Johns Hopkins Magazine -- November 1998

NOVEMBER 1998
CONTENTS

AUTHOR'S NOTEBOOK

H E A L T H A N D M E D I C I N E

"Women of War"
Author's Notebook
By Joanne P. Cavanaugh

Leafing through the Hopkins magazine alumni notes in mid-summer-in truth, searching for a story idea-I stumbled across a tale that, for reasons common to our culture, has been lost to many: the dramatic history of Hopkins nurses, and General Hospital units, that served in the world wars. On a personal level, I found researching "Women of War" to be a spellbinding journey through untapped archives, handwritten letters, old war propaganda and delicate, fading brochures. There were so many stories to tell (experiences spanned two wars, three hospital units, and the homefront Cadet Nurse Corp), that only a few could be included in the magazine. Stories about the war-savvy Hopkins doctors, as well, could fill an entire book; some of that history is featured in books by Hopkins historians Thomas B. Turner and R. Carmichael Tilghman.

War is clearly a horrible experience, yet for Hopkins nurses and doctors it was also an adventure-one now viewed through the prism of time. Some of those who served are still around, though many have passed on. One nurse told me that it was a shame that this story wasn't told more fully years ago. And it is. Yet, as the next century nears, we can take the time to focus on the women who, a mid-century ago, marked a turning point in American culture. The Hopkins nurses who served in World War I and II were indeed brave and self-assured, they were demanding and skilled, they earned a reputation that still follows the university's nurses today. Maybe more of these stories-which serve to illuminate our past- will be told through the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, and elsewhere in the future.

P.S. For information on joining the WIMSA register of those served, call 1-800-4-SALUTE or 1-800-472-5883 or write the Women In Military Service Memorial, Dept. 560, Washington, D.C. 20042.

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