DOONESBURY COMIC STRIPS ADDED TO MUSEUM’S “BATTLEFIELD SURGERY 101: FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO VIETNAM” EXHIBITION
(Click on a photo to see larger image)

WASHINGTON—The National Museum of Health and Medicine has acquired two recently published “Doonesbury” comic strips that focus on military medicine. Donated to the museum by Gary Trudeau, creator of the nationally syndicated comic, the strips illustrate contemporary military medical care both on and off the battlefield, as well as highlight the trauma of amputation. The museum has added the strips, which were published on April 21 and 22, 2004 in more than 1,000 daily newspapers across the country, to its “Battlefield Surgery 101: From the Civil War to Vietnam” exhibition.

During the last year, “Doonesbury” has increasingly focused on the war in Iraq and the experiences of U.S. soldiers fighting there. B.D., one of the series' protagonists, has fought in the Vietnam War, served as a Gulf War reservist, and as a reservist in 2004, was sent to fight in Iraq. The first strip shows B.D. receiving aid from military medics on the battlefield after being critically wounded. His obvious injuries include losing his left leg below the knee. Medics work to save B.D.'s life and evacuate him by helicopter while reassuring him that he will survive.

Although B.D. does not make an appearance in the second strip, he has been transported to a military hospital for treatment. This strip shows a military surgeon telling the soldier who brought B.D. to the hospital that he was able to save B.D.’s knee, but was forced to amputate his shattered shin. The soldier, amazed that the doctor was able to save B.D.’s life, tries and fails to find the words to thank him for his efforts. The surgeon tells him that his “awe is thanks enough.”

The exhibit's co-curators, Jim Connor, Ph.D., the museum's assistant director for collections, and Mike Rhode, archivist of the museum's Otis Historical Archives, feel that the “Doonesbury” comics are a “natural addition” to “Battlefield Surgery 101.”

“These comics fit well for several reasons,” said Rhode. “The strips address the extremely timely issue of soldiers losing limbs in battle, despite the protections offered by flack jackets and helmets. In eight panels, Trudeau shows battlefield surgery from the actions taken by medics to those taken by military surgeons in stateside military hospitals. Moreover, the strips show how comics give insight into the cultural mood of a country and society. As Doonesbury continues to focus specifically on the trauma of amputation and the difficulty of recovery, Trudeau keeps the issue in the public eye. B.D.’s extended recovery reminds the nation of the losses its soldiers can suffer.”

Since April, “Doonesbury” has continued it's military medical theme. In July 2004, B.D. returned to the United States to be fitted with a C-Leg, the most advanced prosthetic limb available to amputees, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC). B.D. will remain at WRAMC until he is fully rehabilitated.

Given the museum's location and other connections to WRAMC, Connor notes that the “Doonesbury” acquisition is “a well-timed and extremely welcome addition” to the exhibit, particularly because “Battlefield Surgery 101” also features a C-Leg on loan to the museum from WRAMC’s Prosthetic Laboratory.

“Owing to the popularity of Doonesbury and the respect with which it is generally held, we are privileged to have these pieces as part of the exhibit,” said Connor. “In addition to exploring the public’s perception of soldiers’ experiences, the strips highlight the military relevance of the museum’s collections and address serious military and medical issues in a timely and accessible way.”

The strips have been added to the portion of “Battlefield Surgery 101” that focuses specifically on the evolution of prosthetic limbs over the last 140 years. A selection of prosthetic limbs dating from the 1860s to the present show visitors how artificial limbs have changed over time and with technology.

Prior to the “Doonesbury” acquisitions, the most recent addition to this display was the C-Leg, which was developed in 1997 by Otto Bock, a pharmaceutical company based in Austria that specializes in prosthetics. According to Otto Bock, the combination of sensors and a microprocessor allow for complex movement and a greater degree of stability than is offered by traditional prosthetics.

“Essentially, the C-Leg allows people wearing it to think about their journey, not managing every step,” said Karen Lundquist, marketing communications manager at Otto Bock. “Typically, above knee amputees are challenged by uneven terrain, even things as seemingly minor as the edge of a rug, a curb, or steps. The C-Leg provides security by taking measurements related to walking and matches those measurements to thousands of gait cycles. Then, it makes adjustments to the knee in real time—to be firm and ready for a step or to swing freely as the wearer moves forward.”

Lundquist adds that the company has “heard great stories about C-Leg wearers skiing, snowmobiling, rockclimbing, biking, fighting fires, and much more.” She believes that the C-Leg, unlike some other prosthetics, “offers people the ability to feel secure while they are doing whatever they want to do.”

The museum continues to add contemporary military medical artifacts, literature, and photographs to “Battlefield Surgery 101,” which will run indefinitely. Other recent acquisitions related to current hostilities include QuikClot, a granulated mineral compound used by military medics to stop arterial bleeding, and the HemCon bandage, a similar but organic based anti-coagulant. For information about future additions, check the museum's website at www.nmhm.washingtondc.museum.

Trudeau, a native of New York, launched Doonesbury in 1970. It is now published seven days a week in more than 1,400 publications. His work has been collected in nearly 60 hardcover, paperback, and mass-market editions that have sold more than seven million copies internationally. In 1975, Trudeau was the first comic strip artist to win a Pulitzer Prize for cartooning, and in 1989, he was again a Pulitzer finalist. In addition to cartooning, Trudeau has written lyrics for Broadway musicals and written and produced a documentary. He earned his bachelor of arts and master of fine arts degrees from Yale University and now lives in New York City with his wife, Jane Pauley, and their three children.