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Linda Sharp

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Linda Sharp

Linda Sharp

Real Name: Captain Linda Sharp
Case: Lost Friend
Location: Quy Nhon, Vietnam
Date: August 29, 1968

Case[]

Details: Captain Linda Sharp of the Army Nurse Corps helped treat soldier James Peter “Jim” Baczkowski during the Vietnam War. Today, he lives in the small town of Grand Junction, Colorado, with his wife, Dolores, and their two sons. He would now like to find Linda and thank her.
In 1968, Jim was wounded by enemy action during the Vietnam War. For over twenty years, he and his family have had to cope with his injuries, both physical and emotional. During the war, he was one of the thousands of troops manning the constantly changing front lines. What he went through turned his life inside out. But one memory of the war he still holds dear. That memory has a name and a face: Captain Linda Sharp.
Jim says that Linda was the only good memory he had from Vietnam. He says that she had something about her that made him feel comfortable and warm and want to live and go back home – even when he felt like he was dying.
The hushed fields of gravestones at the National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, are mute testimony to the tragic toll of the Vietnam War. Thousands of surviving Vietnam veterans have tried to put the war behind them. Some have succeeded, but many have not. For them, the war continues.
But one of the few memories that can still inspire a smile among vets is the selfless devotion and kindness exhibited by the nearly 10,000 nurses, who, in many cases, literally breathed life back into their patients. Jim was one such survivor. In 1968, Linda, an army nurse, gave him the strength he needed to return home to Dolores. He feels that if he can reunite with Linda, his private war will be much closer to ending.
Jim was drafted in December 1967 and, after boot camp, was sent for advanced training to Fort Polk, Louisiana. When he learned he was to be shipped to Vietnam, he placed a late-night call to Dolores, his high school sweetheart, whom he had been dating for five years. He says he waited in line in the rain for over four hours to make the call. When he finally talked to her, he told her he was going to Vietnam. He then asked her to marry him.
At the time, Jim was nineteen, and Dolores was eighteen. She had turned him down the first two times. But when she learned that he was going to leave and go to Vietnam, she decided to say yes. They got married on April 28, 1968, shortly before he left. She says she did not know when he was going to come back. She knew he was supposed to be gone for a year. She just hoped the year would go by quickly.
Jim was shipped off to Vietnam only a week after the wedding. He was a specialist four in the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army. He says that when they landed there, they were all scared. They were entering the unknown, and he had no idea what they were getting into. But he quickly found out.
Within three months, Jim was wounded twice – once in the jaw and once in the leg. On August 29, 1968, four months after the wedding and just two days before he was to be reunited with Dolores in Hawaii, his platoon was attacked by a group of North Vietnamese. He says the North Vietnamese blew him and his platoon “to smithereens.” They did not even have a chance to fight back. There were sixty in his platoon and somewhere between 250 and 300 in the North Vietnamese group. They wiped out his whole company.
During the attack, Jim was operating the radio for a lieutenant because they were side-by-side. The lieutenant was killed almost immediately. Jim remembers that as he reached for a weapon, he flew through the air and landed thirty feet down a hill. He picked up his right leg, which was blown off, and crawled back up the hill.
A telegram was sent to Dolores’ parents, addressed to her. It stated, “James P. Baczkowski was wounded in Vietnam as the result of hostile action. He received traumatic amputation of the right leg when engaged by hostile force in a firefight. You will be kept informed of any significant changes in his condition.”
Dolores says she cried as she read the message. She could not believe that Jim had been injured. She says, “You hear about these things happening to everyone else but not to your own family.” She tried to look at it as if it would go away, but it did not. She says it stayed there, and she had to learn to live with it.
After the attack, Jim was rushed by helicopter to the 67th Evacuation Hospital in Quy Nhon. His prognosis was grim. His fever hovered at 105 degrees, and his wound was badly infected. He had also left six pints of blood behind in the jungle. He says his first conscious memory was looking up and seeing a blonde lady in fatigues – Linda – looking over him and helping him. She kept telling him that he was going to be fine. At the same time, he heard other people say he would not make it. But all he focused on was Linda as she worked on him. He says she gave him the encouragement to live.
Because of the severe infection, what was left of Jim’s leg was amputated at the hip. This was followed by frigid baths to lower his high body temperature. At this time, he became more aware of Linda’s constant attention. She would often joke with him to lighten his spirits, saying things like, “Going for a little swim?” when he was in the bathtub.
Jim says Linda was phenomenal. Whenever he opened his eyes, she would be there, looking down at him. One day, while he was getting one of his baths, she promised him that if he got his temperature down and got into bed, she would wheel him outside and get him a couple of beers.
Over a period of six days, Linda was always there for Jim. And he slowly began to heal. With her help, he regained his former spirit, confidence, and will to live. Late one night, two days before he was scheduled to leave, she kept her word. She wheeled him and his bed outside and gave him a beer.
Jim remembers that the stars were out, and it was a beautiful night. Linda brought out two cans of beer, opened them up, sat on the edge of his bed, and smiled. She asked him if he was going to write Dolores about his leg. He told her that he did not know how. She told him to write it one word at a time. He said he did not know what to say to Dolores.
Jim says they were not allowed to leave the MASH unit until they wrote a letter to their wife and/or family. He says he did not have the courage to write one. He was afraid that his injury would prevent Dolores from realizing her dreams for the couple. He told Linda that he would not be able to write the letter. But she forced him to do it. At the time, he did not know that she had also sent a letter and a picture to Dolores, telling her what to expect.
Linda wrote: “Dear Mrs. Baczkowski, I’m the head nurse on the ward where Jim is now. It truly is not possible for me, a poor letter writer, to tell you how very much Jim loves you. When he talks about you, his lovely blue eyes sparkle, and he gets a wide grin on his face. In spite of his missing leg, he is probably the most cheerful and optimistic patient I have ever had the pleasure of caring for. His spirit and determination are marvelous. And with your hard work and help – not pity – he’ll make rapid progress.”
Linda continued: “However, both of you have a long, difficult road ahead. There will be days where Jim will be discouraged. But don’t you or any of your families ever feel sorry for him. He needs understanding, love, and help – not pity. A missing limb doesn’t make Jim less of a person. And it certainly doesn’t lessen his love for you. Jim leaves tomorrow for Japan, and then home. We shall all miss him. God bless you both. Sincerely, Captain Linda Sharp.”
Dolores says the letter helped her because no one in her family had ever had someone lose a leg or be hurt in a war before. So her family did not understand what Jim was going through. Linda's letter, on the other hand, told Dolores what to expect. Dolores has always wondered why she wrote the letter.
Finally, on September 5, 1968, Jim began his long journey home. Linda pushed him out on his bed to the helicopter, then hugged him and told him to take care. He says he has thought about her since the day he left Vietnam. He notes that the camaraderie you make with a friend in Vietnam is there until the person dies. He does not think he would have come back to Dolores without Linda’s help. He says that Linda gave him all the encouragement, strength, and motivation to live.
After returning home, Jim became an air traffic controller and learned to ski using just one leg. In 1969, he was awarded two Purple Hearts for wounds sustained in combat and a Silver Star for his bravery under fire. But his war raged on – silently. Dolores says that he blocked out Vietnam for several years. He did not want people to know he was a Vietnam veteran. He would just assume people thought his leg was lost in a car accident. He did not want people to know that he had been to Vietnam.
For twenty years, Jim has suffered from what has become known as post-traumatic stress disorder. Only recently has he begun to come to grips with his war experiences. Linda helped him transcend his physical wounds. He wants to find her so he can say, “Thank you.” Dolores says that he is ready to look for her now because he is mentally well enough to do it. Dolores thinks that if he could meet Linda again, it might help him to heal.
Jim and Dolores have recently celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary – a life together they feel might have been impossible without Linda. He says he would very much like to get in touch with her and thank her for what she did for him and all the other guys.
Jim has exhausted all military and official channels in his search. He hopes someone from the 67th Evacuation Hospital in Quy Nhon, Vietnam, has kept in touch with Linda or that she herself will watch the show.
Extra Notes:

