Serving those who served

December 7, 1941 was a date in history that the United States population and their recovering economy were willfully unprepared for. The 10-year-long Great Depression had ended only a short time before, with everyday life just returning to normalcy for many across the country. Though the number of those in the U.S. military had quadrupled from the previous year (to approximately 1,800,000 members) due to the “peacetime” conscription, they and the U.S. allies were faced with a well-oiled Axis machine with German, Italian and Japanese soldiers hardened by years of fighting in Spain, North Africa and China.

As the numbers of U.S. soldiers continued to climb to more than 12,000,000 by 1945, nearly every man able to go into combat was called to service. With a large percentage of the population in uniform, shortages in both civilian and military hospital staffs became a problem, compounded by the increasing number of wounded coming back from the horrors of the Eastern and Western battlefields. Into these nightmares of overcrowded, bloodied and disease-ridden military and civilian hospitals came a trove of young female volunteers to help save the lives of the thousands of military wounded, and help stem the onslaught of the Axis regimes.

American nurses had administered to the war wounded since the first battles of the American Revolution. They provided the traditional role of caregivers while freeing their male counterparts to take up arms against the enemy. As the largest conflict in history, World War II necessitated the filling of thousands of nursing positions. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, there were only about 2,700 nurses (1,000 Army and 1,700 Navy) in the U.S. military. This would grow to more than 68,000 during the four years of American involvement.

Military nurses served in field hospitals, evacuation units, hospital ships, trains, air transports and base hospitals. While there, they helped some of the 671,000 wounded U.S. troops that suffered from a variety of combat injuries and diseases. Besides carrying out the needed medical attention for their patients, some nurses tried to comfort the young men, keeping their spirits up by writing letters home for the severely injured, allowing them to reconnect with their loved ones and re-establishing hope that they might regain the abilities that they had lost. When not performing their stressful duties, nurses took the opportunity to “wind down” and visit the sites (wherever they found themselves stationed. This could mean being sent to the warm sands of Hawaii, the old world of Europe, the mosquito-infested jungles of the Far East, or any other place they were needed. Many spent their time in the States, serving at one of the major medical installations where soldiers too severely wounded to return to combat were cared for before returning to their homes and families.

The American Nurse Corps (ANC) of the U.S. Army began in 1898 when contract nurses were hired to serve during the Spanish-American War. In WWII, there was no formal military training for the first army nurses, but by 1943, a new system was put into place to combat the burgeoning personnel shortage. After completing nursing school, volunteers were trained at one of the four ANC basic training facilities: Fort Devens, MA, Halloran General Hospital, Staten Island, NY, Camp McCoy, WI or Brooke General Hospital, San Antonio, TX. During their 4-week course, the nurses learned both combat-related medical procedures and their expected military conduct. After training, nurses were given the rank of 2nd lieutenant in order to enforce the rules regarding non-fraternization between enlisted men and officers.

For their commitment to the cause, by war’s end ANC members had received 1,619 decorations for service with 16 nurses having been killed during enemy actions.

When performing their duties, hospital-based ANC members wore a standard ward uniform consisting of a white loose-fitting dress and matching belt, white cornered nursing cap and white shoes. While in the field, combat green blouses, coats and trousers tailored to fit the female figure were issued to be worn with steel helmets and leather ankle boots. A general convention white armband with a red cross was worn to differentiate field nurses from combat soldiers.

Dress winter uniforms consisted of a shirt and tie under a dark brown jacket with gilded eagle buttons, officer’s sleeve bands, golden US collar brass and winged caduceus with a blackened “N” overlaid. The shoulders sported matching epaulettes with metal ranking devices attached, while a divisional patch was sewn to the left upper shoulder sleeve. A matching skirt, brown leather purse, black shoes and, either a brown overseas cap or distinct visored nurse’s cap with gilded cap device completed the uniform.

Summer wear saw the same style of fitted uniform, but with the exception of light tan material substituted for the heavier brown wool. During informal times, nurse officers could wear a regulation Army tan or dark brown dress with belt, gold buttons, collar devices and officer’s sleeve bands.

