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(More customer reviews)"Ruff's War" is a great read --- it's a true story of a nurse on the front lines in Iraq. Having been a Navy nurse myself during the VietNam war, I heard many accounts of military nurses during that war. But this is my first read about Iraq. I found it to be truly a terrific book. It was like reading Cheryl's personal diary of her every day encounters and struggles while serving in Iraq. I kept thinking that this was a relatively short time in that country. And I try to imagine what it must be like for the military who are there for a much greater amount of time. Reading about her experiences has given me a look at how much those soldiers must endure daily for perhaps a year or more. It makes me wonder how any human being can survive living in that country under those conditions and fighting for their lives and others at the same time.
Obviously, Cheryl survived to return home, landing in the U.S. under her own ability to walk off that airplane. Reading about the war, makes me appreciate more what these men and women do for our country every day. It helps me know that they deserve much credit and support for their efforts and also makes me very sad to know that there are some who only return home in body bags. I'm very patriotic and proud of our troops. As an ex-Navy nurse, I applaud all they do and am proud to read of Cheryl's "adventures" in Iraq knowing she served our country and did what she needed to do. A terrifying time indeed but she gave us insight into that war and our military's endurance and dedication.
I'm so glad I read this book. Cheryl is from my home town area, grew up in my church in PA----a home town girl "done proud". Thank you for sharing your story of inspiration and struggles. It was an amazing read.
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Ruff's War: A Navy Nurse on the Frontline in IraqTwenty-five years in the Navy had made Cheryl Ruff an independent, resilient, strong woman - and a master at providing patient care while serving at various Navy hospitals around the world. But nothing prepared her mind, body, soul, and spirit for what she experienced on the frontlines of the Iraq war as a member of the Bravo Surgical Company. Known as the "devil docs," they followed directly behind the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force as they entered Iraq at the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003. Right along with the Marines, Commander Ruff, the only female nurse anesthetist at the front, and the rest of her surgical team learned to endure the brutal conditions of the desert while regularly confronting questions of life and death. Working in temperatures well over 100 degrees in full MOP gear, Ruff and her team set up mobile hospital tents in the sand wherever needed. As Black Hawk helicopters brought in steady streams of the wounded, they found it impossible to maintain standard sterilization procedures, and clean up often amounted to just shovelling the blood-soaked sand out of the tent.During surgery they often wore lighted helmets so they could continue operating if the generator failed and donned gas masks when warnings were issued. These horrific conditions, coupled with the gruesome images of shredded bodies and the cries of wounded children, became Ruff's world. This is her story of the war, up close and personal. It is a story of sacrifice, survival, and courage, movingly written by a woman unconditionally dedicated to the life-saving mission of the United States Navy Nurse Corps.
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