Now, it is being told for the first time in its entirety by Reynolds herself.
In 1965, the Dover native became the first nurse to be awarded the Purple Heart in Vietnam. The award came after a Christmas Eve bombing of the officers’ quarters where she resided. Despite being injured herself, Reynolds immediately rushed to the hospital to treat those injured in the attack.
Saigon Christmas Eve bombing
After the Christmas Eve bombing in 1964, the song “Silent Night” took on a different significance for Reynolds. Several people were injured in the bombing, including herself and three other Navy nurses. Two men in rooms next to theirs were killed. One of those men was brought to the hospital while she was being treated.