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Area man pens book about life as a combat surgeon in Vietnam

'It’s like a travel log that leads into Vietnam and then it goes through all the experiences and the many hospitals that we worked in,' says Dr. Garry Willard of book
Garry Willard 09-22-21
Garry Willard's new book, Into The Dragons Jaws, includes memoirs from when he worked as a combat surgeon during the Vietnam War.

An Orillia man has released a new book about his role in the Vietnam War. The book is titled Into The Dragon's Jaws.

“It’s a book which details my memoirs as a Canadian combat surgeon in the Vietnam War,” Gary Willard explained.

“I was sent to Vietnam through the Canadian Red Cross in response to the massive amount of civilians who were injured following the Tet Offensive in South Vietnam in 1968.”

Willard spent his time in Vietnam going from field hospital to field hospital in various battle areas.

“When I was in Vietnam, I had asked my friends and family members who I had written letters to back home to keep them safe, that way I had a reference. So, I’ve been writing this book for a number of years,” he explained.

“It started by writing short stories so my family could one day look back and see what I went through, but it slowly morphed into a book. This seemed to be the best time to release it because the animosity toward the war in America and Vietnam is largely gone," he explained of the controversial conflict.

Writing the book gave the 82-year-old the opportunity to grasp and reflect on what he had experienced during his time in Vietnam.

“The book immediately immerses you in the war, and then it goes back into how a Canadian would even get into this situation in the first place. It’s like a travel log that leads into Vietnam and then it goes through all the experiences and the many hospitals that we worked in,” Willard explained.

“I actually went back to Vietnam 50 years later with my wife. I also went back to Cambodia and Thailand where I retraced my steps, and I talk about that in my book as well,” he said.

Despite experiencing the effects of war first-hand, Willard, doesn’t believe he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But he has a great interest in the subject and touches on it in his book.

“PTSD wasn’t even known specifically by that term in 1968. It wasn’t known until about the late 70s or early 80s before the American Psychiatric Association actually accepted it as a term and it’s become a catchword now,” he said.

“There is an awful lot of people who suffer PTSD in our military, first responders, and specifically the police. In America, they are losing 17 veterans per day to suicide from PTSD which is too many," he said.

Post-Vietnam, the Winchester Ontario native practised his medical profession in Etobicoke and Alliston for over 30 years.

Into the Dragon's Jaws is the debut title for the new author. Willard used Canadian publisher Tellwell Talent Inc., which is located in Victoria B.C. The Kindle edition of the book is available on Amazon.ca for $9.99.


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Tyler Evans

About the Author: Tyler Evans

Tyler Evans got his start in the news business when he was just 15-years-old and now serves as a video producer and reporter with OrilliaMatters
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