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Independence, MO —
About Dr. Ronald M. Turner (retired)
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army Medical Corps
YEARS SERVED: 1967-68
BORN AND RAISED: Aruba
A DOCTOR DRAFTED
Ronald's father worked for Standard Oil in Aruba, where Ronald was born and raised. After graduating high school he attended Graceland College in Iowa and began his medical training. At that time Graceland was only a two-year college so he transferred to KU, then to Saint Louis University School of Medicine where he met and married his wife, Carol Jeanne. He then transferred to Columbia, Mo., which led him to a practice in Independence in general surgery. A short time of private practice led him to an offer to join another medical group at the old Independence Sanitarium where he would eventually retire in 1995.
Ronald received his draft notice at the age of 34, left his practice, and headed for Fort Sam Houston, Texas, with a wife and two children. He remembers that he learned to march and salute, receiving the same basic training that other recruits were given. He laughs when he says other doctors wouldn't follow the commands given, but thought what would they do to them when they needed doctors so badly. He says doctors don't make good soldiers.
VIETNAM
His trip to Vietnam was delayed due to a typhoon, giving him a chance to visit Pearl Harbor during the wait. The time in Hawaii was cut short, and he was soon in Saigon picking up equipment to take to a surgical hospital in Dong Tam on the Mekong River. The medical group, including doctors, lived in and operated in tents. These were self transportable operating rooms with electricity produced by gas turbines. All the wounded came from the battle field around Dong Tam. The injured came in waves brought in by Huey helicopters, and at one time he had 24 injured awaiting treatment or evacuation. They had only two operating rooms and from them could hear the helicopters coming in much like in the movie MASH.
TET OFFENSIVE
During the Tet Offensive their inflatable MUST Unit was shelled and the surgeons had to lower the operating tables to the ground and keep on operating. There was no stopping what they were doing or more lives would have been lost. Ronald says the medics did a good job as well as the nurses, both male and female. He also adds that the helicopter pilots were equally good. Remembering one operation was when he opened up a Vietnamese civilian to find round worms in the body. That was common over there due to the food they ate being contaminated. Although rice was grown nearby, the only rice Ronald ate was from the United States.
About Dr. Ronald M. Turner (retired)
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army Medical Corps
YEARS SERVED: 1967-68
BORN AND RAISED: Aruba
A DOCTOR DRAFTED
Ronald's father worked for Standard Oil in Aruba, where Ronald was born and raised. After graduating high school he attended Graceland College in Iowa and began his medical training. At that time Graceland was only a two-year college so he transferred to KU, then to Saint Louis University School of Medicine where he met and married his wife, Carol Jeanne. He then transferred to Columbia, Mo., which led him to a practice in Independence in general surgery. A short time of private practice led him to an offer to join another medical group at the old Independence Sanitarium where he would eventually retire in 1995.
Ronald received his draft notice at the age of 34, left his practice, and headed for Fort Sam Houston, Texas, with a wife and two children. He remembers that he learned to march and salute, receiving the same basic training that other recruits were given. He laughs when he says other doctors wouldn't follow the commands given, but thought what would they do to them when they needed doctors so badly. He says doctors don't make good soldiers.
VIETNAM
His trip to Vietnam was delayed due to a typhoon, giving him a chance to visit Pearl Harbor during the wait. The time in Hawaii was cut short, and he was soon in Saigon picking up equipment to take to a surgical hospital in Dong Tam on the Mekong River. The medical group, including doctors, lived in and operated in tents. These were self transportable operating rooms with electricity produced by gas turbines. All the wounded came from the battle field around Dong Tam. The injured came in waves brought in by Huey helicopters, and at one time he had 24 injured awaiting treatment or evacuation. They had only two operating rooms and from them could hear the helicopters coming in much like in the movie MASH.
TET OFFENSIVE
During the Tet Offensive their inflatable MUST Unit was shelled and the surgeons had to lower the operating tables to the ground and keep on operating. There was no stopping what they were doing or more lives would have been lost. Ronald says the medics did a good job as well as the nurses, both male and female. He also adds that the helicopter pilots were equally good. Remembering one operation was when he opened up a Vietnamese civilian to find round worms in the body. That was common over there due to the food they ate being contaminated. Although rice was grown nearby, the only rice Ronald ate was from the United States.
When his first year was over Ronald spent the next year at Fort Leonard Wood where he was awarded the rank of major. This was funny to him because people would now salute him and he didn't know what to do in return. There was no saluting in Vietnam.
BACK TO HIS PRACTICE
Back home in Independence and back at the Independence Sanitarium kept him busy for the next 30 years until his retirement. Ronald and his wife had two children; one daughter and one son, and four grandchildren. Sadly, their son passed away with a form of leukemia leading to liver failure. They have celebrated 54 years together and continue to live in Independence.
