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Representative Voices
of the American Military Nurse |
| The essence of war
from a female perspective is captured in the writings of the
American military nurse. Through these women’s words we learn about
the harsh realities of war, the expectations upon those who served,
and how nursing roles have evolved in pace with women’s role in
society. A comparative view of literary voice from both the Civil
and Vietnam War eras reveal a clear evolution in social and
occupational responsibilities, while the human aspects of compassion
and sorrow remain evergreen. The writings are predominantly factual
and thereby serve not only as a message from the writer, but as a
chronology of historical events for the benefit of generations to
come. |
| In order to
understand this unique voice in literature, we look to the spirit of
her ancestors, whose roots gave life to the nurses we are familiar
with and hear from today. Historical documentation on the American
military nurse dates back 1775, emerging as America struggled for
independence from Britain. The need for medical support to aid
soldiers in battle was officially acknowledged by Congress after
George Washington heeded news from his frontline commanders who
said, "The sick suffered much want of good female nurses." Support
was soon granted and a medical department was created to tend the
sick and wounded during times of war (Office of Medical History). |
| The voice of these
early generation nurses, including those from the Civil War in 1865,
demonstrate a selfless, no-nonsense commitment to duty, despite
little training and a constant threat of disease and enemy attack.
In "Nurse and Spy in the Union Army", Emma Edmonds, writes with a
feeling of purpose, utilizing her strong voice to establish a clear
portrait of the inborn values inherent of the American military
nurse. "The patriotic, whole-souled, educated woman twists up her
hair in a "cleared-for-action" sort of style, rolls up the sleeves
of her plain cotton dress, and goes to work washing dirty faces,
hands and feet, as if she knew just what to do and how to do it. And
when she gets through with that part of the programme, she is just
as willing to enter upon some new duty, whether it is writing
letters for the boys or reading for them, administering medicine or
helping to dress wounds. And everything is done so cheerfully that
one would think it was really a pleasure instead of a disagreeable
task (Edmonds, 371). Beneath the exterior voice of care and
compassion lay an armor of resilience, providing strength to endure
the overwhelming turmoil that slowly seeped into her heart. |
| These natural
qualities of courage and compassion reflected a core set of values
that knew no boundaries across time and were the hallmark of a good
nurse. Diana Poole, who was just twenty three when deployed to
Vietnam in 1966, voices the courage she summoned to deal the passing
of each precious life she was ultimately helpless to save.
"Although I had been a nurse in the States for two years, it had not
adequately prepared me for Vietnam. I witnessed a tremendous amount
of suffering and watched a lot of men die. One of my rules was that
nurses were not allowed to cry. The wounded and dying men in our
care needed our strength; I told them we couldn’t indulge in the
luxury of our own feelings. On the other hand, I was always straight
with soldiers. I would never say, "Oh, you’re going be just fine."
If they were on their way out, I didn’t lie." (Poole). |
| As America evolved
from a rogue wilderness nation into a great industrial power, so
stood her nurses beside her. For nearly two hundred years, nursing
bear witness to the rapid changes in the world, generally in
conjunction with violence that produced a need for nursing services.
Through countless wars, slavery, women’s rights, and the political
protests of the sixties, a variation in cultural tradition emerged
as women’s role expanded in society. This expansion sparked a
bolder, broader voice that held much authority on her field,
denoting distinctive elements of personal and occupational growth.
The twentieth century nurse had earned. The resulting voice embraced
the roots of her legacy with a strong sense of professional heritage
and identity, while reflecting an expansion of the nurse’s thinking
into the realm of independence and self preservation. |
| In "TET", Jeanette
Wolfe’s conveys a blend of fear and courage, as their surgical unit
came under attack. "The major told us not to allow ourselves to
be taken alive, if it came to that. Some of the men on the
stretchers still had their weapons and the ones who were aware of
what was going on said they'd protect us. The orderlies were ordered
to carry their rifles and to protect the doorways, if necessary. Two
of our orderlies are Conscientious Objectors, but they picked up
weapons, I noticed" (Wolfe). As Wolfe writes of her experiences,
we gain an understanding of life’s delicate balance for the military
nurse. As a medical professional she was sworn to save lives; as a
soldier, it may be necessary to take life in order to save her own. |
| During both the
Civil and the Vietnam Wars, the voice of the nurse closely mirrored
that of women’s role within society, which moreover paralleled the
political events of the times. As American conflicts pushed outside
her comfortable borders, attitudes towards war and violence changed.