  • This case first aired on the March 21, 1990 episode. It was updated on the April 25, 1990 episode.
  • It was submitted to the show by Jim after he and Dolores found an advertisement in a “Vietnam Veterans of America” publication, asking Vietnam veterans to write to the show if they wanted to be reunited with a special person that had helped them during the Vietnam War. Another case selected was Lt. Stephens.
  • It was the first time a case was solved by a viewer before the actual show aired.
  • Some sources spell the city of Quy Nhon as "Qui Nhon."

Results: Solved - On March 14, 1990, one week before this story aired, Linda saw a promotional announcement for it on “Unsolved Mysteries.” She could not get the show’s phone number in time, so she called her grandmother (who was in a different time zone) and asked her to write it down. Later that night, she called the telecenter.
Linda is married, has three daughters, and lives in North Plainfield, New Jersey. Her married name is Linda Caldwell. At first, she was not sure that she was the person they were looking for since there was little information in the announcement. However, when a producer asked her if she remembered Jim, she said yes and realized she was the person they were looking for. That night, several of her friends and family who had seen the announcement called her and the show.
The next day, Linda and Jim were reunited by phone. She sent him flowers, thanking him for finding her and wishing him and Dolores the best. A week later, Linda watched Jim’s story. A week after that, on March 30, 1990, they were reunited at his home in Grand Junction, Colorado. He says that when he opened the door, he was elated. All he wanted to do was give her a great big hug, thank her, kiss her on the cheek, and just try to show his appreciation for her.
Linda says she feels very blessed to be able to see Jim, talk with him, and hear his versions of what went on during the war. She says that sometimes nurses such as herself do not realize that they have such an impact on their patients’ lives. She says she certainly did not realize the impact she had on Jim’s life.
That day, Linda also met Dolores. Over the years, Linda had thought about them and wondered how they were doing and if they were still together. She says that seeing the show and seeing them together was the best news and made it all worthwhile. She says it “pulled things together” for her and reinforced that what she did in Vietnam was important.
Moments after arriving, Linda received an unexpected gift – a personalized George Skypeck painting honoring the nurses who served in Vietnam, which Jim had framed for her. She says that when he gave her the plaque, it was a special moment and made the day very special. She felt the day was like the culmination of a nursing career. She says being thanked in such a special way is very memorable and something she will never forget.
Jim says that the reunion with Linda represents the final step in his healing. He says he finally feels “alright” mentally, physically, and emotionally. He says he has lost a few battles but has finally “won the war.”
As a result of the show, Jim and Linda also heard from people nationwide with whom they had lost touch. Linda says that following the reunion, Jim was able to “mellow out” somewhat and feel better about himself. She often went to Colorado to visit him and his family. Sadly, on March 20, 1999, he passed away from natural causes at age fifty-one. He kept in touch with Linda until his death and was grateful for their friendship until the end. She remains in contact with his family.
Since the reunion, Linda has spoken about her experiences in Vietnam to several nursing organizations and civic groups. She is also involved in several military and veterans' groups. She retired from nursing in 2013 and now lives with her husband in Aiken, South Carolina.
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