DAWN MISSION

Assigned to Korean duty, Jill Saunders is forced to relinquish the protection of her politically influential mother and the naivete of childhood in one sweeping move. Her job as Air Force flight nurse is to rescue the wounded in remote areas of Korea and transport them safely to the base hospital in Japan. The reality of war and suffering is her immediate concern and her own fears are forced down as if they were tangible. Each mission holds unpredictable crises. Should she accept a half dead man aboard an overcrowded plane? What help can she offer foreign troops with whom she cannot even communicate? How should she deal with the attempted suicide of one of the wounded? Her co-workers, pilots, medical technicians, fellow nurses are a great source of help, but Jill is harassed by a cynical female columnist who resents this daughter of a Washington politician. The obvious plot embellishments are intended to increase the drama, but the ring of authenticity in Eloise Engle's descriptions of the Korean War and the job of Air-Evac steal the scene entirely.