The U.S. Navy Nurse Corps (NNC) was founded in 1908. In WWII, the Navy nurse corps grew into a force of more than 11,000, serving in medical facilities on naval bases, hospital ships and naval air evacuation units. They performed many of the same duties as those of their Army sisters, but with the addition of administrative work and the instruction of Navy corpsmen. Though not allowed to go into combat, 11 female NNC members were taken prisoner during the fall of the Philippines and helped care for their fellow prisoners as best they could until being released in February, 1945.

While on ward duty, NNC nurses wore white dresses with the NNC collar insignia emblems: a gold metal anchor crossed with an oakleaf, acorn and the letters “NNC”. The uniform was completed with an NNC white cap with black stripe, white stockings, shoes and cuff links. Dress uniforms consisted of a white blouse and black tie under a dark blue blazer with a double row of gilded buttons and gild sleeve bands with NNC bullion decoration sewn above. A matching blue skirt, black leather shoes, blue rectangular purse and, either a blue overseas or a NNC beret (introduced in 1942) completed the uniform. The blue beret featured a black ribbed cap band with a polished metal emblem of eagle, shield and crossed anchors. The beret could also have a white or slate gray cover added as the wearer saw fit. In addition to the dress blues, NNC members could wear a white dress uniform in the summer months, or slate grey uniform or dress preferred by those serving in the tropical areas.

The American Red Cross (ARC) had supplied nursing and other valuable assistance to the military, both stateside and overseas, since the Great War in Europe. During WWII, more than 110,000 ARC medical volunteers supplied assistance in 2,500 military and civilian hospitals. In addition, the organization actively recruited nurses, enrolling them in the Red Cross nursing service program. Those who were later qualified were accepted into the ANC or NNC. By war’s end over 70,000 of these recruits had served in the armed forces.

ARC volunteers attached to the armed forces wore either gray or white ward style dresses with matching belts, sewn red cloth crosses, enameled red cross pins, white stockings, shoes and white nurse caps with a red cross on the front. Dress uniforms consisted of gray tunics and skirts, worn with white blouses, gray overseas or brimmed caps and black leather shoes. Branch of service tabs (light blue or gray for health services) were sewn to the collars and red cross patches sewn to the upper left shoulder sleeves.

As more and more nurses were needed to care for the increasing number of patients in civilian hospitals back home, a new federal nurse training program was developed as part of the US Public Health Service. The Cadet Nurse Corps (CNC) was founded on June 15, 1943 which provided an accelerated education for 179,000 candidates who attended 1,125 nursing schools across the U.S. Cadets were limited to those between 17 to 35 years of age and required to be high school graduates. Young student nurses were provided with paid tuition, books, uniforms and a stipend for food and lodging in exchange for service in essential hospital or government agencies. The last six months of schooling required on-the-job training work in hospitals and other medical facilities.

The CNC program would continue until 1948, and provide the much-needed help to the thousands of ex-servicemen who needed years of continued care and rehabilitation.

The duty uniforms of the CNC consisted of either all-white or gray and white ward style, loose fitting dresses with a cadet patch sewn to the upper left sleeve. Plain white nursing caps, aprons and white shoes completed the students wear when working. Dress uniforms consisted of white blouses with either a light gray and white striped summer jacket and skirt, or a heavier dark solid-gray wool jacket and skirt for the winter months. Both models had red epaulettes and silver Maltese crosses mounted on each shoulder, silver metal collar devices of winged caduceus with an anchor and additional smaller Maltese crosses. Each of the eight points of the crosses represented one of the eight Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount. The CNC design was repeated on the single row of silvered closure buttons. On the left shoulder were sewn white (summer) or gray(winter) oval patches containing smaller red ovals, white Maltese crosses with a black “U” and “S” on the horizontal arms. A gray floppy brimmed hat with red band and silver cap device topped the summer outfit along with a white rounded purse and white shoes. The winter uniform had a gray wool beret with silver cap device, gray rounded purse and black leather shoes.

When the war came to a close in late 1945, many American nurses continued to practice nursing in the rebuilding of the countries destroyed by war, or by helping recovering U.S. soldiers back home. Others settled into new civilian medical roles or completely left nursing and entered new professions. Through their compassion and unwavering diligence, these medical nurses were brave and heroic members of the “greatest generation.” 

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