Patched Up

A powerful tribute to the unseen heroes of the Vietnam War.

War is a machine with many moving parts, but not all who serve carry weapons.

Patched Up is a powerful and deeply human account of the Australians who cared for the wounded during the Vietnam War, on the battlefield, in field hospitals, aboard aeromedical evacuation flights and back home.

Drawing on first-hand testimonies, interviews and historical records, it reveals the experiences of medics, nurses, doctors, chaplains, Red Cross and Salvation Army workers, alongside the voices of the wounded themselves. From the chaos of combat zones to the wards of Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, these were the people who worked under immense pressure to save lives, on the ground and in the air.

But the story does not end with survival. Patched Up confronts the long shadow of war: trauma, disability, loss, and the ongoing fight for recognition and support faced by veterans and their families.

This is a moving tribute to those who served with skill, courage and compassion, and to the human cost of war that endures long after the fighting stops.

An essential and long-overdue story of courage, care and quiet heroism.

A deeply moving account that finally gives voice to those who healed the wounded—and carried the cost.

‘Powerful, honest and deeply human—this is the Vietnam War as you’ve rarely seen it.’