Hi Guys,
I just wanted to share some stuff, and hopefully get input and thoughts from others on the board. I am in the process of reading "And If I Perish". It is an extremely riveting book about Army Nurses in WWII. At first I skipped around a little and only read the sections which pertained to my impression periods, but I have learned alot. I have heard stories from many women re-enacters where they stated that women were not on the front lines, (and these are people who supposedly really know their stuff). I have since learned otherwise, for example on 8 November 1942 the nurses of the 48th surgical hospital and the 77th Evac hospital landed on the beaches with the soldiers during Operation Torch at Arzew and near Oran North Africa. They landed under fire with the regular GI's.
I was also told that the first Army Nurses did not land in Normandy until 17 June, this is also untrue. The 128th Evac landed on Utah beach on 9 June 44, and this unit contained elements of the 48th which landed in 1942 in North Africa. Now the 67th Evac did not land until 16 June on Omaha beach, there were also other hospitals which landed prior to June 16. The only reason I post here is that I find it interesting that many historians and re-enactors still maintain that women were not near the fighting, but they were. There were nurses under fire and died at Anzio. I am just curious as to everyone's take on this. I was reading on another message board, how people just thought that women sat around as camp decorations at re-enactments and wondered how this could be changed, or how you go about educating "old habits" to the reality of women nurses. I'd really love to hear other's thoughts on this.
Thanks,
-Lisa