Book Review

January 22,2013

I recently was given the privilege of reviewing  a novel  that was sent to me. Although I have been an avid reader for many, many years, and have belonged to a lively and lovely Book Club, this is my first attempt at posting a review. So, Patrick Thibeault, take a deep breath ..... and here we go!!

My Journey As A  Combat Medic.                by Patrick Thibeault

I found this book to be a very engaging first person narrative of a life most of us know little or nothing about. It is in fact the story of the unsung heroes who save the lives of those who save our lives and lifestyles.  Patrick Thibeault displays a passion for learning and an ongoing dedication to the army where he spent 22 years of his life.

From Desert Storm to Operation Enduring Freedom his recollections depict his honest and sometimes gut wrenching stories of training and hard work. From an army perspective and a medical perspective, the ultimate result of all this work is his ability to help not only the allies but all who needed the ministrations of a medic. He relates helping not only the soldiers but children who were affected by these operations and on occasion their family, despite which side they fought on. Patrick’s insistence on professionalism and constant desire to learn are evident throughout the book. As he said “It is far better to have a skill and not use it than to have a situation and not have the skills to manage it”.

Throughout all of this a sense of humor is evident, as he is able to laugh at himself. After some language barrier miscommunication  he realized the situation and replied “I am a typical Yankee that couldn't even understand the Queen’s English”.

What was unusual about this book was that the narrative was not always in a chronological order, but rather in what I refer to as “blocks” of time. First was the training period, then the actual accounts of what an army medic encounters and acts upon, including a real life situations involving PTSD. Finally there is a summary or reflection and his recommendations based on what he has learned from his life as an army medic, a friend, and a human being.

 I would say this book, My Journey As A Combat Medic, by Patrick Thibeault, was written straight from the heart of the author and delivered to the solar plexus of the reader. A book you will remember.

Check out additional info at Amazon.com

About the author

Patrick Thibeault, born an army brat,(his words) graduated from high school and enlisted in the army where he became a paratrooper medic. The first unit he was assigned to was deployed to Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990. He then joined the Kentucky Army National Guard where he grew both as a soldier and a medic and started nursing school at Eastern Kentucky University. His first job as a registered nurse was at the veteran’s hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2003 and was deployed in 2004, with his unit, the 76^th Infantry Brigade, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.  In 2008, Patrick graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University as a Family Nurse Practitioner. He then transferred to the 138^th Field Artillery Brigade, part of the Kentucky Army National Guard, where he remained until his retirement in January of 2011.




Pictures from Google Images

Disclosure : I was sent a PDF of this book and have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.