Jean Debelle on boat with service personnel 'RAAF MEDCAP [Medical Civil Action Program] on US Navy boat. Squadron Leader Ian Favilla of Adelaide - a doctor'.

In 1966 Jean Debelle was working as a newspaper journalist for the Adelaide Advertiser when she volunteered to work for the Red Cross in the Vietnam War as a welfare worker with the troops. Jean spent a year caring for wounded ANZAC troops (from June 1966 until June 1967) in Vung Tau, Vietnam. Jean fulfilled another year for the Red Cross in Butterworth, Malaysia, and then returned home to Australia to work as a journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald, the Women's Weekly, Editor of the now defunct Woman's World, and co-Editor of Woman's Day with Jerry Lacey, until Fairfax sent her to New York in 1980. She retired in 1995 after eleven years as an executive at Ziff-Davis Publishing in New York where she maintained international editions of PC Magazine and other computer titles. Jean married Jack Lamensdorf in the US and lived in Pennsylvania for sometime. Jean now lives in Adelaide and occasionally speaks to local groups about Australia and Vietnam. Her book 'Write home for me: a Red Cross woman in Vietnam' is held in the Library's collection.

The State Library has endeavoured to identify and or locate copyright holders of material digitised for this website. Where the copyright owner has not been able to be traced and or located, the Library has decided in good faith to proceed with digitisation and communication on-line.

Material is made available for research or study. You may order a high resolution copy.

For any other use refer to the State Library of South Australia's website information about orphan works. The State Library invites persons who believe they are the copyright owners to contact the Library to discuss usage of this item.