Interview of retired Colonel Lois A. Johns on her career in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps and her service in the Vietnam War
In an oral history interview, retired Army Colonel Lois A. Johns talks about her education, her career in the Army Nurse Corp and her service in the Vietnam War. Johns talks about growing up in Cleveland, earning her nursing degree in 1948, a second bachelor's degree in 1950 and later two master's degrees and finally, in 1967, a doctorate. In 1950, she says that she also joined the Army Reserve and that her active duty began in 1960 when she was promoted to Captain. She describes a number of her duty stations, going back into the reserves while working and going to school and then going back on active duty as a Major for duty in Vietnam. She says that she arrived in Saigon late at night, was assigned to the "renal ward" at the 629th Medical Detachment of the 3rd Field Hospital and describes her quarters, her duties, her patients, the local cuisine and culture and says that she was awarded a Bronze Star when she left Vietnam and was assigned to the Institute for Surgical Research at Fort Sam Houston. She goes on to discuss her various duty stations after Vietnam, both stateside and abroad and says that she finally retired from the Army in 1980. Johns praises her many coworkers throughout the years, but says that women often had problems dealing with their male counterparts and that sexual harassment did exist in the service. Johns is interviewed by Ruth Stewart and Patricia Martin.
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- In Collections
-
Women's Overseas Service League Oral History Project
- Copyright Status
- In Copyright
- Date Published
-
2007-02-06
- Interviewees
-
Johns, Lois A.
- Interviewers
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Stewart, Ruth F.
Martin, Patricia
- Contributors
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University of Texas at San Antonio. Libraries
- Subjects
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Johns, Lois A.
United States. Army Nurse Corps
United States. Army
Vietnam War (1961-1975)
Nursing
Armed Forces--Military life
Harassment in the military
Medical care
Military nursing
Military participation--Female
Nurses
Sexual harassment of women
Veterans
Women veterans
United States
Vietnam
- Material Type
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Sound recordings
Interviews
- Language
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English
- Extent
- 01:03:48
- Holding Institution
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Vincent Voice Library
- Call Number
- Voice 35439
- Catalog Record
- http://catalog.lib.msu.edu/record=b11923750
- Permalink
- https://n2t.net/ark:/85335/m5db7zz4t