Interview of Alta May Andrews Sharp on her service in the American Red Cross and the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during WWI Margaret Duncan: This is Margaret Duncan interviewing Alta May Andrews Sharp. This is in Tucson, Arizona, April 16, 1985. Alta is a member of the Tucson unit who served overseas in World War I. [00:24] Alta, you wanna tell us your name? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Alta May Andrews Sharp. Margaret Duncan: [00:34] What branch of the service did you serve in, Alta? Alta May Andrews Sharp: I went in the Red Cross first. Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. Alta May Andrews Sharp: And then joined the Army Nurse Corps. Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. [00:48] How long? How long were you in the Army Nurse Corps? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Two years [or something 00:57]. Margaret Duncan: [00:58] Where were you stationed? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Mostly in [inaudible 1:02] Paris and then – in Paris most of the time. Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. [1:07] What, what hospital unit were you with? Alta May Andrews Sharp: American Red Cross Military No. 1. Margaret Duncan: American Military – American Red Cross Military… Alta May Andrews Sharp: No. 1. Margaret Duncan: … No. 1 [01:20] What influenced you to volunteer for the army? Alta May Andrews Sharp: My father always worshiped the Civil War nurse, Mary Briggs, and I always wanted to be another Mary Briggs. Margaret Duncan: Oh. [01:36] What did you do prior to your enlisting in the army? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Private duty nursing. Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. [01:47] Uh, what did you do when you were in the service in France? Did you work on the wards? What, what kind of nursing did you do when you were in the hospital in France? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Oh, I was usually chief nurse in, uh, Ward 83, Red Cross Military No. 1. Margaret Duncan: Oh, I see. [02:14] Uh, when you served in the uh, um, hospital overseas, uh, did you, uh, expect any of this experience to, uh, aid you in your career after the, uh, war? No, not really, huh? Uh-huh. Uh, what was your pay? How much did they pay you each month? Alta May Andrews Sharp: It started at $60 a month. Margaret Duncan: Sixty? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Sixty dollars a month. Margaret Duncan: Is she saying [16 or $60 02:53]? Female: Sixty, six-oh. Margaret Duncan: Oh. [02:55] Uh, $60 a month? Alta May Andrews Sharp: When I started. Margaret Duncan: When you started. Alta May Andrews Sharp: Yeah. Margaret Duncan: [03:02] Uh, how much, uh, in 1919, when you got out of the, uh, service, how much did – were they payin’ you then? You can’t remember? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Can’t remember. Margaret Duncan: [03:17] Um, what was your – what was your housing like overseas? Alta May Andrews Sharp: I lived in a [brand new 03:24] apartment, which was vacant and they put the nurses in there. Margaret Duncan: Oh. Alta May Andrews Sharp: And I was on the fourth floor. Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. [03:36] Uh, did they – did they take care of you if you were sick overseas then? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Oh, yes. Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. [03:40] If you were in the hospital, they did take care of you? Alta May Andrews Sharp: That’s right. Margaret Duncan: [03:45] What was your uniform like? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Overseas, it was gray chambray. Margaret Duncan: Oh. Alta May Andrews Sharp: With white butchers’ aprons and white [tower 03:58] cap and cuffs. Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. Alta May Andrews Sharp: White [tower 04:03] cuffs and cap with a red cross on it. Margaret Duncan: [04:12] Uh, can you recount any of your memorable experiences? Can you… You can’t remember any of those? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Oh, yes. I… Margaret Duncan: You can remember lots of’m but too many to tell us? Alta May Andrews Sharp: [laughter] Margaret Duncan: [04:36] What’s the most exciting one you had? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Uh, with the air raids over Paris… Margaret Duncan: Oh. Alta May Andrews Sharp: …and being bombed by Big Bertha. Margaret Duncan: Oh. By Big – being bombed by Big Bertha? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Yeah. Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. That was that big German gun. Alta May Andrews Sharp: Right. Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. Alta May Andrews Sharp: They called her Big Bertha. Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. [05:01] Uh, did you experience any conflict between being a woman and being over, uh, seas in the army? Did you have any difficulty? Alta May Andrews Sharp: No. Margaret Duncan: Working in a man’s world? Alta May Andrews Sharp: No. Margaret Duncan: No? No difficulty at all? Alta May Andrews Sharp: No. Margaret Duncan: [05:24] What, what required the greatest adjustment, uh, when you were overseas? Was it the, uh, being in uniform or was it, um, um, living conditions, or the war or what? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Ask that again. Margaret Duncan: What required your greatest adjustment? How did – what – how did you adjust to things? What was the greatest problem you had? Alta May Andrews Sharp: I don’t know how to answer that. Margaret Duncan: You don’t? Uh-huh. Well, did you have trouble – were – did you have any trouble working with the men? Alta May Andrews Sharp: No. Margaret Duncan: No trouble at all? Alta May Andrews Sharp: No. Margaret Duncan: [06:06] And they treated nurses very well? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Right. Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. [06:12] Uh, what was the most unpopular regulation that they had for nurses when you were in France? Alta May Andrews Sharp: That we couldn’t go out with enlisted men. Margaret Duncan: Oh, is that right? [laughter] Alta May Andrews Sharp: [laughter] Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. Oh. Alta May Andrews Sharp: They had to be the officers, and the officers were more interested in the French men themselves. Margaret Duncan: Oh, is that right? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Yeah. Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. Mm-hm. [06:42] Uh, after you came home from the service, what did you do? Did you go back to nursing? Alta May Andrews Sharp: No. I was all through nursing. Margaret Duncan: Oh. [06:54] What did you do after you came back from the service? Did you get married? Is that when you got married? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Well, not right away. Margaret Duncan: Oh. Alta May Andrews Sharp: I – I’m trying to think what I did. [laughter] Margaret Duncan: Oh, mm-hm. [07:17] You didn’t come back and go to work back in the hospital where you… Alta May Andrews Sharp: No. Margaret Duncan: …trained? Alta May Andrews Sharp: No. Margaret Duncan: [07:21] Did you go back to El-, Elgin, Illinois when you came back from the army? Alta May Andrews Sharp: No. I stayed in Chicago. Margaret Duncan: You stayed in Chicago? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Yeah. Margaret Duncan: Mm-hm. [07:29] And what did you do in Chicago? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Uh, [inaudible 07:37] [I can’t think]. Margaret Duncan: Can’t remember. Okay. Well, we’ll, we’ll look it up in your diary. You have a very complete diary there. Alta May Andrews Sharp: Yeah. Margaret Duncan: [07:46] When did you get married? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Nineteen twenty-two. Margaret Duncan: Nineteen twenty-two? [07:54] Did you meet your husband, uh, when you were in the army? Alta May Andrews Sharp: No. I knew him in Elgin. Margaret Duncan: Oh, you knew him in Elgin. Alta May Andrews Sharp: Fifteen years before. Margaret Duncan: Oh, I see. Uh-huh. Alta May Andrews Sharp: But we couldn’t get married because his mother was alive. Margaret Duncan: Oh, yeah. Alta May Andrews Sharp: She didn’t want another woman in the house. Margaret Duncan: Oh, I see. Uh-huh. Alta May Andrews Sharp: So, we had to wait until she died. Margaret Duncan: Oh, I see. Mm-hm. Okay. These are some quotes from Alta Sharp’s diary, and they’re being read by Madeline [Allum 08:27] from the Tucson Chapter – Tucson unit of the Women’s Overseas Service League. Okay, go ahead. Madeline [Allum]: “Each day is completely filled with appointments. Uniforms to be fitted here, hats to be obtained there, identification tags to be procured at still another place, how shoes must be fitted elsewhere. It takes a great deal of time to equip so many. The American Red Cross is equipping each army nurse with a most complete outfit consisting of blue serge uniforms with full insignia; blue, velour, campaign hats; gray, chambray uniforms