BETTY BOWMAN Denver, Colorado Unit Transcript of an Oral History Interview All rights, title, and interest in the material recorded are assigned and conveyed to the Women's Overseas Service League for the purpose of publication, use in teaching, or other such uses that may further the aims and objectives of the League, such use and participation to be acknowledged in appropriate fashion and with due credit to: Betty Bowman PREFACE This transcript is the product of an interview conducted on 17 March, 1986, for the Women's Overseas Service League. Signed, dated agreements of release and biographical information accompany the original cassette. Transcribed by Patricia Siggers Lansing, Michigan 1 June, 1989 WOMEN'S OVERSEAS SERVICE LEAGUE 2 Oral History Project 4 6 BETTY BOWMAN 8 Denver, Colorado Unit NOTE: Betty is being interviewed by 10 Marjorie Brown of the Denver Unit. 12 MB: BB: What is your name? Betty Bowman. MB: When did you join the Denver Unit of WOSL? 14 BB: MB: I’m not sure, but I think it's been about ten years. So that would be about 1976? 16 BB: MB: That sounds good. What branch of the Service were you in? 18 BB: Well, they kept changing the numerals, but two different ones in the Army. The last I recall was 20 as a dietician in Women's Medical Service Corps, and then later in the Army Nurse Corps as a nurse. 22 MB: What made you decide to come into the Service? BB: A combination: travel, pay, security, patriotism. 24 MB: What year did you come into the Service? BB: As a nurse, 1951. WOMEN’S OVERSEAS SERVICE LEAGUE BETTY BOWMAN, Denver Unit 26 MB: What did you do prior to your coming into the Service? 28 BB: A nurse in New York City, and prior to that, a dietician. 30 MB: BB: What jobs did you have in the Service? I was medical-surgical nurse; so that meant I worked 32 in all departments, just about in all capacities except anesthesia. 34 MB: How long were you in the Army? BB: Twenty two plus years. 36 MB: While you were in the Service, where did your travels take you? 38 BB: Japan, Iran, Germany, Korea, and six U. S. states. MB: What kind of housing did you have when you were in 40 the Service? BB: It varied from tent, quonset-hut, dormitory style 42 with nine roommates, contowment, shared bath; later, own apartment, civilian, off-base. 44 MB: What kind of medical care was available to you? BB: It varied from disappointing to top-notch. 2 WOMEN'S OVERSEAS SERVICE LEAGUE BETTY BOWMAN, Denver Unit 46 MB: Tell me about your uniforms? BB: Mostly the white nurse’s uniform, fatigues, and 48 green uniform for office work. MB: Can you tell me a couple of your more memorable 50 experiences, whether they be funny or sad or whatever was important to you? 52 BB: Well, I just thought all the travel experiences were so enriching, and many times there were very 54 fascinating celebrities visiting. One of the most touching was the visit of Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt to 56 see the patients in Japan. She saw the ones that were scheduled, but she went out of her way to look 58 over at the much more tragically wounded ones, and you could see her deep concern for them: Plus the 60 gratefulness of patients, and I remember the Korean lepers; men, bowing to us for expressing their 62 appreciation for their care by our hospital unit. MB: Were you in Korea during the Korean War? 64 BB: No, I was in Japan. MB: Tell me what was the greatest adjustment that you 66 had to make when you came into the Service? Before we talk about adjustments, let’s go back to 68 memorable experiences, O.K.? BB: One of the saddest things for me, of course, were 70 some of the tragic casualties; the most severe ones. 3 WOMEN'S OVERSEAS SERVICE LEAGUE BETTY BOWMAN, Denver Unit But I'll never forget visiting an orphanage in Japan 72 and seeing the forlorn, tragic, sad faces of the children; of the Eurasians or Amerasians (the very 74 definitely children who were half Asian and half American-Caucasian). I knew they were considered 76 and treated in the Oriental countries as non-persons and non-citizens. I'll never get over seeing them 78 and I couldn't return to face it another time. MB: Now tell me, did you have any problems adjusting to 80 the military? BB: Oh, yes. I hated basic training. The regimentation 82 felt like one of the proverbial sheep in the herd; and as a nurse anywhere, adjusting to hours— 84 constant rotation of shifts, particularly three to eleven in the evening to come back at seven in the 86 morning -- I felt was like permanent jetlag and actually was dangerous for everyone. 88 MB: When you came into the Service, did you plan on making it a career? 90 BB: Yes. MB: What prompted you to decide to make it a career? 92 BB: Probably many of the reasons that I stated previously for joining; but I did usually love my 94 work and found it fascinating, along with the 4 WOMEN’S OVERSEAS SERVICE LEAGUE BETTY BOWMAN, Denver Unit 96 98 100 102 travel, plus security, and good pay was very important. MB: After you retired from the Service, what did you do? BB: Well, it was nice to participate in things that I had put off or wasn't able to do, especially when you couldn't join — For instance, I would take adult education courses, because you could plan ahead more than just a week at a time, and you could be in regular attendance. 5 INDEX BOWMAN Amerasians, 4 Eurasians, 4 Housing, 2 Locat ions Germany, 2 Iran, 2 Japan, 2 Korea, 2 U. S. , 2 Medical care, 2 Service Army Nurse Corps, 1 Women's Medical Service Corps, 1 Uniforms, 3 l