Dr. Chris Coppola talks about his debut book 'Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq'

Author Dr. Chris Coppola

On this Veterans Day, Dr. Chris Coppola, an Iraq War pediatric surgeon, will discuss his newly released book, Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq, which was released online on Nov. 1, 2009.  The book chronicles Dr. Coppola's journey through two tours in Iraq as a pediatric surgeon with the air force and his heroic efforts to treat Iraqi children.

Dr. Coppola took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions about his new book.

Please briefly describe your motivation for recounting your experiences in Iraq in Coppola:  A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq and what you hope to accomplish with its publication.

I am a pediatric surgeon and my usual work is caring for children who are born with birth defects or need simple elective operations to correct conditions such as hernias.

When I was deployted to Iraq, I went as a general combat support trauma surgeon and suddenly I was careing for severely and multiply injured soldiers and civilians of all ages.

This stress was compounded by the fact that I was so far from my wife and children, who are my usual source of strength and peace.  During the busy hours, I worked and operated on patient after patient and the urgency kept me from contemplating the significance of what I was seeing.

However, the when the hospital was calm and I cold retire to my hooch, the horrific images of torn bodies would swim before my eyes, and I would go without sleep for days on end.  It helped me greatly to write down what I had experienced, and send home these messages to my loved ones who usually got me through stressful times.  It unburdened my mind to have made sure the events I had witnessed were recorded.

If there is anything I would like to accomplish with my book, it would be to pay tribute to the strength and heroism of both the dedicated troops who worked in the combat support hospital and the incredibly brave patients, soldiers, and civilians alike, who bore the heaviest toll of war.  It will mean something that their crucial moments are not forgotten.

What inspired you to become a pediatric surgeon?

I am the oldest of five children. It has always been part of my duty to help care for my younger brothers and sister. I was inspired by my father’s kind and therapeutic interaction with his patients to strive to be a doctor as talented as he is. When I was young, I was unsure if I was better suited to be a pediatrician caring for children or a surgeon, reconstructing complex injuries.

During my high school years, Dr. C. Everett Koop, a pediatric surgeon from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, became the Surgeon General chosen by Ronald Reagan. Through his story I discovered the existence of pediatric surgery as a specialty, and through years of college, medical school, and surgical training I have stayed true to that goal.  I have become a pediatric surgeon practicing in Pennsylvania, just like Dr. Koop.

What inspired you to join the military?

During college, I spent the latter half of my senior year abroad in Cordoba, Spain. I had earned sufficient extra credit to be able to complete enough of my major in biochemistry so that I would have time to explore something different in Spain. I was very impressed to learn that all of my Spanish friends in college had a mandatory one-year obligation of military service. In Spain, I witnessed high levels of unemployment, in the 20 percent range, and a less reliable national infrastructure than I was used to at home.

I came to the conclusion that every American should give something back to the country to deserve the excellent standard of living and broad social services we receive. I was also looking for a way to pay for medical school. I talked enough about it that I decided to put my money where my mouth was, and in 1990 I took my oath as a second lieutenant in the USAF. My service commitment lasted until 2009.

As a Lt. Col. and a doctor, it must have been difficult at times to reconcile the military side of your mission with that of a doctor in a foreign, war-torn nation.  Could you describe how you coped while far from your family?  Did you have a support system to help while overseas?

It was incredibly difficult to reconcile my worldview as a doctor with any participation in war.  As a doctor, and as a father, I can see nothing good that can come of starting and perpetuating combat.  People are often familiar with the Hippocratic Oath taken by doctors, but in addition to that oath, as an officer in the U.S. military, I took an oath of loyalty to the Constitution and pledged to faithfully discharge my duties.  Once I had given my word, there was no option to turn back or protest.  I had to fulfill the promise I had made to my country and myself, no matter where in the world that promise took me. 

I was very troubled by many things I saw; innocent women and children injured in war, detainees who remained blindfolded for weeks on end, a destroyed country, and a smoldering war that seemed to drag on without end.  I couldn't choose the situation, but I chose to give the best care I could to any patient who came under my care.  There was no questioning my duty to my patient.

My usual support system of family was far away, and the book is largely a result of my attempt to reach out to them 7,000 miles away by explaining what I was seeing in war and how it made my heart ache.  I also discovered that I had an incredible bond with my surrogate family of fellow doctors, nurses, and technicians who worked tirelessly to care for the mangled and mutilated sould who came through out doors. 

To read some sample chapters, check out his Web site and his blog.  For information about the organizations receiving a 10 percent donation from each sale of Dr. Coppola's book, click here. 

Savvy Verse & Wit also is hosting Dr. Coppola as he discusses his writing and experiences with publication.

Stay tuned for more of this interview with Dr. Coppola on Nov. 12, 2009.