United States Navy Nurse Corps

Please add those who are or have been US Navy Nurses.

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Source: Wikipedia - United States navy Nurse Corps

The United States Navy Nurse Corps was officially established by Congress in 1908; however, unofficially, women had been working as nurses aboard Navy ships and in Navy hospitals for nearly 100 years. The Corps was all-female until 1965.

In 1811, William PC Barton was the first to officially recommend that female nurses be added to naval hospital staff. It wasn’t until 19 June 1861 that a Navy Department circular order finally established the designation of Nurse to be filled by junior enlisted men. Enlisted personnel may have been referred to as nurses, their duties and responsibilities were more related to those of a hospital corpsman.

During the American Civil War, several African American women served as paid crew aboard the hospital ship Red Rover in the Mississippi River area in the position of nurse.

• The known names of four nurses are: Alice Kennedy, Sarah Kinno, Ellen Campbell and Betsy Young (Fowler). In addition volunteer nuns from the Catholic Sisters of the Holy Cross served aboard as nurses.

During the 1898 Spanish–American War, the Navy employed a modest number of female contract nurses in its hospitals ashore and sent trained male nurses to sea on the hospital ship Solace.

After the establishment of the Nurse Corps in 1908 by an Act of Congress, twenty women were selected as the first members and assigned to the Naval Medical School Hospital in Washington, D.C. and became known as “The Sacred Twenty”.

• They were: Mary H. Du Bose; Adah M. Pendleton; Elizabeth M. Hewitt; Della V. Knight; Josephine Beatrice Bowman, the third Superintendent of the Navy Nurse Corps, 1922–1935; Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee, the second Superintendent of the Navy Nurse Corps, 1911–1922; Esther Voorhees Hasson, the first Superintendent of the Navy Nurse Corps, 1908–1911; Martha E. Pringle; Elizabeth J. Wells; Clare L. De Ceu.; Elizabeth Leonhardt; Estelle Hine; Ethel R. Parsons; Florence T. Milburn; Boniface T. Small; Victoria White; Isabelle Rose Roy; Margaret D. Murray; Sara B. Myer; and Sara M. Cox.
• They would include three Nurse Corps Superintendents and twelve chief nurses.

The entry of the United States into the First World War brought a great expansion of the Nurse Corps, both regular and reserve.

During WW II the Nurse Corps continued to grow and expand the nursing profession’s vital role and was placed under the War Manpower Commission. Advanced training became available in surgery, orthopedics, anesthesia, contagion, dietetics, physiotherapy, and psychiatry, the latter helping men understand and manage Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (then known as shell-shock) and battlefield fatigue.

• Phyllis Mae Daily, Edith DeVoe, Eula L. Stimley and Helen Fredericka Turner were the first African-American women to serve in the Navy during World War II.
• Two groups of Navy nurses were held prisoner by the Japanese in World War II.
  • Chief Nurse Marion Olds and nurses Leona Jackson, Lorraine Christiansen, Virginia Fogerty and Doris Yetter were taken prisoner on Guam shortly after Pearl Harbor and transported to Japan.
  • Chief Nurse Laura Cobb and her nurses, Mary Chapman, Bertha Evans, Helen Gorzelanski, Mary Harrington, Margaret Nash, Goldie O'Haver, Eldene Paige, Susie Pitcher, Dorothy Still and C. Edwina Todd (some of the "Angels of Bataan") were captured in 1942 and imprisoned in the Los Baños internment camp, where they continued to function as a nursing unit, until they were rescued by American forces in 1945.
• The first group of 24 Naval Flight Nurses graduated from the Navy Flight Nurse School at the Naval Air Station Alameda, California on 22 January 1945. In addition to flight nurse procedures, they were trained to swim one mile, tow or push a victim for 220 yards, and swim 440 yards in 10 minutes.

