GLADYS WELCH Denver, Colorado Unit Tr an sc ri pt of an Oral History Interview All rights, title, and interest in the material recorded are assigned and conveyed to the W o m e n ’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 pa rt ic ip at io n to be acknowledged in appr op ri at e fashion and with due credit to: Gladys Welch PREFACE This tr an sc ri pt is the product of a ta pe- recorded interview cond uc te d on 6 March, 19B6, For the W o m e n ’s Ov erseas Se rv ic e League. Signed, dated ag re em en ts of release and biographical information accompany the original cassette. Tr anscribed by Patricia Siggers Lansing, Michigan 6 July, 19B8 2 GLADYS WELCH Denver Unit MB: What is your name, please? 4 GW: Gladys Welch. MB: When did you Join the Denver Unit of WOSL? 6 GW: I think about 1 9 76 — something like that. MB: a When were you were in the service, what branch of the service you in? GW: Army Nurse Corps. 10 MB: What made you decide to go into the Army Nurse Corps? GW: Two of my brothers Joined, so I felt that I had to do 12 something too. MB: Was this during World War II? 14 GW: Yes. MB: What did you do before you went into the Army? IB GW: Private duty. MB: When you were in the service, what kind of duty did you IB do then? GLADYS WELCH, Denver Unit B GW: When I uias in the service, I did psychiatric nursing. BO MB: How long were you in the Army? BB GW: From 1943 to 194 B and then I got out of the Army and Joined From 194B to 1958. MB: When you were in the service, where did you travel? B4 GW: Iran and Europe. MB: Wh er ea bo ut in Europe? BB GW: All over Europe. I think we hit most of the countries in Europe. We took a car t r i p — four of us. BB MB: What kind of medical care was available to you when you were in the service? 30 GW: I felt that it was good. MB: Do you have any memorable experiences you would like to 32 share with me? GW: Well, I think one was when I was in Iran wh Bn I went to 34 the Holy Land. I think that was one of the most beautiful ex periences that I have ever had. 3B MB: Do you remember the dates that you were in Iran? GW: From 1943 to 194B. 38 GLADYS MB: WELCH, Denver Unit 3 What kind of a hospital setup did they have there? GW: We had a general hospital, air conditioned and 40 everything, and the temperature mas 148 in the sun. MB: What was the name of the town in Iran— if you remember? 42 GW: I s n ’t that funny? I c a n ’t remember. MB: O.K. Was it a general hospital? 44 GW: It was a general hospital, yes. It was down in the desert; I know that. 46 MB: When you first went into the service, what was the biggest adjustment you had to make? 48 GW: I looked at this question quite a bit, Marge, but I really d i d n ’t see any adjustment that I had to make. 50 MB: We were used to being in a hospital, and we Just went from one kind of clothing to another, really. 52 GW: T h a t ’s exactly right. I really d i d n ’t feel that I had to 54 make any adjustment. I had been away from home for some time, and I Just d i d n ’t feel that I had any adjustments to m a k e . 56 MB: When you first went into the service, did you plan to make it a career? 58 GLADYS GW: WELCH, Denver Unit 4 When I went in, in 1943; no, I d i d n ’t. Then when I went back in 1948, I said, this is it. 60 MB: After you got out of the service, then what did you do? 68 GW: While I was in the service I took a course in psychiatric nursing, and when I got out of the service, for two years 64 I worked in a private psychiatric sanitarium. Then in 1964, I was hired by Mercy Hospital to teach psychiatric nursing to their students. 66 MB: What does WOSL mean to you? GW: Well, it means meeting new friends, meeting old friends, 68 and really Just enjoying the meetings and everybody that I m e e t . 70 MB: Thank you very much. GW: Y o u ’re welcome. 78 Transcribed by Patricia Siggers 74 Lansing, Michigan