Re: questions for the group
Sally Mac Laren (jhartl0@DSRTVISTA.APACHEJUUD.K12.AZ.US)
Fri, 21 Feb 1997 18:41:33 +0000
I don't feel qualified to answer all of your questions, but will try
to tell you some of what happened to me. I had just graduated from
nursing school and felt it would be an honor to serve my country in
whatever way I could. So I enlisted in the Army Nurse Corp, as a
lieutenant and was stationed at Ft. Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis,
Indiana. I was there aboiut 6 months and then went overseas with an
Evacuation Hospital. We landed in Casablanca, N. Africa on Christmas
Eve of 1942.We set up our hospital there and then several places along
the coast. We ended up in Bizerte. Here we did not set up, but waited
to go to Sicily. I really can not complain about the food at all.
Being a member of the female sex, we were bombarded with invitations
from various other outfits. Some, such as the Air Corps and the Navy,
seemed to have better food that we did, so we very frequwntly ate with
them or they gave us some of the goodies we didn't have. We worked
long hours, but when we were off duty there was never a dull moment-
if we chose to take advantage of things that were available. This is
how I met my pilot husband- in North Africa. We were later married by
an Army Chaplin in Palermo, Sicily. As was the policy of the military,
he was soon sent to the CBI area and I was on my to England.I was
discharged before the end of the war, so did become familiar with the
rationing here in the good old USA. I, nor my husband of 54 years,
ever had any regrets about serving our country. In fact we both feel
it was a privilege to do so.
My most frightening time was en route to England when two of the ships
in our convoy were hit with bombs. At that time, but I didn't learn it
until later, my husband was flying as an escort. He knew I was on one
of the ships, but not which one. I assume he was more frightened than
I was at the time.
If there is any further information you'd like, please ask and I'll do
my very best to respond, if I am able. Didn't want to go into too muvh
detail now as I am not sure what might or might not be of interest to
you. Don't hesitate to ask, if you desire. Sincerely, from an old Army
Nurse. Sally