San Diego veterans salute US Nurse Corps saving the wounded in war

SAN DIEGO.  It was patriotic shot in the arm to see the United States Nurse Corps of the Army, Navy, and Air Force honored at Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial.  In celebration of Veterans Day 2021, these unsung women and men were given due credit for providing medical care and the human touch to those suffering and dying in armed conflicts around the globe. Members of the Nurse Corps have experienced it all in distant battlefields, aboard ships, in small outposts and forts, all while continuing to maintain their composure and enact selfless service.

Surrounded by 5,000 granite plaques of memorialized service members, it was their time to be saluted for healing our wounded warriors, themselves heroes, too. The ceremony started off with a show of Marine Colors by the Marine Color Guard from Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD). Then all stood for the pledge of allegiance, followed by the National Anthem and prayer. The Marine Band San Diego provided stirring and lively music. This is the traditional America that millions love and will never surrender.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria spoke about his own military family going back generations. Veterans of San Diego paid a high-flying debt of thanks to the Nurse Corps who stand quietly, yet ready to rescue our troops as they fight America’s enemies.

The Nurse Corps has a long, rich history starting with the American Revolution.

It started with the American Revolution when the Continental Army requested nurses take care of the wounded and sick in 1776. At that time care was given in makeshift tent hospitals and private homes by the mothers, wives, and sisters of the troops.

On May 13, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt established the United States Navy Nurse Corps. In 1949, a historic 1,199 nurses transferred from the Army to form the Air Force Nurse Corps.

During the Vietnam War, 8,000-10,000 nurses endured the challenges of saving massive numbers of wounded. They treated burn victims and those with upper and lower bodily wounds from rifle fire, mines and grenades, and shrapnel from bombs and lethal projectiles. There were penetrating brain injuries, major blood loss, as well as exhaustion and dehydration.

The average age of a nurse in Vietnam was 23. Some were as young as 20. In heavy combat, nurses were required to make quick life-saving decisions. They worked in 12- hour shifts and as long as 36 hours straight during mass casualty events.

Members of the Nurse Corps saw grown men cry and writhe in pain. Clothes were often blood-soaked.  It was stressful seeing so many wounded. Guilt wrought havoc on nurses’ emotions for those they could not save.

War injuries have plagued humanity through the dawn of time.

However, ninety-eight percent of those troops who made it to a hospital in Vietnam survived due to round- the-clock efforts of nurses, doctors, corpsmen, medics and other medical personnel. This includes helicopter pilots and crews who went into dangerous landing zones and ground vehicles dispatched on CASEVAC missions to pick up the bleeding at risk of dying.

Medal of Honor living recipient John Baca served on “a recoilless rifle team when the lead platoon of his company was ambushed. Baca covered a tossed grenade with his helmet and then laid his body over the helmet.

“The explosion threw me on my back,” he said. “I was awake. I could see my stomach just pouring out of me. It was a numbing feeling. It was a peaceful feeling. I thought I was going to die, and I knew I would meet it in a peaceful attitude.”

Baca, “unhesitatingly, and with complete disregard for his own safety,” saved eight fellow soldiers from severe injuries and death. (Freedoms Foundation)

Two heroes sat together at the Mt. Soledad ceremony – Baca and his nurse in Vietnam. A legacy was born that day for a warrior and his virtuous caregiver. As a result, future generations benefit from those who save.

“Not for self, but for others” is the Nurse Corps mission.

They stood with dress blues on, arms at salute to the flag representing their country.  A kind of awe surrounded the courageous and dutiful.

Keynote speaker Rear Admiral Cynthia A. Kuehner reminded everyone what a hard job nurses and doctors have in war. They give comfort when there is none to give. Kuehner worked providing direct casualty care during the height of combat operations in Fallujah in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Vigilant Resolve. She also served as executive officer on the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Khost, Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Nurses recently returned from the Non Combatant Operation during the Afghanistan withdrawal were given recognition for their actions saving both U.S. troops and Afghan civilians during a chaotic time and after a surprise suicide bomber attack. Those sights and sounds lay fresh on their minds. Images of war make an indelible mark on the psyche and can change perspective, even lives forever.

The Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial in San Diego is unique honoring veterans living or deceased from the Revolutionary War to the current war on terror. This sacred military shrine looks out over the Pacific blue ocean,  showcasing all who make sacrifices  from Presidents to privates.

Due to many efforts, a new plaque will now find a home on the wall of honor.  It’s a never-ending expansion to carry our early patriots’ legacy forward. God Bless America.