Fallen Army Nurse Corps Warriors from the Vietnam War
© 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.
Captain Eleanor Alexander
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)
Second Lieutenant Carol Drazba
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)
First Lieutenant Pamela Donovan
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)
Lieutenant Colonel Annie Graham
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)
Second Lieutenant Elizabeth Jones
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)
First Lieutenant Sharon Lane
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)
First Lieutenant Jerome Olmsted
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)
Second Lieutenant Hedwig Orlowski
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)
First Lieutenant Kenneth Shoemaker
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, USAF
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)
Other Vietnam War history pages:
ANCA's Vietnam Veterans listing
ANCA's Vietnam War Photo Album