Interview of Mary Myers on her service in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during and after WWII Interviewer: This is an interview, uh, by Elizabeth Booker of Mary Myers for the Women’s Over-, Overseas Service League oral history project. Okay, Mary. Uh, would you tell us, uh, your name, address, your branch of service and years of service, and a little bit about your background before enting-, entering the service. Mary Myers: I am Mary Myers, and I, my years of service were 1944 to 1946 with one year of overseas duty, 1946 to 1950 was active duty stateside. And that, most of that was spent in Camp Pica-, or Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. Those two years. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: And [sigh] my background? Elizabeth Booker: Mm-hm. Mary Myers: I graduated from McKeesport High School, um, McKeesport’s a small community and, uh, a very close, and then I went in training in Wilkinsburg, Columbia Hospital, which is a very small hospital. And, uh, graduated, and for a year I did, uh, general staff nursing at Columbia Hospital, and then I went into industrial nursing and occupational health and at that time that was quite a big thing. It was a well-paying job. Then, I, uh, began to think all my friends were leaving for the army, which was about 1943, ’44, and uh, whether it was, uh, patriotism or, uh, motivated by excitement or, uh, uh, whatever influence by two brothers that had enlisted, so I decided I would enlist in the army. Elizabeth Booker: Good. [2:21] Uh, what, uh, prior experience, uh, experiences prepared you for this sort of as-, uh… Mary Myers: Well, other than my nurse’s training and, um, working as an industrial nurse where you had emergencies, that was… Elizabeth Booker: That was good preparation. Right. Mary Myers: Preparation. Elizabeth Booker: [2:42] So after volunteering, wa-, was there some special preparation for your later overseas service? Mary Myers: Yes. Uh, we had one month basic training at Fort Meade in Maryland and then a one month, uh, we went up to, uh, Camp Pickett, which was in Virginia, and we had some training and [drill 3:07] there and we worked at the hospital. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: The station hospital there. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Mary Myers: For a couple, two months, and in November, we went up to Boston and we sailed overseas. Elizabeth Booker: Oh, great! [3:22] Uh, would you describe the circumstances of your trip overseas? [laughter] Y’know, anything, when you left and how you — Mary Myers: Well… Elizabeth Booker: — traveled and… Mary Myers: We left, uh, in November of, uh, ’44 from Boston. Elizabeth Booker: Mm-hm. Mary Myers: We left from Boston, and, uh, we were out at sea, oh, about, uh, 10 days, and, uh, of course there were very closed quarters which I had not been accustomed to. Elizabeth Booker: Mm-hm. Mary Myers: And, uh, uh, the food was rationed, of course — Elizabeth Booker: Mm-hm. Mary Myers: — but there was plenty of it, and we, uh, landed in Marseille, France. That’s where we had the staging area, in Marseille. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: And, uh, then we went up to, um, Epinal, France. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: Dijon was close by, but in Epinal, uh, uh, is where we had a, uh, evacuation hospital, but we were formed into the 236th General Hospital that was in the staging area, and there were — Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: — people, I was, uh, I was the only one really from Pittsburgh. The most members of the group came from Texas, and there were a few nurses from, uh, Philadelphia. The one girl had joined from Philadelphia, but she was a, a nurse from Braddock, was Patty [Clumen 5:06] — Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: — and she joined us, but, uh, it was a Texas group. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: The commanding officer. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: Um, uh, Christmas Eve found, uh, myself and the others on detached service in, near Paris, France, and we went to, uh, of course everything was a blackout. We went to midnight, uh, church services under a blackout, and while we were there, the German planes came and we were strafed, and that was really a frightening experience. Elizabeth Booker: I bet that was scary. Mary Myers: And, uh, we, uh, all were very much shaken after just being overseas — Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Mary Myers: — a month, and wondering what the future held for us. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: Naturally, we were homesick for our loved ones at home. When we got back to our, uh, quarters, the loc-, there was an air force unit that were close by, and the greatest thing that day, Christmas Day, we had were Cokes. I hadn’t seen a Coke since I left the states. Elizabeth Booker: [chuckle] I bet that was fun. Mary Myers: But, um… Elizabeth Booker: Okay. [6:29] Uh, can you tell me a little bit about some of your assignments and, uh, do you, special tasks you had, the hours you worked, your pay, and anything about the conditions of your service? Mary Myers: Uh, yeah. They, um, it was, uh, of course our quarters were always very primitive and, uh, uh, basic. Uh, they provided the best facilities for us possible, and one thing now as I take a shower and bath, I’m reminded that to stay clean, they had a shower set up in the center of the hospital compound, and, uh, we all had to wear our raincoats down and stand in line two at a time, males on one end and the females on the other, to have our showers. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Mary Myers: That was not in the winter, of course. This was in the, and in the winter, we used our helmets, y’know, with water. Elizabeth Booker: Wow [chuckle]. Mary Myers: That’s right. And, uh, our, the duties, of course we were takin’ care of POWs and, uh, our, uh, prisoners, or our own soldiers. There were long wards. As I recall, I had never, um, one thing that always stands out in my mind, I’d never attempted even, uh, starting an intravenous, and, uh, you were just expected. You were shown once and that was it. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Mary Myers: Uh, but there was the, an awful lot of hepatitis along with the casualties that we cared for. They were long hours. Elizabeth Booker: Mm-hm. Mary Myers: They weren’t always 7 to 3 or 3 to 11. Elizabeth Booker: Mm-hm. Mary Myers: Um, we, uh, were well protected. The soldiers were always very, very gentleman-like. Elizabeth Booker: Mm-hm. Mary Myers: We were never abused or never, I never met any, uh, one that, uh was [smart 8:44]. Including the prisoners of war. The Germans were very, very respectful — Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: — in what they would do, and they were very sick. Um, then, um, we, uh, all ate in one mess hall. There were no, no differentiation for enlisted men or officers. We all ate together at long tables. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: And, uh, one thing stands out in my mind, too, when I was a student nurse at Columbia Hospital, Dr. King, uh, was, um, the chief of our surgery at Columbia, and, uh, we all looked up to him of course, and when we scrubbed in the OR, he was the roughest. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: And one morning we were having breakfast in the mess hall in, uh, Fra-, in Dijon, and, uh, that was the day I was promoted from 2nd lieutenant to 1st — Elizabeth Booker: First. Mary Myers: — lieutenant, and, um, who was sitting there but a, uh, colonel, two colonels across the way, and I looked over and I thought, oh my gosh, that can’t be Dr. King. But it was. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: He came over. Of course we had quite a reunion. I’d have been frightened, [chuckle] shaking in my shoes, but we were, y’know, very — Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: — and then, uh, several days he was there for consultation. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: Uh, then, uh, we, uh, this was the pretty much the routine until August, and the unit was slated, we, uh, we closed our, um, hospital compound really about June, and we were staging again in Marseille, France, uh, with a lotta time on our hands. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Mary Myers: And, uh, in August, uh, some of us went on detached service and then, uh, we went, uh, we were given liberty to go to, uh, Fran-, to Paris and for a, um, so many days. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: And then to, uh, Cannes, France. We got to go there. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: To the Riviera. And then about August, the middle of Au-, the 8th or 9th of August, we were slated, the unit was going to the Pacific, and we were just aboard ship — Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: — when we were rerouted. It was VJ Day. Elizabeth Booker: Oh, great. Great. Mary Myers: And, uh, okay. Elizabeth Booker: Oh. [11:39] Were, uh, do you remember VE Day? Mary Myers: Yes. We were in France. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: And there was quite a celebration. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Mary Myers: And every person was, uh, they, every, there was [inaudible 11:54]… Elizabeth Booker: Cheering and yeah. Mary Myers: Yeah, it was an awful lot. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Okay. [11:59] Um, you have any other memorable experiences that you would like to share with us? You’ve already told us a lot of interesting… Mary Myers: No. Elizabeth Booker: …things. No? Um, okay. Were there any, um, or would you describe your perception of the contribution your service made to America’s efforts for peace. Do you feel it was… Mary Myers: I, I feel that, um, perhaps I helped to, uh, uh take care of some, y’know. Elizabeth Booker: Yeah, sure. Mary Myers: Or provide some nursing care. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Mary Myers: But it was, uh, there weren’t that many nurses, y’know? Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: Many, they were pulling, we were general hospital, and they were always pulling people for detached service to the evac hospitals. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Mary Myers: And, um. Elizabeth Booker: So, y’know, you really di-, didn’t always know what was gonna happen next, right. Mary Myers: Uh-uh, no. