6 Facts About Military Nurses You Probably Didn’t Know
Nurses are as integral to the battlefield as any soldier. With their insight into the patient experience, nurses treating the Armed Forces are skilled in recognizing and addressing the emerging needs of their patient base. This perspective has led to advancements in medical services, including vital sanitary practices, helping reduce the number of lives lost in battle and in the civilian world.
The history of military nurses is one of compassion, dedication, and resilience as they care for patients while serving their country. In honor of Veteran’s Day, let’s discuss some facts about military nurses you may not have known.
1. Military Nurses in the US Date as far Back as the American Revolution
In the US, the origins of nurses serving on the battlefield can be traced all the way back to the American Revolution. While there was no formalized nursing corps, many women and men volunteered to care for soldiers; helping nurse them back to health and lower death rates of the war (DiStefano, 2024). For George Washington, this emphasized the importance of nurses to the military, and since they were difficult to come by, he increased their monthly pay from $2 in 1775 to $8 in 1777 (Penn Nursing, n.d.). This began the early stages of formalizing nursing practice in the United States and its relationship to the military.
2. Clara Barton was known as the “Angel of the Battlefield”
Clara Barton was deeply dedicated to caring for soldiers, both during the Civil War and afterward. She earned the nickname “Angel of the Battlefield" for tending to the wounded in the field, providing them with supplies, food, and medical care. After the war, she founded the Missing Soldiers' Office to help identify thousands of unknown dead and inform their families (American Red Cross, n.d.-a). Later, traveling to Europe, Burton became familiar with the International Red Cross and went on to be the founder of the American Red Cross in 1881. Since receiving its first congressional charter in 1900, the American Red Cross has been providing “services to members of the American armed forces and their families as well as providing disaster relief in the United States and around the world” (American Red Cross, n.d.-b).
3. The Army Nurse Corps (ANC) was Established in 1901
The permanent need for nurses in the military was inspired by the invaluable contributions of nurses throughout the Spanish-American War, leading to the Army Nurse Corps (ANC) founding in 1901 (Army Heritage Center Foundation, n.d.). Seeing a similar need, seven years later, the Navy followed to create the Navy Nurse Corps, and inducted its first members in 1908, later known as ‘the Sacred Twenty’ (Naval History and Heritage Command, 2024). The Air Force also went on to establish the Air Force Nurse Corps in 1949 to address the “growing aeromedical evacuations of injured servicemembers” (Dunwoody, 2019). In all three organizations, nurses gain the preparation needed to address the unique needs of their branch alongside the opportunity to specialize in various areas of practice.
4. The First African American Nurses Were Accepted Into the ANC in 1918
After World War I concluded, 18 African American nurses were allowed to enlist in the ANC in December 1918. Through 1944, ANC nurses practiced under a strict quota system limiting the number of African American nurses the Army would allow (O’Gan, 2023). Although African American nurses have been serving during times of war throughout history, segregation in the military was not officially abolished until 1948. Thanks to the tireless efforts of individuals like 1st Lt. Louise Lomax and Maj. Della Raney and organizations, including the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses, the Army, Navy, and Air Force Nurse Corps, were included in this groundbreaking moment.
5. Anna Mae Hays was the First Woman in the United States Armed Forces to Receive Officer Rank
Anna Mae Hays was a pioneer of nursing leadership. She practiced in a variety of nursing specialties beginning in 1942 when she enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps (Army Nurse Corps Association, n.d.). After enlisting, General Hays served in World War II and the Korean War, as well as being President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s private duty nurse in 1956. In honor of her commitment to service and leadership, General Hays was “promoted to the grade of general and became the first woman in the United States Armed Forces to wear the insignia of a brigadier general” in 1970 (Army Nurse Corps Association, n.d.). This was a historical achievement for women and nurses and their recognition in the Armed Forces and the American public.
6. “The Spirit of Nursing” is Memorialized in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery (n.d.) contains a memorial to commemorate the 653 unknown nurses who served alongside the US Armed Forces and are buried in the ‘Nurses Section’. The monument was originally unveiled in 1938 and was rededicated in 1971 “to commemorate devoted service to country and humanity by Army, Navy and Air Force Nurses" (Arlington National Cemetery, n.d.). Standing 11 feet tall, the memorial honors the life, service, and dedication of nurses’ past, present, and future.
Military nurses have transformed the practice of healthcare and saved countless lives in the process. To all veterans, we thank you for your service, and to our military nurses, we appreciate your dedication to healthcare, your country, and your patients.
References
American Red Cross. (n.d.-a). Clara Barton: Visionary Leader and Founder of the American Red Cross. https://www.redcross.org/about-us/who-we-are/history/clara-barton.html?srsltid=AfmBOopf-kBt3bSp1ITL9F5cXz83CMdALCMmIb-m0qo6HnBIv0ILUAiz
American Red Cross. (n.d.-b). Over 140 Years of Compassionate Service. https://www.redcross.org/about-us/who-we-are/history.html?srsltid=AfmBOooOTLR-5koVPnchcKN-w9tEBaeUz3PTq0xWkIS2Kkh1FlxEZB6L
Arlington National Cemetery. (n.d.). Nurses Memorial. https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/explore/monuments-and-memorials/nurses-memorial
Army Heritage Center Foundation. (n.d.). Army Nurse Corps: More Than 100 Years of Service to Our Nation. https://www.armyheritage.org/soldier-stories-information/army-nurses-corps-more-than-100-years-of-service-to-our-nation/
Army Nurse Corps Association. (n.d.). Superintendents & Chiefs of the ANC: Anna Mae V. McCabe Hays. https://e-anca.org/History/Superintendents-Chiefs-of-the-ANC/Brigadier-General-Anna-Mae-Hays
DiStefano, S. (2024, November 11). The History of Nurses in the United States Armed Forces. John Hopkins Nursing. https://nursing.jhu.edu/magazine/articles/2024/11/the-history-of-nurses-in-the-united-states-armed-forces/
Dunwoody, M. (September 30, 2019). Overview and summary: Nursing in the uniformed services: Historical and research perspectives. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 24(3).https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol24No03ManOS
Naval History and Heritage Command. (2024, January 16). The History of the Navy Nurse Corps. https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/communities/navy-medicine/navy-nurse-corps/the-history-of-the-navy-nurse-corps.html
O’Gan, P. (2023, May 8). Victory at Home and Abroad: African American Army Nurses in World War II. Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture. https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/nurses-WWII
Penn Nursing. (n.d.). Nursing Through Time: 1700-1869. https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/nhhc/nursing-through-time/1700-1869/
To Cite This Article
Carden, I. (2025, November 11). 5 Facts About Military Nurses You Probably Didn’t Know. TruMont.
