Hostile Fire

Book excerpt: During the early morning hours of June 8, 1969, a Soviet-built 122-mm rocket slammed into ward 4 of the 312th Evacuation Hospital in Chu Lai, Vietnam. Lt. Sharon A. Lane, a young, attractive 24-year-old nurse from Canton, Ohio, died instantly. Though seven other American military nurses lost their lives serving in Vietnam, Lt. Lane was the only American service-woman killed as a direct result of enemy fire throughout the war. Her life and untimely death have come to epitomize the duty, honor, and sacrifice of the almost 11,000 American military and naval nurses who served the country during the Vietnam ara. Hostile Fire is based on extensive interviews with veterans, family, and friends; a review of official records; and Lt. Lane's own letters home which were carefully preserved by her family. The author paints a picture of a vibrant and dedicated young woman, tragically killed just as her adult life was beginning.Skillfully placed within the historical and political context of the period, the story provides the reader with a powerful and personal look at Vietnam and those who served.