Well, you have to understand that I initially had 17 hours where I knew nothing. It was, in essence, a black hole. I had many questions that I thought I would never get the answers to, and five months later, after, you know, losing Bob, Matt called me and told me about the documentary that they were working on, and for me to see this footage again of my son literally puts me at his bedside, and I think that is a precious gift that any parent would take, to literally be there at your son's bedside. You know, it's -- you have to wonder, timing of it and everything, as to why they were there when Bob came through the door, you know, all those little coincidences and things of that nature, but in reality it has given me peace. It has given me closure. It has answered some of my questions that I've had. It has given me the opportunity to talk with the doctors and the nurses who took care of him. Not every parent gets those answers in a time of war when their child is, you know, injured or killed overseas. And again, you know, I am very fortunate that I have that now, so I look at it as a gift.

Corvette Guy · May 28, 2006

Yes...........my husband is military and they are brave..........not to mention sexy men ( and women)
HOWEVER.............I think I still imagine combat hospitals to look like they did in the series MASH. That hospital is WAAAAYYYY better lookingthan my hospital in the Bahamas. I was surprised.

The 86th Combat Support Hospital [CSH] was set up in what use to be a Medical Center for Saddam Hussein followers. Otherwise, your correct in that most CSH Units are set up in modular tents similar to what is seen in the TV show M*A*S*H but on a larger scale.

Corvette Guy · May 29, 2006

I don't know if anybody else has seen it on HBO. This was one of the most thought provoking and emotionally charged thing I have ever seen. I don't care what you do in health care trauma center to rural hospital to imagine the shear volume of trauma they have in and out is mind numbing. The series is gritty firsthand look at a Baghdad hospital from the medivac-->er---->or----> the floor or transfer out of country for additional services. If you can find the opportunity it is amazing. It just reaffirms the admiration I have for the man and women in service. I have many friends who worked medivac at that hospital as well as an er md who pulled a tour there, I cannot imagine sleeping at night after a year of living that day to day nightmare.

Both the Army Surgeon General & Secretary of the Army are concerned the documentary could cause post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] for Soldiers previously deployed in similar environments. IMHO, this documentary is a must see for military service members. However, when I viewed this documentary at Madigan Army Medical Center, FT Lewis, Tacoma, WA the prescreening was made available to Soldiers on an optional basis. I will say many a sniffles could be heard in the audience, mine included. Immediately after the show a Chaplain lead a discussion on Soldier's thoughts regards to what they just viewed.

kyrniam · May 29, 2006

I was touch very much by the show. I hope every nurse has a chance to see this. As a ER nurse it sure made my hair raise back of my neck! A prayer to all our people over in Bagdad.

bahamabread · May 29, 2006

Think of all the innocent women and babies that live in Iraq. This must be what they see EVERY DAY! Imagine how they must be so hopeful to know they have help with all the UN troops. Can you imagine if the protestors had their way and the troops were ALL pulled out in ONE day. Imagine you being an Iraqi woman with little children in a country that is so unstable. I think the US is doing a wonderful thing for those Iraqi people who want their country to stabilize and be democratic.

What struck me most in the documentary is how the injured troops didnt want to leave until their time was up. They felt cheated when they got an early ticket out.

ps.........Im not American so my view is in no way political. Maybe this is why I see the situation clearly from BOTH sides.

I think Im gonna get put off the site for this anyhow..........