Women now strived to understand the events of war, and wrote about
their experiences to help others’ understand what it was like. They
wrote in the name of patriotism, compassion, and a hope for future
peace. |
| The cause and
effect relationship between politics and military nursing produced
attitudes reflective of the era. Nurse Emma Edmonds portrays a
widespread faith in God as a strength to the soldiers as each man
received a bible in his gear inscribed with the following quote:
"Put your trust in God-and keep your powder dry." Then came the
leave-taking-but it is too painful to dwell upon-the last fond word
was spoken, the last embrace given, then came the order "march "-
and amid the cheers of the citizens-with banners proudly floating,
and the bands playing "The Star Spangled Banner," they moved forward
on their way to the Capital." During the Vietnam War, Gayle
Smith writes "I wanted to go to Vietnam to help people who didn’t
belong there. I objected to the war and I got the idea in my head of
going there to bring people back" (Smith). These varying
attitudes on war reflect an evolution from a time when one placed
their entire faith in God when going to war, to a time when war
reflected a conscience political decision, which was at times
challenged for its validity within society. |
| Their literary
writings also depict an evolution in language and style over time.
Vocabularies reflect new and forgotten words, while dialogues evolve
from eloquent an English prose to writing that reflects a raw
simplicity. Emma Edmonds’ dialect reflects language and spellings
that are unfamiliar to the twenty-first century reader, such as the
frequent use of the word "Ere", meaning "before, or earlier in
time". Vietnam writings made frequent use of the word "hooch", used
when referring to the women’s living quarters. This change in
vocabulary provides a sense of journey for the reader, as one gains
insights into personal character and society’s morals while
traveling through time. |
| Edmonds’
description of the battlefield provides an insight not only into her
historical era, but also into the emotions that arose when
encountering the mass graves of her countrymen "The disgusting
details of the field I need not describe. Over miles of shattered
forest and torn earth the dead lie, sometimes in heaps and winrows-I
mean literally! Friend and foe, black and white, with distorted
features, among mangled and dead horses, trampled in mud, and thrown
in all conceivable sorts of places. You can distinctly hear, over
the whole field, the hum and hissing of decomposition." The
voice reveals no prejudice over race or political affiliation, only
remorse for the sacrifice of so many in the name of freedom. |
| The constant
presence of death and suffering contributed to the remorseful tone
and heightened emotions of the writer. During the Vietnam War,
Jeanette Wolfe describes feelings of helplessness, while the wounded
simply cherished her presence until death. "I can't begin to
describe what it was like, the moaning of the men in the darkness,
wondering what had happened to them, where they were because they
couldn't see. A few of them could tell they were going to be alright
because they felt the hand of a woman on them, or smelled American
perfume. Many of them wanted Jerry to shine the flashlight on my
face briefly so they could see I was really an American woman, a
nurse. Sometimes shrieks screeched out in the darkness, incoherent
and primarily frightened. The voices of the other nurses and the
docs calling for more supplies or soothing the men. Men were asking
for their mothers. They asked for Jesus (Wolfe). Conveyed with
the details of suffrage it is clear that the nurses did all they
could for men who faced their mortality in the care of a total
stranger. By providing compassion in the face of fear, a caring hand
to hold, a promise to commit final goodbyes to paper or providing
reassurances of not dieing alone, the nurses gained a true sense of
worth, in spite of the misery they all were in. |
| Despite a desire to
maintain an inner strength of steel, these nurses were bound by the
same laws of human nature that makes all mortals weep. These
emotions are captured and released in various forms across time, as
each woman struggled to unveil the passions and poisons of her
blood-spattered past. Differences in literary voice emerged in
response to a social and occupational evolution. Gratification was
their sweet reward, and in knowing someone had benefited from her
care. Clear is the fact that sorrow and compassion are timeless,
despite the evolution of science and technology. |
| Her voice speaks to
me with the authority of a beehive, surrounded by much sweetness,
but encased in a catacomb of strength, comoradory and an urgent
sense of duty. As a reader, I have grown from learning her origins,
varying voice and accomplishments through history. As I embark on my
own career in healthcare, I feel a sense of connection, as feelings
of strength and compassion pulse within my veins, I also long to
care for my fellow man. |
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