"Swell Patients and Sports"
Dublin Core
Title
"Swell Patients and Sports"
Subject
Diary entry excerpt from the WWII diary of US Army Nurse F. DeWitt
Description
This item is actually an excerpt from the World War II diary of US Army Nurse F. DeWitt, spanning from 1943 to 1944. DeWitt clearly has a sense of humor even when discussing dark topics, and seems to try to make the best of things throughout her diary. However, the following entry from August 15, 1943, truly exemplifies the tough parts of being a military nurse;
"No rest for the wicked. A very busy day in OR. 12 cases. Had first hours. Had a memorial mass
for Thurman. Unable to go. Saw 5 horrible burn cases dressed in OR. Many boys. What these
poor soldiers go through. Legs, arms, hand, feet. Off. All are a mess with shattered bones. But in
spite of all they are swell patients & sports. Makes me want to cry to see them. 20 new nurses
arrived with Colonel (?) wait till Chamberlin gets a hold of them. Poor kids. On call. Saw (?)
Flannigan, on her way to Sicily."
Few, if any historians, could have said it better themselves.
"No rest for the wicked. A very busy day in OR. 12 cases. Had first hours. Had a memorial mass
for Thurman. Unable to go. Saw 5 horrible burn cases dressed in OR. Many boys. What these
poor soldiers go through. Legs, arms, hand, feet. Off. All are a mess with shattered bones. But in
spite of all they are swell patients & sports. Makes me want to cry to see them. 20 new nurses
arrived with Colonel (?) wait till Chamberlin gets a hold of them. Poor kids. On call. Saw (?)
Flannigan, on her way to Sicily."
Few, if any historians, could have said it better themselves.
Creator
Nurse F. DeWitt
Source
UNC Greensboro: Women Veterans Historical Project: "00-Transcript: Diary of F. DeWitt, 1943-1944," August 15, 1943 entry, page 29 of 33, WV0245 F. DeWitt Diary, WV0245.3.001: http://libcdm1.uncg.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/WVHP/id/2636/rec/3
Publisher
Digitally published by the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University Libraries, PO Box 26170, Greensboro NC 27402
Date
Accessed April 28, 2020
Contributor
Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries: http://libcdm1.uncg.edu/cdm/search/collection/WVHP/field/reposi/searchterm/Martha%20Blakeney%20Hodges%20Special%20Collections%20and%20University%20Archives,%20UNCG%20University%20Libraries/mode/exact
Rights
Restricted
Format
Text
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
US Army Nurse Diary of F. DeWitt, excerpt entry August 15, 1943
Coverage
US Army nurses of WWII, Women of WWII, Medical care in WWII
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Transcription of a diary entry
Original Format
paper
Collection
Citation
Nurse F. DeWitt, “"Swell Patients and Sports",” US Nurses in World War II, accessed April 26, 2024, https://usnursesww2.omeka.net/items/show/67.