Synopses & Reviews
"You Are Needed Now," the posters proclaimed. "Join the Army Nurse Corps." And so they did: Over 59,000 American women signed up to serve their country in the war effort. Some joined expecting to experience the romance and adventure of war in faraway places while working to save lives. Many more quickly learned war's harsh realities -- and that their own lives could also be in danger.
The Army nurses of World War II served in the United States and abroad, in dense jungles, war-torn villages, and on barren ice fields. Many encountered hardships: bombings, crude living conditions, inadequate food. They also experienced the frustration of receiving lesser pay and privileges than their male counterparts as they worked, sometimes around the clock, to treat the wounded while confronting air raids, the threat of invasion, and capture by the enemy.
Nonetheless, in additon to their devotion to saving lives, some of the most important things the nurses brought to their units were courage and cheer. From holiday parties in makeshift hospitals to fudge making and softball games amid the grueling conditions of war, these angels of mercy brought light -- and life -- to the American forces of World War II.
Synopsis
"You Are Needed Now," the posters proclaimed. "Join the Army Nurse Corps." And so they did: Over 59,000 American women signed up to serve their country in the war effort. Some joined expecting to experience the romance and adventure of war in faraway places while working to save lives. Many more quickly learned war's harsh realities -- and that their own lives could also be in danger.
The Army nurses of World War II served in the United States and abroad, in dense jungles, war-torn villages, and on barren ice fields. Many encountered hardships: bombings, crude living conditions, inadequate food. They also experienced the frustration of receiving lesser pay and privileges than their male counterparts as they worked, sometimes around the clock, to treat the wounded while confronting air raids, the threat of invasion, and capture by the enemy.
Nonetheless, in additon to their devotion to saving lives, some of the most important things the nurses brought to their units were courage and cheer. From holiday parties in makeshift hospitals to fudge making and softball games amid the grueling conditions of war, these angels of mercy brought light -- and life -- to the American forces of World War II.
About the Author
Betsy Kuhn, who wanted to write books for children since she was eleven years old, grew up in western Pennsylvania. She became interested in the nurses of World War II from listening to her aunt, June Bossler, and her friend, Alice Weinstein, describe their nursing experiences in England and the Pacific.
Since leaving Pennsylvania, Betsy has lived in England, New Mexico, and Connecticut. She now makes her home in Maryland with her husband and their twin sons. She also has written a children's novel, Not Exactly Nashville.
Table of Contents
CONTENTSTIME LINE
MAP OF EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA
MAP OF THE PACIFIC THEATER
1941
"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?"
MILDRED IRENE CLARK: "IT'S MANEUVERS"
AN ORDEAL IN THE PHILIPPINES: THE JAPANESE ATTACK
CHRISTMAS/HANUKKAH, 1941
THE ARMY NURSE CORPS IN WORLD WAR II
1942
REPORTING FOR DUTY
THE 95TH EVACUATION HOSPITAL: "YOU ARE NEEDED NOW"
AN ORDEAL IN THE PHILIPPINES: SURRENDER
ALICE IN THE PACIFIC: ANTHILLS SIX FEET TALL
THE 48TH SURGICAL HOSPITAL: THE 48TH WADES ASHORE
CHRISTMAS/HANUKKAH, 1942
1943
DANGEROUS WATERS, DANGEROUS GROUND
THE 95TH EVACUATION HOSPITAL: WELCOME TO THE WAR
AN ORDEAL IN THE PHILIPPINES: A CAPTIVE EXISTENCE
ALICE IN THE PACIFIC: TWO HELMETS A DAY
A FLIGHT NURSE'S STORY: BEHIND ENEMY LINES
CHRISTMAS/HANUKKAH, 1943
1944
"THE RAIN BEATING DOWN, THE GUNS FIRING"
A FLIGHT NURSE'S STORY: A VERY GOOD CHOCOLATE BAR
THE 95TH EVACUATION HOSPITAL: "HELL'S HALF-ACRE"
THE 128TH EVACUATION AND 51ST FIELD HOSPITALS:
D DAY, JUNE 6, 1944
THE 95TH EVACUATION HOSPITAL: BONJOUR, FRANCE!
THE 128TH EVACUATION AND THE 51ST FIELD HOSPITALS:
THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE
ALICE IN THE PACIFIC: TO TACLOBAN
AN ORDEAL IN THE PHILIPPINES: SLOW HUNGER
CHRISTMAS/HANUKKAH, 1944
1945
"A CREDIT TO MY COUNTRY"
AN ORDEAL IN THE PHILIPPINES: FREEDOM
THE 51ST FIELD HOSPITAL: INTO THE LAND OF THE ENEMY
THE 95TH EVACUATION AND 51ST FIELD HOSPITALS:
THE HORROR OF THE CAMPS
ALICE IN THE PACIFIC: THE WAR'S NOT OVER YET
NOW THAT IT'S OVER
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ENDNOTES
INDEX