for foreign service; 12 butcher aprons; white collars and cuffs; a blue, silk blouse and a white poplin one; woolen hose; woolen tights; and underwear with long legs and long sleeves. I know you are laughing. A pair of rubber boots. A [sou’wester 09:34] (a rainhat), rain coat, poncho, dark blue ulster, Red Cross blanket, flannelette pajamas, sleeping bag, and a gray sweater. Last but not least, we are being issued huge, yellow, calf-skin [Coward 09:55] shoes. We have been deprived of the privilege of choosing our own size, and when you see the broad, square toes with the soles of about one-half inch thickness protruding far beyond, you are aghast when told that they are the ones that you must take. Naturally, as an army is only as good as it’s stomach, a nurse is only as good as her feet, and to avoid foot troubles later on, the shoes are selected for us. Being so long, so heavy, and so broad, well, you just don’t know your own feet at all. The first night after we had received our full equipment, our group of 10 from Custer boarded a rubberneck bus to obtain an [airing 10:44] while enjoying the sights along Fifth Avenue. While mounting the narrow, circular staircases to the top, not one of us failed to fall over her own feet, much to the amusement of the conductor. We are gradually growing accustomed to them, but it is just like learning to walk all over again.” I had always been very anxious to, um, not only join the Army Nurse Corps, but to go overseas and had [inaudible 11:14] hoped and wanted to go to, uh, France, and from her diary she says, “Nearly six months has passed since I came here by way of the [cold hub 11:26], and they had been long, anxious months for most of us. But today, my name, with those of nine others was posted with orders to prepare to leave at once for the Holley Hotel, New York City. There to await embarkation overseas.” This was the 11th of May, 1918. “Those going with me,” and she names the – all of them, “every one of them are eager, excited, and brimming over with happiness. Mother, I am quite certain that you were introduced to most of them when you were here for the visit, but I must tell you that you met [Jonsey, Dusky, and Ken 12:07] for these three have been my very dear to me these past few months, and we shall continue to make up a very amiable foursome. This group was the largest group so far to be ordered abroad, and great excitement prevails tonight among the [astire 12:24] entire staff, 150 nurses, now stationed here. This noon, as I was entering our mess hall, I was surprised to see an unusually large group of excited nurses gathered in front of the bulletin board. While gradually edging my way to within reading distance in order to determine the cause of all this excitement, I was suddenly grabbed by Jonesy who cried hysterically, ‘[Andy 12:52], we are going! You, Dusky, Ken and I!’ Mother, darling, I was so overcome that I could scarcely see the list, but there, indeed, was my name. All about were nurses congratulating the lucky ones with all unconsciously revealing little feelings of envy. Everyone is so anxious to get to France that it is quite difficult not to register some disappointment when one’s name is omitted from the coveted list.” Margaret Duncan: [13:28] Uh, Alta, when you were in New York waiting to go overseas, uh, what about the, uh, basic training they gave you? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Every day, we were taken to different armories and trained. We had to learn how to salute and how to march in formation, had to do [squats 13:50] East and West. Margaret Duncan: Did – Alta, you had some interesting things in your diary about when the armistice was signed. [14:06] Can you tell us something about it? Now, that would’ve been November 11, 1918. Alta May Andrews Sharp: An officer came to my ward that morning and told me that an armistice might be signed that day. [Inaudible 14:25] my half day, so I went up to the chief nurse, asked for my half day, and she willingly gave it to me because nobody wanted Monday off. And so, by 11 o’clock when the armistice was signed, everybody in the hospital wanted [to take 14:48] the day off, but four of us had already asked, and we – and by 11 o’clock, we took off on the Metro from the heart of Paris… Female: [sneezing] Alta May Andrews Sharp: … and we were [mobbed 15:10]. Female: [coughing] Female: [15:15] Did you dance all night in Paris? Margaret Duncan: [15:16] You went – you went in – you went into Paris and helped celebrate for the armistice? Alta May Andrews Sharp: All day. Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. Alta May Andrews Sharp: I didn’t get home until 4 o’clock the next morning. Margaret Duncan: [15:27] What did you all night? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Just celebrated. Margaret Duncan: Just celebrated. [15:31] Did you dance all night in Paris? Alta May Andrews Sharp: And, uh, they were starting parades all day and the heart of Paris was just swarming with, with officers, soldiers of all types. Margaret Duncan: [15:50] And you were – you were in the army then for about, uh, what, another six months over in Paris after the armistice was signed? Alta May Andrews Sharp: [I think so 16:00]. Margaret Duncan: [16:02] And then you came back to the States? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Right. [Inaudible 16:06]. Margaret Duncan: [16:06] When you came back – when you came back to the States, where did you go? Alta May Andrews Sharp: To Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Margaret Duncan: [16:14] How long were you there? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Six months. Margaret Duncan: [16:16] And then you got out of the service? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Yes. Margaret Duncan: [16:20] And went back to civilian life? Alta May Andrews Sharp: What? Margaret Duncan: And went back to civilian life? [16:24] Did you… Alta May Andrews Sharp: Yeah. Margaret Duncan: …enjoy your, your two years in the army? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Very much so. Margaret Duncan: [16:30] And being overseas was interesting. Alta May Andrews Sharp: Yes. Margaret Duncan: [16:33] Uh, where was the hospital in France set up? Alta May Andrews Sharp: In [Neuilly 16:39], a suburb of Paris. Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. Alta May Andrews Sharp: It’s where I was. Margaret Duncan: A suburb of Paris? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Yes. Margaret Duncan: Mm-hm. [16:45] What kind of a building was the hospital in? Alta May Andrews Sharp: It was formally a boys’ school. Margaret Duncan: I see. According to your diary, you had some interesting things happen to you when you were on your way overseas. [17:04] Can you tell us about that? Alta May Andrews Sharp: There were 12 ships and 650 army nurses on the [inaudible 17:18] that I was on, and we had the battleship San Diego that escorted us over, and it was sunk on its way back, on its return trip. Margaret Duncan: [17:35] How many ships were in the convoy? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Twelve. Margaret Duncan: Twelve ships. Alta May Andrews Sharp: Yeah. Margaret Duncan: [17:43] And then, uh, you went – did you land in France or did you land in England? Alta May Andrews Sharp: South Hampton. Margaret Duncan: [17:50] You landed in South… Alta May Andrews Sharp: France. Margaret Duncan: …South Hampton, England? Alta May Andrews Sharp: South Hampton, uh, yes. Margaret Duncan: [17:57] How long did you stay in England? Alta May Andrews Sharp: About a month. Margaret Duncan: About a month. [18:06] Can you tell us something about when you got on the ships to go across the channel? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Well, we, we were escorted by a lot of little subchasers, and we went over in complete darkness overnight. Margaret Duncan: According to your diary, uh, you had a boat drill… Alta May Andrews Sharp: Yeah. Margaret Duncan: …um, in going ov-, before you left to go across the English Channel. [18:46] Can you tell us what happened? Alta May Andrews Sharp: We had boat drill every day. Margaret Duncan: Uh-huh. Alta May Andrews Sharp: And we had to carry our life preservers. The men had to wear them, but we were allowed to carry them on our arms, but we had to have it with us day and night. At night, we slept with our life preserver across our [knees 19:10]. Margaret Duncan: [19:13] How long – how many days did it take you to go across the English Channel? That was just a short trip, wasn’t it? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Oh, yeah. Just overnight. Margaret Duncan: Just overnight. Alta May Andrews Sharp: Yeah. Margaret Duncan: Okay. [19:29] Can you tell us about, uh, night duty on the, uh, in the hospital? About – can you tell us about how you had the lamp when you made rounds? Alta May Andrews Sharp: Oh, we carried lanterns, and we had blue – dark blue linen wrapped around the lanterns. And if we wanted to see a patient, we had to part the [gingham on’m 20:02] in order to see. /tl