Col Joan E. Zajtchuk, USA MC Ret. Oral History Tape 1, Side A

title:

Col Joan E. Zajtchuk, USA MC Ret. Oral History Tape 1, Side A

creator:

Zajtchuk, Joan E. (Tracz) (1938 November 3 - )

subject:

Army Medical Corps

description:

Tape 1 of 2, side 1 of 2. Joan E. Zajtchuk (formerly Tracz) was born on November 2, 1938 in Chicago, Illinois. She had decided to become a doctor when she was in her second year of high school. Her mother had encouraged her to become a nurse since there would always be work available, and after working in a blood bank and meeting two women who were in medical school, she decided to pursue medical school herself. She wasn’t sure she could go to college since her widowed mother raised her and her two sisters alone, but she earned herself a scholarship to the University of Chicago that got her through college. She started applying for medical school in her third year, and got into Women’s Medical College in Pennsylvania. She went there for a year before marrying, returning to Chicago, and working as a research technician at the University of Chicago’s physiology department, returning to medical school at the University of Chicago in 1963. She pursued surgery in the otolaryngology department, which is where she had the strongest support from mentors and professors as well. Her husband was ahead of her in medical school, so while she was still completing her residencies he joined the Army, which she did as well upon completing her residency requirements in June 1971. He volunteered to go to Vietnam in May 1971, just a month before she completed her final residency, and she was initially planning on going to Vietnam as a volunteer physician, but a professor convinced her to join the service instead. She went to two months of officer’s training in San Antonio, Texas before being assigned to the 24th evac hospital in Long Binh with her husband. This hospital had large radiology and arteriography teams, so they mostly did immediate treatment for patients before moving them along to the 3rd field hospital in Saigon. They were also both allowed to teach in Saigon once a month, which is what she would have done if she had joined USAID instead of the Army. They were in Vietnam for a year, then went to Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Colorado from 1972 to 1977. Although she had fulfilled her two year requirement after one year, at Fitzsimons, she decided to stay in on a year-to-year basis because of how many varied opportunities she had through the Army versus civilian life. She was transferred to Walter Reed Medical Center in 1977, where she was assistant chief in EMT and taught at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. She was the Chairman and Program Director of the Otolaryngology Training Program from 1982 to 1990. During 1985 she was the commander of the Medical Element and Command Surgeon of the Joint Task Force Bravo in Honduras, where her unit provided humanitarian assistance. In 1991 she went to War College, which a colonel said meant she had made a final commitment to military rather than civilian practice. After her time there, she returned to Walter Reed as the director of medical education, a position which took a significant fight on her part to secure. She was in this position for three years before working in the Surgeon General’s office from 1994-1996. She was trying to find a new position from there, and even the Surgeon General didn’t have any ideas for what she could do next, so after 25 years of service she decided to get out. After leaving the Army, she returned to Chicago as the Dean of Students at Flush Medical College and with the International Health office. When she left the service Zajtchuk had reached the rank of colonel, and for her service she was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal, 2 Legion of Merit with a bronze star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, 2 Meritorious Service Medals, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Expert Medical Field Badge, and 2 National Defense Service Medals. A transcript of this interview is available.

publisher:

Military Women's Memorial Foundation

contributor:

Bellafaire, Judy

date:

2006-03-29

type:

Audio

format:

Cassette

identifier:

1028.01; 2007.1028

source:

CLIR - Recordings at Risk

language:

English

relation:

146486

coverage:

Vietnam War (1964-1975) | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 1971-96

rights:

Unrestricted