Former Army nurse who cared for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein speaks Sunday at Cobden museum

Area residents had a unique opportunity to learn more about the late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein last Sunday aftermoon during a presentation in Cobden.

Authors Marianna Brown Riley and Robert Ellis were guests of the Union County Museum in downtown Cobden.

Riley and Ellis discussed their newly released book, "Caring for Victor:  A U.S. Army Nurse and Saddam Hussein."

Victor was the U.S. military code name for Saddam Hussein.

A standing room only audience of about 40 people attended Sunday afternoon's talk. Hosts for the talk were very pleased with the turnout.

Ellis, of St. Louis, is a retired master sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserves and is currently an operating room nurse at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. 

While serving in Iraq, Ellis had the responsibility of the well-being and health of Saddam Hussein while the former Iraqi leader was in the custody of the U.S. military. Twice each day, Ellis checked on Saddam's condition. 

The book details Ellis’s personal interactions with Saddam as well as Chemical Ali and some of the other prominent Iraqi detainees during a time period from January 2004 to January 2005. 

Riley, who grew up in Anna and is the daughter of the late Jane and Robert Brown, collaborated with Ellis on the writing of the book. 

Riley, a professional journalist, is retired from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Ellis and Riley met through a mutual acquaintance in St. Louis. Riley learned more about Ellis's story, and the story led to "Caring for Victor."

Riley and Ellis each shared comments about the new book to open Sunday's presentation. Riley read some excerpts from the book. They then opened the program to questions from the audience.

Ellis shared that he did not really see Saddam as anybody particularly special. He was another patient. "Saddam. . .was just another detainee," Ellis said, adding: "His general health was OK." Saddam did have high blood pressure and several other health issues.

One person wanted to know what Saddam thought about Americans.

"Generally, he liked Americans. He didn't like George Bush or his father," Ellis said.

While Saddam liked Americans, and did not like either President Bush, he was fond of another American leader, Ellis said.

"He had a real fondness for Ronald Reagan," the former soldier told his audience.

Ellis said that Saddam thought he was doing his best for his country while serving as Iraq's leader, and that he was resigned to his fate.

"He said that everything he did, he did for Iraq," Ellis said. "He knew he was going to be executed. He was looking forward to it."

Ellis and Saddam developed a close relationship, one in which the prisoner even showed compassion for his caregiver at sad times in Ellis' life. Ellis was able to see some humanity in a man who had been portrayed as a symbol of evil.

In a review of "Caring for Victor" written by Harry Levins which appeared recently in the St. Post-Dispatch, Ellis said: "I know I should actively hate this man who is responsible for so much evil, but it's hard to hate someone who treated me with respect and kindness, who hugged me when my brother died and who showed me nothing but respect. I know I should hate him, but it's not easy."

"He was evil. He wasn't evil 24/7," Ellis said Sunday in Cobden.

The Union County Historical and Genealogy Society, which operates the museum in Cobden, had copies of the book for sale the day of the event and plans to have them available in the museum’s gift shop. Approximately 25 copies of the book were sold Sunday.

Riley and Ellis signed many copies of the books after the presentation.

"I am going home to read my book," one of those who attended Sunday's talk told Riley as she left with a copy of "Caring for Victor."