On Saturday, March 29, at 1:00 p.m., the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation will host a slide show and oral history discussion by Vietnam veteran Albert R. Naar about his Vietnam experiences in a program called “Devil Doc: A Navy Corpsman in Vietnam – Caring for the Wounded.” This program will be held at the Vietnam Era Educational Center in Holmdel, NJ.

Albert “Doc” Naar of East Brunswick, N.J., is a decorated Vietnam veteran whose primary duty during Vietnam War was to care for the wounded, particularly wounded Marines. He served in both in the Navy and the Marine Corps. As Naar explains, “In 1965, I enlisted in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps and was trained and worked as a surgical scrub technician. Two and a half years later, I was transformed and transferred into the U.S. Marines. The Marines are part of the Naval Service and utilize the Navy’s medical facilities. We wore a Marine uniform but displayed our Navy medical insignia and rank. I attended Field Medical School, a.k.a. ‘Devil Doc University,’ at Camp Pendleton, California. Marines are called ‘Devil Dogs,’ so we were called ‘Devil Docs’.” Naar was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Medical Battalion.

Naar will present a slide program including rare glimpses of how a field hospital functions in a combat zone. Photographs show the relocations of his hospital from Phu Bai north to Quang Tri. Other shots include the arrival by helicopter of wounded, triaging patients, surgery and other activities of a medical battalion. “I am proud of my service,” says Naar. “That experience taught me about life. Life is precious. It’s good to be here.”

Lecture attendees are asked to RSVP to (732) 335-0033. A donation of $5 per person is suggested. The Vietnam Era Educational Center is located adjacent to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial off the Garden State Parkway at exit 116. The Memorial and Educational Center are maintained through a partnership between New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation and the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The Educational Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.. Regular admission is free for veterans and active-duty military personnel. Regular adult admission is $4; student and senior citizen admission is $2; and children under 10 are admitted free.