On Call in Hell
A Doctor's Iraq War Story
-
-
4.6 • 37 Ratings
-
-
- $8.99
Publisher Description
At age thirty-eight, Navy Dr. Richard Jadick was too old to be called up to the front lines-but not too old to volunteer. This is the inspiring story of one man's decision to enter into the fray-and a compelling account of courage under fire. Both wrenching and uplifting, On Call in Hell is a portrayal of brothers-in-arms that few will be able to forget. Awarded a Bronze Star with a Combat V for valor, Jadick has become a modern American legend-and a true American hero.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Blood-and-guts accounts of Fallujah are not in short supply, but Jadick a career Marine officer and brigade surgeon who took a demotion to battalion surgeon to volunteer for service in Iraq in 2004 tells the story through the eyes of a doctor. Unlike colleagues who remained in battalion aid stations behind the lines, Jadick and his medics accompanied their unit in makeshift ambulances as it battled through the streets. This was not bravado, he writes, but a calculated strategy to reach, stabilize and rush wounded troops to hospitals more quickly. He makes his case many times over, with dramatic accounts of catastrophically injured men from his unit and others who would not have survived a journey to the aid station. This remarkable man's story is well worth telling, although his writer should have discouraged him from frequent pauses for memorial essays on every soldier who died, and to remind readers of the Marines' bravery, of the dedication of the medics, and how much he loves his wife, the Marines and America. Readers who can skim past these segments will find the book a memorable experience.
Customer Reviews
A Must Read
Provides unique insight on modern warfare from a physician-solider's perspective.
Exceptional!
The book does great job first of telling a compelling tale. In addition to that is the insight into the military medical organizations, the challenges of battlefield medicine, and individuals who make it function. It also provides a clear and unique view of the battle for Fallujah. Finally, it does all this with a great deal of respect for those marines that become patients. I have been recommending this book to all my medical school classmates that ask me about military service. Excellent book!
Great read
Got the book because of the picture I seen on Facebook. Ordered it and didn't put it down until I read the whole thing. Thank you Sir for the recognition of corpsman.
Corpsman in Okinawa Japan