World War II Woman

I recently received a paper from Lisa, telling about her experiences in the Cadet Nurse Corps. After graduating from Garden City High School in New York City at the height of World War II, she enrolled in St. Luke’s Hospital with plans to become a nurse. The Cadet Nurse Corps was the choice for most of the young women who had selected nursing as a profession. In a sense they were given a scholarship, a paid education that covered tuition and fees.

During the war, the nursing shortage was so evident that retired nurses were reactivated to teach. However, the responsibility was tremendous for an 18 year old, working on huge wards with inadequate staff, and facing death situations under grueling circumstances. The curriculum was intense. Lisa says she grew up overnight.

The uniforms, summer and winter, were worn at all times outside of the hospital. Uniforms were the fashion of the day! A U.S. Cadet Corps badge was sewn on the sleeve of some hospital uniforms. Had the war continued, Lisa’s aim was to join the U.S. Navy, which had an even better looking uniform. She felt her training and experience during those three years was a joy in many ways – one she would not have changed in any way.

In my book, We Knew We Were at War: Women Remember World War II, you can find Gloria’s experiences in the Cadet Nurse Corps, also. She speaks, too, of the grueling schedule and the responsibilities under which these young women worked.

For more information go to www.peggeorge.com.