Stephen Donovan

Wisconsin draftees Steve Donovan (Madison) and Fred Borchardt (Oshkosh) met in 1965 when they were inducted together into the US Army as part of the buildup for the Vietnam War. They struck up a close friendship immediately, but little did they know then that they’d go to Missouri together for Basic Training... then to Texas together for Medic Training... then to the 24th Evacuation Hospital in San Antonio... and then to Vietnam together as members of the hospital staff.

During their 16 months with the 24th Evac, Fred and Steve managed to perform the duties of more than a dozen different military occupations ranging from Hospital Orderly to Prisoner Guard to Construction Worker to Sign Painter to Cement Finisher to Jeep Driver to Bartender to Emergency Room Assistant to Litter Bearer to Armed Sentry to Translator to Medical Records Clerk to Headquarters Clerk to Civilian Personnel Specialist.

Whatever Uncle Sam needed at the time, Fred and Steve were there to answer the call while the war raged on just a scant few miles away. Never a dull moment, as they say. (Well okay, there might have been a few of 'em now and then, but... Bartender? In a combat zone?)

Following Vietnam and college, Fred and Steve went on to successful careers in Marketing and Journalism, their chosen fields of study. And now they've written a highly entertaining book about their wartime adventures!

If you were one of the more than two million Americans who spent a year in Vietnam without ever seeing any actual combat— or if you've ever wondered what life was like for those folks, living in a war zone with no front lines and no clear distinctions between friend and foe, then you should find their book informative, entertaining and more than just a little bit funny. Fred and Steve hope you enjoy their efforts!