During the Korean War the Navy Nurse Corps expanded its ranks by recalling Reserve nurses with World War II experience. It temporarily reduced staffs at continental hospitals to staff the forward area. The Navy also commissioned civilian nurses. These nurses served in hospitals as well as aboard the USS Haven and two other Haven-class ships. Lt. Sarah Griffin Chapman, who had lost her lower left leg in an accident and retired prior to Korea, fought to be recalled to active duty so that she could teach other young amputees how to walk again.

During the Vietnam War era Navy Nurses continued to serve in many copacities, including on the hospital ships USS Repose & USS Sanctuary, and at the station hospital at DaNang from August 1967 to May 1970 (which became the largest combat casualty treatment facility in the world, with 600 beds and admissions of 63,000 patients). In 1965 George M. Silver became the first man to be commissioned in the Navy Nurse Corps.

Today there are approximately 2900 Navy Nurses deployed all over the world, participating in humanitarian and combat support missions with Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical Service (ERSS) teams aboard amphibious assault and amphibious warfare ships; Fleet Surgical Teams aboard amphibious assault and amphibious warfare ships in addition to boots on ground; as flight nurses; as organic crew aboard hospital ships and aircraft carriers; boots on ground with the Marine Corps; individually augmented with the Army; and select sub-specialties in support of special operations including (but not limited to) Surgical Response Teams (SRTs).

From its founding in 1908 until after World War II in 1947, the Navy Nurse Corps was led by a superintendent. Its nurses had no permanent commissioned rank during that time. The Army-Navy Nurses Act took effect on 16 April 1947, establishing the Navy Nurse Corps as a staff corps, with officers holding permanent commissioned rank from Ensign to Commander. The corps was to be led by a director holding the rank of Captain while in that position. This position later evolved into a flag-rank appointment and there can be up to four Navy Nurse Corps flag-rank officers serving concurrently, as of 2012.

List of Superintendents of the Navy Nurse Corps

• Esther Voorhees Hasson (1867-1942) - Aug 1908- Jan 1911
• Lenah H Higbee (Sutcliffe) (1874-1941) - Jan 1911-Nov 1922 (first living female recipient of the Navy Cross; 1st warship named after a Navy Nurse Corps Officer (USS Higbee); Awarded 8 battle stars during World War II and Korea. Nicknamed "Leaping Lenah")
• LCDR Josephine Beatrice Bowman (1881-1971)- Nov 1922-Jan 1935
• Myn M Hoffman (1883-1951] - Jan 1935 - Oct 1938
• Virginia Rau (acting) - Oct 1938 - Feb 1939
• CAPT Sue S Dauser (1888-1972)- Feb 1939 - Nov 1945
• CAPT Nellie Jane DeWitt - Nov 1945 - Apr 1947; (Wikipedia - Nellie Jane DeWitt)

List of Directors of the Navy Nurse Corps

• CAPT Nellie Jane DeWitt - Apr 1947 - May 1950
• CAPT Winnie Gibson (1902-2000) - May 1950 - May 1954; (Wikipedia - Winnie Gibson)
• CAPT Wilma Leona Jackson (1909-1998) - May 1954 - May 1958; (Wikipedia - Wilma Leona Jackson)
• CAPT Ruth Agatha Houghton (1909-1986) - May 1958 - Apr 1962; (Wikipedia - Ruth Agatha Houghton)
• CAPT Ruth Alice Erickson - Apr 1962 - Apr 1966; (Wikipedia - Ruth Alice Erickson)
• CAPT Veronica Bulshefski (1916-1995) - Apr 1955 - May 1970; (Wikipedia - Veronica Bulshefski; Find A Grave Memorial 99037268 - Capt Veronica Bulshefski)
• RADM (upper half) Alene B Duerk (1920--) - May 1970 - Jul 1975; (Wikipedia - Alene Duerk)
• RADM Maxine Conder - Jul 1975 - Jul 1979
• RADM Frances Shea-Buckley - Jul 1979 - Oct 1983
• RADM Mary Joan Nielubowicz - Oct 1983 - Sep 1987
• RADM Mary Fields Hall - Sep 1987 - Sep 1991
• RADM Mariann Stratton - Sep 1991 - Sep 1994
• RADM Joan Marie Engel - Sep 1994 - 1998
• RADM (upper half) (Acting Director) RADM Karen A Harmeyer - 2000 - 2001
• RADM (upper half) Nancy J Lescavage - 2001 - 2005
• RADM (upper half) Christine Bruzek-Kohler - 2005 - 2009
• RADM (upper half) Karen Flaherty - 2009 - 2010
• RADM (upper half) Elizabeth S Niemyer - 2010 - 2013
• RADM (upper half) Rebecca J McCormick-Boyle - 2013 - 2017
• RADM Tina A Davidson - 2017 - current

