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G.I. Nightingales: The Army Nurse Corps in World War II
Weaving together information from official sources and personal interviews, Barbara Tomblin gives the first full-length account of the US Army Nurse Corps in the Second World War. She describes how over sixty thousand army nurses, all volunteers, cared for sick and wounded American soldiers in every theater of the war, serving in the jungles of the Southwest Pacific, the frozen reaches of Alaska and Iceland, the mud of Italy and northern Europe, and the heat and dust of the Middle East. Many of the women in the Army Nurse Corps served in dangerous hospitals near the frontlines—201 nurses were killed by accident or enemy action, and another 1,600 won decorations for meritorious service. These nurses address the extreme difficulties of dealing with combat and its effects in World War II, and their stories are all the more valuable to military historians because they present a very different viewpoint on war than that of male officers. Although they were unable to achieve full equality for American women in the military during World War II, army nurses did secure equal pay allowances and full military rank, and they proved beyond a doubt their ability and willingness to serve and maintain excellent standards of nursing care under difficult and often dangerous conditions.
450 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 18, 2023
It took me 10 months to read this, so completing it feels like quite the accomplishment! It was in no way boring, but life simply got in the way of me being able to really sit and read it properly.
This book was a labor of love from the author, who takes us through the Army Nurse Corps throughout the different World War II fronts. We have all consumed copious media of how the men and soldiers fared in the war, but not many of the women's authentic stories are told.
Female nurses (and I say it this way because at that time, ONLY female nurses could be in the ANC) played a special role during WWII (and every war before and after). They were considered non-combatants but were stationed very close to the front lines in evacualtion/aid stations or forward surgical units. These women were, for the most part, deployed with the male soldiers and thus, faced the same austere conditions and rarely complained. They had a sense of duty and honor, and it shows in their low patient mortality rates and in exerpts from their interviews and journals.
These women were the foundation of getting military nursing legitimized within the wider armed forces. During the war, women nurses were finally granted commissions, given the G. I. Bill, and allowed to claim VA benefits. The war also brought more acceptance and dropped the quota system for black nurses (albeit some were reluctant). It also allowed male nurses to practice as a nurse and not be made a corpsman in the military. This was by no means a huge advancement, but it was the stepping stone towards an inclusive and improved Nurse Corps. Additionally, civilian nursing often advances based upon what military nursing achieves; this was evident after WWII.
The nurses in this book are definitely role models. They tackled adversity and austere life head on, and like soldiers, remained on active duty for the entirety of the war. They did not complain even when they were homesick, exhausted, or had no running water. They simply carried on. Throughout reading this, I kept being reminded how far we have fallen as a society in terms of selflessness and working for the greater good.
This book does read like a textbook but was still a 5 star read for me. I recommend it for WWII buffs, Army/military nurses, or non-fiction lovers.
This book was a labor of love from the author, who takes us through the Army Nurse Corps throughout the different World War II fronts. We have all consumed copious media of how the men and soldiers fared in the war, but not many of the women's authentic stories are told.
Female nurses (and I say it this way because at that time, ONLY female nurses could be in the ANC) played a special role during WWII (and every war before and after). They were considered non-combatants but were stationed very close to the front lines in evacualtion/aid stations or forward surgical units. These women were, for the most part, deployed with the male soldiers and thus, faced the same austere conditions and rarely complained. They had a sense of duty and honor, and it shows in their low patient mortality rates and in exerpts from their interviews and journals.
These women were the foundation of getting military nursing legitimized within the wider armed forces. During the war, women nurses were finally granted commissions, given the G. I. Bill, and allowed to claim VA benefits. The war also brought more acceptance and dropped the quota system for black nurses (albeit some were reluctant). It also allowed male nurses to practice as a nurse and not be made a corpsman in the military. This was by no means a huge advancement, but it was the stepping stone towards an inclusive and improved Nurse Corps. Additionally, civilian nursing often advances based upon what military nursing achieves; this was evident after WWII.
The nurses in this book are definitely role models. They tackled adversity and austere life head on, and like soldiers, remained on active duty for the entirety of the war. They did not complain even when they were homesick, exhausted, or had no running water. They simply carried on. Throughout reading this, I kept being reminded how far we have fallen as a society in terms of selflessness and working for the greater good.
This book does read like a textbook but was still a 5 star read for me. I recommend it for WWII buffs, Army/military nurses, or non-fiction lovers.
May 7, 2023
Despite the book being 20 years old, Tomblin discussed two issues I used the book for - the issues concerning the use of Black nurses and male nurses during WWII. While I would have loved more discussion in those two subjects, her work is a great starting point for additional research and her uses of various sources are helpful in knowing where to look for more information to expand upon her narrative of the ANC and War Department not utilizing her he thousands of Black nurses during the shortage that almost brought the first draft for females.
This book is very useful in the historiography of women, nurses, and Black nurses during WWII which was a pivotal moment in changing the labor force and gender norms even for just the few years the world was at war.
This book is very useful in the historiography of women, nurses, and Black nurses during WWII which was a pivotal moment in changing the labor force and gender norms even for just the few years the world was at war.
August 3, 2023
“G.I. Nightingales: The Army Nurse Corps in World War II” gives a thorough overview of the ANC experiences in the different theaters of the war.
The chapters are organized in a loosely chronological manner, each focusing on a particular area of the war and continue with the experiences there through the war’s end. Near the end of the book there are some excellent pages detailing the 1945 proposed draft of qualified nurses, an ignored part of history.
Tomblin utilized a variety of secondary sources and interviews with WWII veterans to write a book that is equal parts informative and compelling. “G.I. Nightingales” is an excellent resource for anyone interested in learning more about the Army Nurse Corps’s role in WWII.
The chapters are organized in a loosely chronological manner, each focusing on a particular area of the war and continue with the experiences there through the war’s end. Near the end of the book there are some excellent pages detailing the 1945 proposed draft of qualified nurses, an ignored part of history.
Tomblin utilized a variety of secondary sources and interviews with WWII veterans to write a book that is equal parts informative and compelling. “G.I. Nightingales” is an excellent resource for anyone interested in learning more about the Army Nurse Corps’s role in WWII.
October 10, 2019
an extensive study of the anc's contribution in every theatre of the war, including those lesser known (iceland, alaska, etc) and on the home front. it could be a bit dry at times, but the anecdotes from nurses and excerpts from their letters/journals made it a worthy read. i've said it a million times and i'll say it a million times more, combat medics and nurses and all medical personnel are truly the unsung heroes of every war!!!
February 9, 2026
This was a very well-researched and thorough history of the ANC in WWII; however, it felt like the interviews and anecdotes got drowned out in the details and facts like places, numbers of people, logistics, etc. The actual nurses somehow felt lost or pushed to the background of the work. I wish more of their stories could have been at the forefront or at least strung together so you were able to get a cohesive narrative story of their experiences instead of just quotes related to facts.
July 17, 2013
While the number and variety of interviews and anecdotes in this book was very impressive, somehow the overall effect is a dry read. Interesting without being engrossing.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews