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Healing the Enemy
After working so hard to find a place in the US Army Corps, African American nurses were either confined to serving in segregated hospitals, or were forced to provide treatment at home and overseas to German prisoners of war. This photo is of Lt.…
"The Angels of Bataan"
The colorful image here is a government poster promoting increased morale during the war. This propaganda calls for the American people to keep fighting in order to free American military nurses imprisoned by the Japanese, portraying the captive…
Preparing for the Worst
Contrary to popular belief, American nurses in World War II had to deal with imminent danger not only for troops, but for themselves as well. These women were trained in keeping themselves safe, and had to use methods such as the one shown in the…
Treatment in Cramped Quarters
American nurses had to be ready to treat wounded soldiers in any conditions, including the cramped, constantly moving, dangerous location of an evacuating aircraft. Just as Lt. Katye Swope is doing in the photo taken in July of 1943, other flight…
Staying Fit
Many people are unaware of the daily activities of World War II army nurses. The women pictured here, training in Australia before being sent to work in the Pacific, are participating in an early morning workout to stretch and exercise their muscles.…
Exhausting Work
Serving as a nurse in World War II was exhausting, as is shown by the image here of this navy flight nurse, Lt. Mae Hanson, taking a quick nap on board an evacuation craft. This plane was transporting wounded troops from Okinawa to a Marianas Base…
Arrival in France
These women have just arrived in France in 1944, after serving the army for three years as war nurses. The typical image of what a World War II nurse would have looked like, especially post-service, is not what is shown in this picture. The image…
A Shortage of Nurses
While this recruitment poster seems a bit melodramatic, it is likely one of the few most realistic recruitment posters that circulated during the war. The nurse on this poster looks tired, overwhelmed, and is dressed in olive drab with no skirt in…
Fighting Men Need Nurses
This poster is a typical recruitment poster for the period, aiming to grab the attention of viewers by showing the heroic deeds nurses do on the front, and by capturing interest through exemplifying the desperation of wounded American soldiers for…