When would a military doctor be considered a traitor by some and a hero by other

[Raihan Mirza]

Greetings,

I am trying to write a really good play for college. In this play I am trying to make a American military doctor be considered a hero by many american and also somewhat of a traitor by many Americans also. Something similar to what happened in John Q. the movie, but it takes place in the combat field. I spoke with students at the pre-allo thread about creating a plot in which a doctor saves the live of an enemy soldier, but then found out that its the doctors job to help wounded soldiers and gots some pretty hostile comments too. I was hoping the people in military medicine could help me with a sitaution in which an american meilitary doctor in the combat field might be considered both a hero and a traitor by many americans.

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[exmissionary]

I would think that perhaps he could be considered a good doctor to some and a bad doctor to others if what he practiced is controversial. I would think that we rarely deal with such medical controversy now days. Perhaps if you looked into the history books you might find some interesting stories.

I remember a story from when I was a kid, it was based on the life of Tom Dooley. It is not a military story but there is a part when he gives a child and other villagers some medicine. The medicine has foreseen side effects and the townspeople and mother get very mad and hostile with him. The medicine was acting as predicted and in the long term would heal and protect the people of the village. It was a basic fight against ignorance. I have not read the whole book put just a part that was inserted into another book. The book is "Doctor Tom Dooley, My Story," by Thomas Dooley. Published by Ariel Books, Farrar, Straus & Cudahy. Inc. New York, 1960

Let me know if anything good comes out of this.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

How about this.....Al Qaeda extremist sets off roadside bomb, killing 6 American GIs and wounding 4 others. He is seen running off and shot in the leg and captured. He is taken to Balad where he is found to be severely hemorrhaging from the femoral artery. He is in and out of consciousness as the emergency team begins resuscitation, pouring on quickclot, hanging blood etc. The bloodbank runs dry, and the four American GIs that this guy wounded are also bleeding and need some blood, but not as badly as this guy. They'll probably make it. So the doc gives the al qaeda guy the last two units of blood immediately available and manages to pull him back from the brink of death, even sparing him an amputation. Unfortunately, he did not pick up on one of the GI's internal bleeding because he was spending so much time on the terrorist and by the time he does, he has no blood left to give him so he dies. The terrorist breaks loose in the ICU a week later and stabs 4 nurses with a # 10 scalpel before nearly escaping to the flight line. He is hauled off to Guantanamo where he costs the US government hundreds of thousands of dollars to detain for years. The doctor is grilled by his colleagues and by the line commanders, demoted to lieutenant, reported to the national databank, and tried as a traitor. He is found innocent, but can no longer find a job in the states so ends up doing high school physicals in Portugal.

How's that?

 

[devilpup]

How about this.....Al Qaeda extremist sets off roadside bomb, killing 6 American GIs and wounding 4 others. He is seen running off and shot in the leg and captured. He is taken to Balad where he is found to be severely hemorrhaging from the femoral artery. He is in and out of consciousness as the emergency team begins resuscitation, pouring on quickclot, hanging blood etc. The bloodbank runs dry, and the four American GIs that this guy wounded are also bleeding and need some blood, but not as badly as this guy. They'll probably make it. So the doc gives the al qaeda guy the last two units of blood immediately available and manages to pull him back from the brink of death, even sparing him an amputation. Unfortunately, he did not pick up on one of the GI's internal bleeding because he was spending so much time on the terrorist and by the time he does, he has no blood left to give him so he dies. The terrorist breaks loose in the ICU a week later and stabs 4 nurses with a # 10 scalpel before nearly escaping to the flight line. He is hauled off to Guantanamo where he costs the US government hundreds of thousands of dollars to detain for years. The doctor is grilled by his colleagues and by the line commanders, demoted to lieutenant, reported to the national databank, and tried as a traitor. He is found innocent, but can no longer find a job in the states so ends up doing high school physicals in Portugal.

How's that?

wow, very disturbing...
not quite a traitor; definetely not a "hero" either.

it would make for an interesting read...

 

[tscottturner]

How about an army flight surgeon in Afghanistan is captured (somehow- maybe after a chinook crash) and despite being injured, is 'forced' to provide healthcare to al qaeda/taliban wounded which he does for several months until he is well enough/able to escape on his own.

 

[Raihan Mirza]

Thanks guys. I love you guys and really appreciate your feedback.

 

[R-Me-Doc]

He is found innocent, but can no longer find a job in the states so ends up doing high school physicals in Portugal.

More likely he'd be hired as a civilian contract doc at some MEDDAC . . .