Dateline: November 1967. Within klicks of Danang, Vietnam, sits a U.S. Army base, bar and hospital on China Beach filled with wounded soldiers and one very lovely but damaged Army Nurse Colleen McMurphy. Many heroes, dead and alive, try to make sense of life and death in between bourbon, bullets and battles.
Dateline: November 1967. Within klicks of Danang, Vietnam, sits a U.S. Army base, bar and hospital on China Beach filled with wounded soldiers and one very lovely but damaged Army Nurse Colleen McMurphy. Many heroes, dead and alive, try to make sense of life and death in between bourbon, bullets and battles.
John Wells, Carol Flint, John Sacret Young, Lydia Woodward, William Broyles Jr., Josef Anderson, Toni Graphia, Alan Brennert, Patricia Green, Ann Donahue
Production details
Status
Ended
Series type
Scripted
Episodes
64
Original language
English
Networks & production
ABCUnited States
Themes
1960sdoctorhospitalmilitarymilitary hospitalus armyvietnam war
Season 1 episodes
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It's November 1967 and nurse Colleen McMurphy faces the last week of her tour of duty in Vietnam, dealing as usual with the dying boys, primitive conditions, and the sexual pressure from pilot Natch Austin. USO singers Georgia Lee and Laurette Barber arrive to entertain the troops in the base's new R&R center. Brand new Red Cross volunteer Cherry White also arrives, determined to find her brother, a marine no one can locate.
Directed by Rod HolcombWritten by John Sacret Young, William Broyles Jr.Guest stars Jeff Kober, Christopher Allport, Amy Yasbeck, Gail O'Grady, James Cromwell, Christopher Michael Moore, Rick Najera, Richard Green
McMurphy decides that she can't leave China Beach even though she is eligible to go home. Cherry and Laurette arrive- Cherry to look for her brother whom her family lost contact with and Laurette as a USO back up singer who gets promoted to lead when the lead singer can't cope with the war.
Directed by Rod HolcombWritten by John Sacret Young, William Broyles Jr.Guest stars Jeff Kober, Christopher Allport, Amy Yasbeck, Gail O'Grady, James Cromwell, Christopher Michael Moore, Rick Najera, Richard Green
Laurette auditions local entertainers to fill in the act and McMurphy struggles to overcome her feelings when a Viet Cong woman who was responsible for blowing up a friend is brought into the hospital for treatment.
Directed by Rod HolcombWritten by William Broyles Jr.Guest stars Jeff Kober, Jason Graae, Charles Cyphers, Carlos Lacámara, Ned Vaughn
KC agrees to ask about Cherry's brother as she sets up a deal to buy an antique vase. Laurette prepares to perform for visiting brass. Lila, KC, Laurette, McMurphy and Cherry share confidences as they wait out a mortar attack together.
Lila, Cherry and Laurette find themselves pinned down with a combat squad whose leader is not dealing with reality. Back at China Beach, KC and a frightened Boonie prepare to mount a rescue mission. Dr. Richard is injured just before he's scheduled to leave for R&R in Hawaii with Beth Ann.
Directed by Rod HolcombWritten by Ann DonahueGuest stars David Marciano, David Reynolds
Cherry is taken in by a deserter who claims to know her brother, and who is pursued by a determined office from the CID. Laurette and Boonie try to help a stressed out Beckett get some sleep.
Laurette faces an important audition with laryngitis. Beckett battles the pressure of racial prejudice and financial coercion when he discovers someone has been using the body bags in his GRU. Dr. Richard returns from R&R in Hawaii disillusioned by the perceived changes in his wife. Dodger finally finds Rick, Cherry's long-lost brother.
Directed by John Sacret YoungWritten by Carol FlintGuest stars Jeff Kober, John Marshall Jones, Glenn Plummer, Fredric Lehne, Marc Gilpin, Ernest Harada
Despite distractions, McMurphy and Natch finally get together. Laurette gets a chance to join another, bigger USO tour. McMurphy gets blamed for a body that disappears on her shift.
Directed by John Sacret YoungWritten by William Broyles Jr.Guest stars Johnny Grant, Nancy Sinatra, Aaron Lustig, Gail O'Grady, John Mariano
