She Went to War: The Rhonda Cornum Story - Softcover

Rhonda Cornum; Peter Copeland

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0891415076 ISBN 13: 9780891415077

Publisher: Presidio Press, 1993

Synopsis

Doc Cornum's story of her shoot-down, capture, and imprisonment by the Iraqis is as fast-paced and dramatic as a good adventure novel.

About this title

From Kirkus Reviews:

A soldier's story of the Gulf War--with a twist: The author, who was taken prisoner by the Iraqis, is a woman, wife, and mother, as well as a flight surgeon in the army. Alternating accounts of her army life at home and in Saudi Arabia, Cornum, a major, describes the events that led to her capture in the Iraqi desert (Iraqis shot down the helicopter flying her to the rescue of a downed pilot); her subsequent imprisonment; and her unexpected release and joyous homecoming. With a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Cornell, Cornum joined the army because she wanted to go to a military medical school rather than a civilian one. She'd never had much school spirit, ``but all of a sudden in the army, I found the spirit and I loved it.'' She learned to fly helicopters, completed a grueling paratrooper course, and rose to become head of a research division at Fort Rucker. The Iraqi soldiers who found her badly wounded--Cornum suffered from a bullet wound, two broken arms, and dislocated knees--treated her harshly: She was interrogated often, moved from place to place blindfolded, and received only rudimentary care. Her injuries finally were treated properly in Baghdad, where, unaware that the war was over, she prepared herself for a lengthy imprisonment. Reunited with friends and family, Cornum found herself a celebrity back home. Here, she relates her harrowing experience with quiet courage, offering perceptive insights into army life, the role of women in combat--which she favors--and the support that comes from what she calls ``unit bonding.'' A fast-paced story as much about war and one remarkable woman as about the tenacity of the human spirit. (Sixteen b&w photographs, one map--not seen.) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From Publishers Weekly:

This thrilling account of the Gulf war is all the more affecting for its matter-of-fact, unpretentious tone. The story is that of Army battalion surgeon and helicopter pilot Cornum--a major, wife of an Air Force officer and mother of a 14-year-old daughter--who was captured when her helicopter was shot down deep in Iraqi territory. One of only three survivors, Cornum required medical care for fractured arms, a broken finger, a smashed knee and lacerations--and received it after three days of being roughly shuttled from bunkers to primitive prisons. That she survived the painful, humilating ordeal all the way to Baghdad and repatriation via the International Red Cross was due not only to her grit but to an irrespressible vitality. Aside from her own heroic tale, Cornum--ably assisted by Copeland, Pentagon and Gulf War correspondent for the Scripps Howard News Service--emphasizes the importance of comradeship with other members of the mammoth war machine who shared both the long months of waiting and the dangers of combat and captivity. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Presidio Press
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0891415076
• ISBN 13: 9780891415077
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240