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: Um, or, [arriving 13:01] and plans of course in the cold [inaudible 13:03], I’ve never — Elizabeth Booker: Right. Mary Myers: — been so cold in my life. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: We survived. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. That winter of ’44 was really rough, wasn’t it? Mary Myers: Very rough. Elizabeth Booker: Okay. [13:12] Uh, would you, uh, compare your service then with what it might be like today? Mary Myers: Oh [chuckle]. Elizabeth Booker: In the service, or… Mary Myers: Uh, reserve duty as I saw it post-war, incidentally, we, uh, when we came home, uh, we came to, um, near bri-, vir-, near Virginia Beach there. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: And, uh, [throat clearing] then we were all sent to Fort Dix. Uh, you could stay in. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: It-, you had an option to stay in or be discharged. And, uh, I chose to be discharged, but it was — Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: — just for a short, not too many, uh, not too long, too many months, uh, I was recalled. And I was recalled to, uh, Fort, uh, Camp Kilmer. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: I don’t know there was some, uh, problem but, uh, there was going, they were recalling many people at that time. Elizabeth Booker: Oh, I didn’t know that. Mary Myers: There was a potential war — Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: And, uh, then after I was in for, uh, 6 months, I had an option again to be discharged. And I chose, because I had made so many moves and I hadn’t made a decision about working for the short period I was home to be established — Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: — and then I stayed in. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: Until, uh, ’46. And… Elizabeth Booker: [14:49] Did you, did you stay in the States during that or…? Mary Myers: I was at Camp Kilmer. Elizabeth Booker: Camp Kilmer [inaudible 14:53]. Mary Myers: In, uh… Elizabeth Booker: In New Jersey. Uh-huh. Mary Myers: Many, many nice friends and many cultural opportunities. We got to New York several times a week. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: And, uh… Elizabeth Booker: [That’s interesting 15:05]. Uh… Mary Myers: You asked about the pay, Betty, earlier. Elizabeth Booker: Yeah. Yeah. Mary Myers: I don’t remember; however, things were so reasonable and everyone was giving you, the Red Cross — Elizabeth Booker: Yeah. Mary Myers: — everybody was so kind and generous and… Elizabeth Booker: Your housing and – Mary Myers: Everything. Elizabeth Booker: — room and board was taken care of — Mary Myers: Yes. Elizabeth Booker: — so you didn’t really… Mary Myers: So really… Elizabeth Booker: You didn’t worry about it that much, right. Mary Myers: Yeah. Elizabeth Booker: Okay. [15:31] Uh, did the government provide any benefits following your service that you were able to utilize? Mary Myers: Yes, uh, I, the government provided me, and thank the lord today… Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: …with, uh, paid for all my tuition — Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: — for my baccalaureate in nursing degree at the University of Pittsburgh. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: And partly, part of it for a master’s degree. Elizabeth Booker: Oh, uh-huh. Mary Myers: And to me, that was an awful lot of compensation ‘cause my family couldn’t provide it. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: Y’know, tuition then was still… Elizabeth Booker: Okay. [16:06] Did you use the home loan bene-, uh… Mary Myers: No. No. Just, uh… Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: …I, uh, used the, uh, to, y’know… Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: …to enroll at the University of Pittsburgh. Elizabeth Booker: [16: 17] But you did stay in the reserves for…? Mary Myers: I stayed in the reserves, which was very good. We had, uh, drills. I, uh, I feel I benefited for my own, uh, job post-graduation. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: Uh, we were, um, 2 weeks, uh, reserve duty every year. Um, for about 5 years, we were at Walter Reed Hospital. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: And what a better place to learn. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Mary Myers: And, uh, we were at the various different installations — Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: — and assigned duty comparable to our civilian — Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: — duty. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: Which was good. Elizabeth Booker: Great. Uh [17:01], are there any other thoughts you’d like to share with us? Mary Myers: Um, other than I don’t think you could buy that experience for all thousands — Elizabeth Booker: That’s right. Mary Myers: — and I relive and there were memorable, and I, I just think that, um, uh, the assignments were — Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Mary Myers: — protected, and I’m sure today they have many more opportunities — Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Right. Mary Myers: — but I thank god for mine. Elizabeth Booker: Uh-huh. Okay. Thank you very much, Mary. /jw