Interview of retired Colonel Edythe Jean Hathaway on her long career in the Army Nurse Corps Ruth Stewart: This interview today is of Edythe Jean Hathaway on – in San Antonio, Texas, for the WOSL on February 28th, 2007. Interviewers are Ruth Stewart and Trish Martin. Jean, start out by telling a little bit about your early life – where you were born, how you lived and your years there. Edythe Jean Hathaway: Okay. I was born, uh, April 18th, 1923 in Joplin, Missouri to Gertie Bird Fetty, F-E-T-T-Y and Victor Gilmore Fetty. My mother died in 1930; my father in 1962. I went to school in Joplin. We lived real close to the grade school, about two blocks, so we could run back and forth for lunch. Had a great time. Graduated from high school in Joplin in 1941. I wanted to be a detective because my father was one, but he would have nothing to do with that. So, I went into nurses’ training, since I’d been taking care of sick animals and sick friends. St. John’s Mercy Hospital. I graduated there in 1944. Ruth Stewart: [1:29] Is that in Joplin? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Joplin, Missouri. It was a mercy hospital. We used to think that was a misnomer at times. Ruth Stewart: [chuckle] Edythe Jean Hathaway: We joined… I joined the army as soon as I got my state board results; and was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant on 7 February 1945. Went to basic training at Fort Carson, Colorado, doing push-ups in the snow. Ruth Stewart: [2:00] What made you chose the army as a career? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Well, my father had been a gunner in WWI and we were a patriotic family. And I thought it was what I should do. I tried to join the cadet corps, but there were only two of us in the class that wanted to join. So, they wouldn’t do that for two. So, as soon as I got state board, I talked a couple of friends into going down. One thought she wouldn’t be admitted to the army because she didn’t see very well. But they told her they were using the braille system. [chuckle] So, she went in with me. My first assignment was at O’Reilly General Hospital in Springfield. Had a very interesting assignment to the plastic surgery ward. It was an officer’s ward. They had a little trouble getting them to go to bed at 10:00. They’d play bridge in the bathroom. And if they went to the club, I’d set out APC’s and vitamins for them to take before they’d go to bed, so they wouldn’t have a headache the next morning. I volunteered, uh, to go overseas; and I left there in August. And uh, I went over as a casual with several doctors. I was the only nurse. Ruth Stewart: [3:39] What does that mean that you went as a casual? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Uh, no other group of nurses went with me. I just went as a single. It was an interesting assignment though at Fort, uh, Sill. We had, uh, we were making… Most of them were pilots who had been severely burned and we were making plastic eyes and uh, replacing ears and uh… These fellas were really great troopers. Trish Martin: [4:20] Where was that? Edythe Jean Hathaway: O’Reilly General Hospital in Springfield. I think they later turned it over to a church group. Ruth Stewart: [4:31] That’s Springfield, Missouri? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Uh-huh. Springfield, Missouri. From O’Reilly we went to Camp Beale, California to prepare for overseas duty. We boarded the hospital ship Marigold, headed for the Philippines, with about 400 nurses – or women. We had some Red Cross. We were housed in a monastery when we got to Manila. They had removed all the plumbing the day bef-, before we got there, so… We were there V-J Day, so we went into town to celebrate; and uh, mainly to find a job. Ruth Stewart: Let’s go back to this business of the housing. You said that they removed all the plumbing. [5:22] What was that about? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Yeah, it was a monastery. Ruth Stewart: [5:24] It was what? Edythe Jean Hathaway: A monastery – it’s called Novaliches Monastery in the Philippines [Lausanne 5:30]. And the Japanese had taken out all the plumbing. Ruth Stewart: Ahh. Edythe Jean Hathaway: They had one holer in the back with only the backrest to it. So, we were very anxious to get into town to go to a nice facility. When we got into town, [chuckle] you walk in and men and women go in the same door. And you’re almost – little privacy, but we were happy to get into town. Ruth Stewart: [6:10] So, what did you do then besides enjoy the facility there when you went into town? