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Today we honor Judy Hartline Elbring, a courageous Army nurse who volunteered for two tours in Vietnam starting in 1967. Judy dedicated herself to caring for the wounded amid the chaos of war, even tending to her own brother after he was injured. Like all nurses, Judy faced the horrors of treating young soldiers with devastating injuries, often staying with the dying to ensure they weren't alone. She reflected on the emotional toll: “There wasn’t time to be scared. There wasn’t time to worry about anything except the immediate job at hand.” One haunting memory lingered: “He stays with me. I don’t know why he stays with me, but he does. He comes back in my dreams. They’re helpless dreams in a way. They’re all the things I can’t do anything about. I would love to be somebody’s good dream. Oh God, wouldn’t that be wonderful? I’d be very proud to be somebody’s good dream.” Upon returning home, Judy encountered hostility and silence, yet she later advocated for veterans' recognition. She passed in 2022 at age 79, leaving a legacy of compassion and resilience. #vietnamwar #nurselife #ArmyNurses #MilitaryFriday