Synopsis

Caught in the whirlwind of the Vietnam War, three women fight to maintain their sanity amid the carnage as each, in her own way, supports the United States' troops in this riveting drama chronicling unsung heroines of the war.

Based on the unsung heroism of American women in Vietnam, a subject never treated on television before, "China Beach" is a sensitive story about some highly dedicated women and the drastic effects of their wartime experiences. The series stars Dana Delany as Colleen McMurphy, an Army nurse trying to maintain her sanity as the casualties overflow the emergency room at the EVAC hospital near the American base at Da Nang.

Also starring are Nan Woods as Red Cross volunteer Cherry White; Marg Helgenberger as K.C., an outwardly tough character who provides comfort to Vietnam servicemen; Michael Boatman as Army mortician Samuel Beckett; Concetta Tomei as Lila Garreau; Robert Picardo as Dr. Dick Richard; Brian Wimmer as Boonie, the lifeguard in charge of facilities at China Beach; and Jeff Kober as Dodger, a combat-tested veteran.

China Beach, the recreation area adjunct to the sprawling U.S. base at Da Nang, was authentically re-created in Valencia, California. A crew of more than 100 spent a month-and-a-half, even damming and diverting a river, to build the sets for the series, including the EVAC hospital facility, a shantytown, a communications room and the Jet Set, a U.S.O. club.