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Well, when we went back, we had to go in a dump truck or we rode in in a truck. On the way back, we, uh, picked up a Japanese who had a hand grenade with him in the grotto, but he was too weak to throw it, so the men turned him over to the military. And uh, from the Novaliches, we went up to Yokohama Harbor; got back on the Marigold; and we had to stay out in the harbor until we could get a Japanese pilot to guide us through the mine fields. We sat up hospital in, uh, at Yokohama Harbor to process our, our POWS; and uh, get them ready to go back to the States. Several of us were assigned to teams to go out to the mountains to these prison camps and, uh, assist the doctors and corpsmen in getting the patients ready. I went to a place called [RokuRoku 7:38]. It was up in the mountains, which was a officer’s camp with Marie [Huddock 7:47]. She was with the old 42nd General. And they had come up from, uh, Australia. All of the 42nd nurses were kind of atovaquone-tanned and kind of thin. So here I was, kind of plump and pink from the States. Ruth Stewart: Atovaquone… Edythe Jean Hathaway: Atovaquone-tanned, yeah. Ruth Stewart: [8:11] From the medication for malaria? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Yeah, from the medication, yeah. Yeah, we were all on atovaquone. I joined Colonel French, uh, his team to process several of the prisoners in the Osaka area. We were billeted in the new Osaka Hotel. We stayed all night at this [RokuRoku 8:39] camp, so Colonel French stayed outside our door to guard us. And uh, we were billeted in this place that had a mosquito net that dropped from the ceiling and then they had tatami mats that we slept on. Had a few fleas, but otherwise we had a pretty good night. Ruth Stewart: [9:01] What was the name of the mats? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Tatami… Tatami mats – Japanese mats. Needless to say, these prisoners had been there, most of’m for 3-1/2 years, so they were really glad to see us. Some of them were in pretty fair shape, because the Red Cross had dropped supplies and they’d been eating and were in fair shape. Some of’m were sick from overeating. Then when I went… Ruth Stewart: [9:38] Now what was your role? I’m not really clear. You went into the prisoner of war, where our sold-… Edythe Jean Hathaway: …our prisoners of war. Ruth Stewart: …allied prisoners were housed. Edythe Jean Hathaway: Uh-huh. Ruth Stewart: [9:50] And so then you went in with a team of doctors and nurses… Edythe Jean Hathaway: Yeah, we took, you know… We did a physical on them and got them ready to ship back to Yokohama to get on board the ship to go home. And uh, most of’m were in pretty good shape. Uh, Fred Garrett was one that had been, uh, had had his leg amputated. He was, uh, on the Bataan Death March. And they had removed his leg with a samurai sword without any anesthetic. But he insisted on marching when they raised the American flag over the camp. He was quite a young man. We went back to Osaka and had, uh… I have a clipping there, uh, volunteers included about 56 British. These were fellas who stayed behind to process, uh, prisoners to take back home. One Australian; one from New Zealand; and one without a country. And uh, they – army commander General Robert Eichelberger, uh, was planning a great celebration and dinner with music on September the 4th for men who made their way to Yokohama. But they voluntarily returned to Osaka that night to organize the evacuation of the other prisoners. And we traveled by train, truck and walked up the mountain for several – to some of these camps. Most of them were captured on, uh, 9 December 1945. We toured a hospital in Kyoto where many of the Hiroshima victims were being cared for. This was a horrible site. Then we went to the Miyako Hotel. [chuckle] We were told that a couple of the GI’s had taken over the hotel to, uh… We were supposed to talk’m into going home. [chuckle] They invited us for dinner and uh, they had one room full of C-rations, one room full of, uh, pear, apples and Asahi beer and Suntory whiskey. And uh, they were having a very good time, but we talked’m into going back home. Ruth Stewart: [12:37] These were American soldiers that had just sort of hold up and prepared for a long, good life? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Yeah, they were walking around with a sword on the side, you know. Just sort of, if they needed anything they’d go downtown and write a check – Mickey Mouse or something – Joe Palooka. Maybe we shouldn’t tell that. But they were livin’ it up. When we got back to Yokohama, we soon moved up to Tokyo; took over St. Luke’s Hospital; and, uh, this was the 42nd General Hospital. I was assigned as head nurse to a dermatology and [cytology 13:29] ward. Fortunately, I had a very nice southern gentleman as a ward officer, because as a 2nd lieutenant, I hadn’t seen a lot of these problems that these soldiers were having. Quite a few of them had jungle rot cause they couldn’t shave; and their beards were caked, so we did a lot of debridements and, uh… It’s when penicillin first came out. And we were giving penicillin around the clock. They called me the, “queen of darts” or “tail gunner” in those days. The old members of the 42nd were getting ready to go home, so Marie, who had been with me, received her bronze star just before she left. And uh, I was to get mine later. Mine went to a nurse with a similar name. She objected, but they made her take it anyway. [chuckle] I had enough points and I had planned to go home anyway. My dad had remarried when I graduated from training. And I thought they were having a few problems and I was ready to go home anyway. So, I went back to work on OB at St. John’s Hospital. Ruth Stewart: [15:04] What year was that then? Edythe Jean Hathaway: That was in 1946 in May. I was separated. I got married that year and, uh, moved to Newton, Kansas. And uh, one of the nuns who was in charge of OB got sick and they asked me to please come up and take care of her – take care of the ward. So, I did. And we traveled back and forth, but my husband and I decided a mutual parting. We were too independent when we got married, I think. So, I volunteered for Korea in, uh, 1950. And uh, my first stop was at Fort Hood. This was 23rd of October 1950. And I was on general duty there and, uh, left in 25 February for the 3rd Station Hospital. Ruth Stewart: [16:15] That was still 1950? Edythe Jean Hathaway: In ’51. Ruth Stewart: 51. Edythe Jean Hathaway: Yeah. Ruth Stewart: [16:20] And you went where then? Edythe Jean Hathaway: 3rd Station Hospital in Korea – Pusan, Korea. I worked on a contagion unit and had a smallpox hut later. I volunteered for the first mash, but I went south to Kotido. This was a prison island – it was the 64th Field Hospital. Each nurse was assigned one to two wards with 100 beds each with North Korean, South Korean, Chinese, Christians and communists. And some of’m were pretty sick. They were anywhere from age 5 to 85. We were trying to find… Ruth Stewart: [17:11] What were the conditions that they all had? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Most of’m, 85% of’m had TB, I think. And we were trying find a treatment for, uh, a disease called paragonimus westermani. This is caused from ingesting raw river snails. And uh, I had an excellent ward officer who was really interesting. And we had Korean doctors and Korean nurses who worked with us. While we were there, they had, uh – the prisoners had captured a general. So, we had, uh, a day or two where we had to sniff, uh, gas when they went into retrieve him. But uh, everything worked out alright. We were there until the end of hostilities. And then I came home to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, which was a great assignment. That was 25 September 52. And they closed that post and I volunteered to go to Fort Irwin, California, which is out in the desert. And uh, if they would let me return if they reopened. So, they did. While I was at Camp Irwin, it was about 114 in the shade; and not much shade. But we had a great time. Went back to Fort Huachuca when they opened. And while I was there, they needed some nurses to go to Tooele Ordnance Depot to replace some civilians. So, I was on TDY there for a couple of months. Ruth Stewart: [19:16] Now why was it you wanted to go back to Fort… Edythe Jean Hathaway: Huachuca? Ruth Stewart: Huachuca. Edythe Jean Hathaway: Oh, I loved Fort Huachuca. Ruth Stewart: [19:24] What was it that… Edythe Jean Hathaway: While I was there… Of course, I knew a lot of the natives and uh, I had, uh, rented a cottage up in one of the canyons. And uh, we just had a real, real fun time there. Ruth Stewart: [19:41] What kind of recreation? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Horseback riding, hiking in the mountains, the Huachuca Mountains and uh, it was close to Tombstone, Arizona. And at night we would drive to Nogales, Mexico for dinner, [McCavern’s 19:59]. Things were much nicer then than they are now. The only thing is [chuckle] when I worked OB, we’d have these people sit outside the gate until they were ready to deliver and then they’ll come in and say, “We’re an emergency.” So, if they’re born in the States, they become American citizens, which isn’t quite right. Makes for a busy evening though, sometimes. Ruth Stewart: [20:39] Was that coming from Mexico? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Yeah mm-hm, Mexico. And then the nearest hospital was 35 miles to Bisbee, so a lot of the people out the east gate used to come there instead of going to Bisbee too. So, we kept pretty busy on OB. In June of ’57 I went to, uh, the 20th Station Hospital and was head nurse of the nursery there. While I was there, I attended the preemie course down at Landstuhl for a couple weeks. Then I came back to BAMC and went to several of the courses. I’ve attended, uh, head nurses’ course and, uh, mass casualty course and uh, chief nurses’ course. I was assigned to BAMC in ’63 as a nurse supervisor. And then, in 64, 5 January, I went back to Zama, Japan and was head nurse in the nursery there. Ruth Stewart: [22:16] You went back to where now? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Zama, Japan. Ruth Stewart: [22:25] And when was that? Edythe Jean Hathaway: 5 June 64. I have all those dates, I think, on that record. Ruth Stewart: [22:36] But you returned to Japan to do what then? What was the focus of your return? Edythe Jean Hathaway: I was assigned, uh, as the head nurse of the nursery. Ruth Stewart: [22:58] And living in Japan, how did you find that? Edythe Jean Hathaway: We really, uh, had a pretty nice setup, because we had quarters close to the hospital and uh, they had a medical lab and they were doing quite a bit of research on, uh, vein replacement and ser-, uh, different things with serum. So, uh, we were right outside the club, so we got all of our meals at the club. And uh, had a nice little, uh, Japanese girl who would come in and clean for you and make up things. She’d cook lunch if you decided to come home for lunch. But uh, it was a nice assignment. We had a lot – did a lot of traveling. Ruth Stewart: [24:21] So, most of your experience then, not all of it, but most of it was related to, uh, obstetrical – perinatal I should say. Is that right? Edythe Jean Hathaway: [laughter] I went, I went in as an OB nurse, and uh, my first assignment was, of course, the plastic surgery ward. And then when I was in Korea, I was on the contagion ward. And uh, after I went to the preemie course though, we uh, I was assigned to the nursery again. In uh, ’67, I went to, uh, the 103rd Station Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany. And uh, I had to live on the economy because I had a couple of dogs with me. [chuckle] A friend of mine had been to Vietnam and asked me to keep her dogs. So, I had my dog plus hers. So, I had to hire a dog walker. Fortunately, the dog walker was a female butcher. And she used to fix little packages for a picnic when they’d go for a walk up in the mountains. I lived right next to the Odenwald – uh, the woods, the forest. And in the evening, I’d come home and would walk the dogs and stop by a wine stube and have a glass of wine. The dogs would have a little picnic and then we’d come back home again. It was a real nice assignment. Let’s see, where are we? [pause] Trish Martin: Back to [Inaudible 26:07] Edythe Jean Hathaway: [chuckle] Yeah, I had requested to go back to Fort Huachuca because I bought some property there when I came back in, uh, 1970. In November, I was assigned to Fort Huachuca. Just got my yard all fixed up and uh, was pretty well settled in and they said, uh, “We’d like for you to go to Tripler.” And everybody wanted to go to Tripler. I said, “Okay, but I’ll have to do something with my pets.” So, I had to take my dog home to my step-mother; and I went to Tripler. I was there two years. Had a beautiful home out in the – on the windward side. Had a lot of company. Had a nice young Filipin-, or older Filipino man who did all of the gardening and taking care of the place. I had an acre of banana trees, papayas; and it was like living in paradise. It was really great. I extended for a year, but the higher headquarters was abolished and my replacement [chuckle] came in and I went home to, uh, Reynolds Army Hospital in Fort Sill, uh, where I stayed until I retired – ’73 to ’76. I retired in June of ’76 with much fanfare and lots of parties. Ruth Stewart: [28:12] And that was your retirement? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Mm-hm. Ruth Stewart: It was June of… Edythe Jean Hathaway: June 30th, 1976. Ruth Stewart: So, you’ve had a lustrous career of going to a lot of interesting places that some people would not consider all that great. And you loved all of them. Edythe Jean Hathaway: We had a great time and I met some very interesting people. And uh, we’ve always had a pretty good time. Ruth Stewart: [28:43] Do you have contact with some of the people from your past? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Oh yes, yep, yep. I still, uh, correspond with some of the people I was with in Germany. Ruth Stewart: [28:58] Military or civilians? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Both. Ruth Stewart: [29:08] And when you came back then in 1976, is that when you came to San Antonio? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Mm-hm. Yes uh, I had a friend who needed to be close a medical facility. I had bought a lake lot up in, uh, LBJ Lake that I had planned to live – where I had planned to live. But, until we moved into, uh, a place in San Antonio to be close to the medical center. She later had a stroke and passed away in ’77. And uh, I was pretty well settled into San Antonio, so I sold my lot up at the lake. As you get older, you can’t be too far out in the country. [chuckle] Ruth Stewart: [30:02] So, you’ve maintained then your life or developed a life in San Antonio… Edythe Jean Hathaway: Oh yes. Ruth Stewart: …that has continued to be an interesting life? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Yes, I’m busier now than I ever was. I’m the night driver and I take a lot of friends to different clinics and appointments. Ruth Stewart: [30:28] What do you do for fun? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Uh, dig in the dirt. [chuckle] I do a little gardening and uh, I have pets, so I keep pretty busy. Ruth Stewart: [30:45] And you do belong to WOSL? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Oh, you bet I do. [laughter] Ruth Stewart: [30:49] Do you belong to any other, uh, veterans associations? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Oh yes. I’m a life member of VFW, American Legion, Williamsburg Foundation. Ruth Stewart: Williamsburg. Edythe Jean Hathaway: Uh, there’s a few other things, I don’t know. Anyway, I keep busy. Ruth Stewart: [31:18] Are you just a dues-paying member or are you active? I know in WOSL you’re active, but do you attend meetings for these other organizations? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Unfortunately, the American Legion meets on the same day that WOSL does – the second Saturday of each month. So, I keep up with’m by newspaper and phone, but that’s it. And I’m a member of VFW at large, so I don’t go to their meetings. Ruth Stewart: Okay. [31:52] Would you say generally – you said about your life in the military and your assignments that they’ve all been great assignments. Um… Edythe Jean Hathaway: Some people wouldn’t think they were so great, but life is what you make it, you know? Ruth Stewart: And obviously you’ve contributed a great deal and your experience with the POWS. Edythe Jean Hathaway: That was a fantastic assignment. That was one that I… Ruth Stewart: [32:15] Tell us a little more about that. Edythe Jean Hathaway: These fellas, you know, who had been prisoners 3-1/2 years were so polite and so interesting. I had a book called, uh, it was one of Donald Blanding’s books called The End of the Road. And uh, they wanted to read something, you know, from the States. So, we passed it around. And several of’m had written in it. Commander Lineberry was captured on 9 December; and he had written in it. And then, uh, this young man was a little bit, uh, nervous and I – maybe a little psychotic – but anyway, he had written all through the book, you know, about long he’d been there… Ruth Stewart: [33:11] You mean they made notations as they read in the book. Edythe Jean Hathaway: Yeah, they’d written… All of’m made a notation in the book. And uh… Ruth Stewart: [33:18] Do you still have that book? Edythe Jean Hathaway: I loaned it to somebody and I’m trying to find out where it is. Ruth Stewart: That would be a valuable – invaluable book. Edythe Jean Hathaway: Yeah, Doris and saw it and I think [Mim Young 33:27] had it. So, uh, I’m still looking. But it’s a nice… And every place I went, uh, usually somebody wanted to see it; and has written something in it. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Edythe Jean Hathaway: So, it’s kind of a nice diary. Ruth Stewart: Sure. Edythe Jean Hathaway: We weren’t allowed to keep a diary when we first went in in ’45. And we weren’t allowed to take too many pictures, you know, until after the war. So, uh, my albums are a little empty for that period of time. Ruth Stewart: [34:07] What do you – would you say was your most momentous experience or situation in your time in the military? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Uh, the trip to the [RokuRoku 34:20] prison camp with the POWS; and watching them raise the flag on that camp. I had, uh, an older step-brother. My dad didn’t remarry until I graduated from training. And uh, my oldest step-brother was in the Seabees; my younger step-brother was in the air force; and my little brother, my own brother, was in the navy. So, we were pretty well represented. And uh, my dad had been a machine gunner in WWI. It was a pretty patriotic family. Ruth Stewart: [35:05] Is there anything else you want to record here for us today? Edythe Jean Hathaway: Can’t think of a thing. Ruth Stewart: This has been a very interesting experience that you’ve discussed with us. So, I appreciate it. Edythe Jean Hathaway: It’s sort of dry. [laughter] /al