© Constance J. Moore Colonel, ANC (Retired), ANCA Historian
On the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall are etched the names of nine Army nurses and one Air Force nurse who died while assigned in Vietnam. They answered the call to serve, knowing full well that they might not return. Military nurses are grateful and humbled by their commitment to duty and their sacrifice.
CPT Eleanor Alexander died from injuries sustained when a C-47 transport plane crashed into a mountain on 30 November 1967. She had volunteered to assist with a large number of casualties at the 71st Evacuation Hospital in Pleiku, and was returning to the 67th Evacuation Hospital at Qui Nhon. She was one of four nurses who died. She wrote about the mission, "For the past three days, I've been running on about four hours sleep. Funny thing is, I love it." CPT Alexander worked for six years as an operating room supervisor at Madison Hospital in New York City, before she volunteered to join the Army and go to Vietnam. She had served in Vietnam for almost a year, assigned to the 85th Evacuation Hospital. (119)
2LT Carol Drazba perished with another Army nurse, 2LT Elizabeth Jones, on 18 February 1966, when the helicopter in which they were riding crashed. She had been traveling to Nha Trang for her first rest and recuperation time since entering country the previous October. Lieutanant Drazba joined the Army while attending the Scranton State Hospital School of Nursing in Pennsylvania. During her first assignment at Ft. Huachucha, she volunteered for deployment to Vietnam. She worked in a busy operating room department, at the 3rd Field Hospital in Saigon, where the most definitive care for complex surgical cases was provided in country. She had worked unending long shifts and was looking forward to a rest. (114)
1LT Pamela Donovan became seriously ill and lost her life while in service to her country on 8 July 1968. She had arrived in country only a few months earlier and worked nonstop on a hectic 85th Evacuation Hospital nursing unit. Her family said that she was very proud to provide nursing care to military personnel and volunteered to go to Vietnam. Lieutenant Donovan was a naturalized citizen who was born in Ireland. Her family had lived in several countries, including Ireland, England, and Canada, before coming to Boston in 1956. After high school, she next went to St Elizabeth's Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in 1965. (109)
LTC Annie Graham lost her life due to illness on 14 August 1968 after being evacuated from Vietnam to Japan. She was a career military officer and a three-war veteran, who was assigned as the chief nurse of the 91st Evacuation Hospital in Tuy Hoa. She was excited to be assigned in the chief nurse position for the challenging work in a war zone. Besides running the hospital's nursing department, she volunteered many off-duty hours caring for civilian land mine victims. During her career prior to serving in Vietnam, Lt. Colonel Graham had been assigned in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Ethopia. She had worked in positions of increasing responsibility from staff nurse, head nurse, supervisor, assistant chief and ultimately chief nurse. (119)
2LT Elizabeth Jones died with another Army nurse, 2LT Carol Drazba, on 18 February 1966, when the helicopter in which they were riding crashed. She was assigned to the 3rd Field Hospital and was looking forward to some fun and relaxation in Nha Trang. Lieutanant Jones attended the Medical College of South Carolina, Charleston, and upon graduation immediately was accessed into the Army Nurse Corps in 1965. She trained as one of the first intensive care nurses in the nation and served at Ft. Jackson as her first place of duty. In Vietnam, she worked on a critical care unit, where high patient acuity challenged her assessment and intensive nursing skills. (111)
1LT Sharon Lane was the only nurse to die by enemy fire during the Vietnam War. On 8 June 1969, she was mortally wounded when a rocket hit her facility, the 312th Evacuation Hospital. She had been in country little less than two months and was assigned to care for injured and ill enemy combatants. To maintain her critical care skills, she volunteered her off duty time on the surgical intensive care. Lieutenant Lane trained at Aultman Hospital School of Nursing, in Canton, Ohio, graduating in 1965. She had worked for three years before entering the Army. At her first duty station, Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, she worked on medical and intensive care units and recovery room. (117)
1LT Jerome Olmsted was killed when a C-47 transport plane crashed into a mountain on 30 November 1967. A nurse anesthetist, he had volunteered to assist with massive casualties at the 71st Evacuation Hospital in Pleiku, and was returning to the 67th Evacuation Hospital at Qui Nhon. He was one of four nurses who died in the crash. He and Lt. Shoemaker hold the sad distinction of being the first male Army Nurse Corps officers ever to die in war. Lieutanant Olmsted graduated from the Alexian Brothers School for Male Nurses in Chicago and attended anesthesia school at St. Francis Hospital in La Crosse, Wisconsin. In 1966, he was assigned to Ft. Sill where shortly he received orders for Vietnam. (117)
2LT Hedwig Orlowski died in the service of her country from injuries sustained when a C-47 transport plane crashed into a mountain on 30 November 1967. She had volunteered to assist with a large number of casualties at the 71st Evacuation Hospital in Pleiku, and was returning to the 67th Evacuation Hospital at Qui Nhon. She was one of four nurses who died. Lieutenant Orlowski completed her basic nursing education under the Army Student Nurse Program at Hurley Hospital School of Nursing, Flint, Michigan, in 1966. She entered the US Army Nurse Corps and attended the operating room nurse course. She went to Vietnam the summer of 1967. (107)
1LT Kenneth Shoemaker suffered mortal injuries when a C-47 transport plane crashed into a mountain on 30 November 1967. He was a nurse anesthetist who had volunteered to assist with a large number of casualties at the 71st Evacuation Hospital in Pleiku, and was returning to the 67th Evacuation Hospital at Qui Nhon. He was one of four nurses who died. He and Lieutenant Olmsted hold the sad distinction of being the first male Army Nurse Corps officers ever to die in war. Lieutenant Shoemaker graduated from Owensboro-Daviess County Hospital School of Nursing, Owensboro, Kentucky, and received his anesthesia training at St. Joseph Hospital, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His first duty assignment was at Ft. Bragg, from where he deployed to Vietnam. (118)
Captain Mary Klinker died in the emergency crash landing of a C-5A aircraft near Saigon on the inaugural flight of the Operation Babylift humanitarian effort on 4 April 1975. She was assigned to take care of the health care needs of 138 children who were being evacuated, but was among the 11 Air Force personnel, 78 children, and 35 adult passengers who died in the crash. Captain Klinker was the last nurse, and the only member of the Air Force Nurse Corps, to lose her life in the war. (71)
ANCA's Vietnam Veterans listing
ANCA's Vietnam War Photo Album