Other Prominent Members:

• Edna E Place - Navy Cross - died caring for patients during the Influenza Pandemic in 1918; (Naval History Blog. Devotion to Duty: Four Nurses Receive Navy Cross in 1920, November 11, 2014)
• Mary Louise Hidelll - Navy Cross - died caring for patients during the Influenza Pandemic in 1918
• Lillian M Murphy - Navy Cross - died caring for patients during the Influenza Pandemic in 1918
• Chief Nurse Marion Olds - One of 1st Navy Nurse Corps Officer taken as POW in Guam in WW II in 1941
• Wilma Leona Jackson (1909-1998) - One of 1st Navy Nurse Corps Officer taken as POW in WW II in Guam in 1941; (Wikipedia - Wilma Leona Jackson
• Lorraine Christiansen- One of 1st Navy Nurse Corps Officer taken as POW in WW II in Guam in 1941; (POW Medal)
• Virginia Fogerty - One of 1st Navy Nurse Corps Officer taken as POW in WW II in Guam in 1941
• Doris Yetter (1905- )- One of 1st Navy Nurse Corps Officer taken as POW in WW II in 1941
• Chief Nurse Laura Cobb - Taken POW by Japanese in the Philippines in 1942
• Mary Chapman - Taken POW by Japanese in the Philippines in 1942
• Bertha Evans - Taken POW by Japanese in the Philippines in 1942
• Helen Gorzelanski - Taken POW by Japanese in the Philippines in 1942
• Mary Harrington - Taken POW by Japanese in the Philippines in 1942
• Margaret Nash - Taken POW by Japanese in the Philippines in 1942
• Goldie O”Haver - Taken POW by Japanese in the Philippines in 1942
• Elden Paige - Taken POW by Japanese in the Philippines in 1942
• Susie Pitcher - Taken POW by Japanese in the Philippines in 1942
• Dorothy Still Danner - Taken POW by Japanese in the Philippines in 1942
• C Edwina Todd - Taken POW by Japanese in the Philippines in 1942
• CDR Ann Agnes Bernatitus - 1st American recipient of the Legion of Merit; member of the “Angels of Bataan” in WW II
• ENS Jane “Candy” Kendeigh - 1st Navy Flight Nurse to serve on both Iwo Jima and Okinawa during medical evacuation flight into battle, Air Evacuation Transport Squadron One (VRE-1).
• CAPT Sue S Dauser - In 1944 was 1st woman in Navy promoted to rank of Captain (WW II)
• ENS Phyllis Mae Dailey - 1st formally appointed African American Navy Nurse in 1945
• LT Sarah Griffin Chapman - Navy Nurse Corps Officer who had lost her lower left leg in an accident and retired prior to the Korean War, successfully fought to be recalled to active duty so that she could care for troops returning from combat.
• CDR Estelle K. Lange and LT Ruth Cohen - Awarded the Bronze Star caring for casualties during shipboard combat support service
• Rear Admiral Alene B. Duerk - First woman in the Navy to be promoted to flag rank in 1972
• CAPT Albert Shimkus - First Navy Nurse Corps Officer to be a Joint Task Force Surgeon, at Guantanamo Bay in 2002; to Deputy Commandant, Naval District Washington in 2004; to command a hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) in 2006