Gender

Female

Birth date

1941-03-18

Place of birth

Montebello CA, U.S.A.

Inducted

1966-05-27, Philadelphia PA

Enlistment type

Volunteer

Service branch

Navy

Service type

War,peacetime

Unit type

Support

Units served

Various duty stations including USS Sanctuary (Hospital Ship), USS Yosemite (Destroyer Tender), Navy Hospital, Portsmouth, VA, Naval Academy Hospital, Annapolis, MD, Chelsea Naval Hospital, Boston, MA, Naval Hospital, Charleston, SC, Navy Clinics in Memphis, TN and Orlando, FL, Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Naval Hospital, Pensacola, FL, Persian Gulf, Baharain, United Arab Emirate, Naples, Rome, Greece, Bahamas, and Hawaii.

Military specialty

Family Nurse Practitioner
Captain, Nurses Corps
Surface Warfare Medical Officer.

Stationed

USA:(See under Units Served)
Other Countries: Republic of Vietnam; Cuba

Separated

Orlando FL

Unit responsibility

Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
Coronary Care Unit (CCU)
Family Practice Programs

Personal responsibility

Head Nurse in ICU/CCU
Acting Director
Head of Ambulatory Nursing
Head, Wellness Clinic
staff provider in Family Practice Clinic

Major battles (if served in a war zone)

Served on the USS Sanctuary transiting the Vietnam coast from Danang to Dong Hoa during the Tet Offensive.

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation with Star
Meritorious Navy Unit Commendation ribbon
Navy Unit Commendation
National Defense Medal with star
Republic of Vietnam Campaign medal
Navy overseas ribbon
Special Operations Coast Guard ribbon
Republic of Vietnam Unit Citation with gallantry cross and palm,
Vietnam Service Medal
Navy 'E' ribbon
Southwest Asia Medal with bronze star
Sea Service deployment ribbon.

Living conditions

Shared room with 2 other nurses
showers available
long work hours (in Vietnam)
lived on board ship

Most vivid memory of military experience

The worst part of the Vietnam War experience was seeing so many young people incurring traumatic injuries. Most of them had multiple injuries. They had tubes coming out of every orifice you could think of. They were so young, just kids.
I almost couldn't read letters from home to these wounded soldiers. I often broke down and cried while reading.
Some of the soldiers were barely awake. In intensive care, I saw many massive wounds and injuries that are seldom seen in the States.

Most important thing, personally, to come from military experience?

The most important thing about joining the Navy was expanding my horizons from the small town where I grew up to seeing the world. I am a better person for having experienced living in different parts of the country, in different countries with different cultures and have learned to appreciate what we really have here in the U.S.

Additional information

1. I will be retiring 1 June '95 after 29 years in the Navy and 14 duty stations. I have thoroughly enjoyed my career and feel fortunate that I could have received such wonderful experiences professionally and personally while serving my country. I'm glad to be an American.
2. Co-speaker with Lucy Sammons, CAPT (sel), NC, USNR on 'Women At Sea' at the annual meeting of the Association of Military Surgeons of the Uniformed Services (AMSUS).
3. Co-speaker at the annual Navy Nurse Executive Conference on ' Women at Sea and Women's Issues'.
Interned in Poston Relocation Center, AZ. during WW II.
A graduate of the Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, and went on to attain her BA in nursing, and was a certified nurse practitioner.
Served 29 years in the US Navy before retiring.
While retired she had many volunteer activities including visiting the sick, mentoring children after school, providing assistance to the homeless and serving as a national officer in the Navy Nurse Corp Association.
Residence: Orlando, FL.