For those of you that have Army Knowledge Online access, a video can be downloaded with a message from MG Pollack; ANC 105th Anniversary MG Pollack
On 2 FEB 1901, [female] Army nurses became an actual component of the Army. IMHO, two other dates are equally important in the history of the Army Nurse Corps.
Men served as nurses in one capacity or another from the Revolutionary War until 1901. Ironically, with the founding of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901 men were excluded by law from such service. It was not until 9 AUG 1955, when President Eisenhower signed into law H.R. 2559, that Male RNs were authorized reserve commissions in the ANC. In 1961, Ohio Representative Frances Payne Bolton introduced a bill to Congress to authorize regular commissions for Male RNs.
However, 11 years passed before Male RNs were to receive regular commissions in the ANC. Due to efforts made by the 12th Chief of the ANC, COL Mildred Irene Clark, on 30 SEP 1966 [Public law 89-609] authorized regular commissions for Male RNs. So, eleven years elapsed between the time the first Male RN was commissioned in the ANC in the USAR & when Male RNs were allowed to apply for a regular commission.
*Source from the book written by Mary T. Sarnecky, COL ®, USA, A History of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps [iSBN 0-8122-3502-9].
WOW! Thanks for that piece in our military history! I am proud to have served my 4 years in the USAF. But I am also proud to now serve in the civilian sector. Thanks for the post, that is very interesting.
WOW! Thanks for that piece in our military history! I am proud to have served my 4 years in the USAF. But I am also proud to now serve in the civilian sector. Thanks for the post, that is very interesting.
Your welcome for the HX info, and thank you for your AF service, too.
Corvette Guy
1,505 Posts
For those of you that have Army Knowledge Online access, a video can be downloaded with a message from MG Pollack; ANC 105th Anniversary MG Pollack
On 2 FEB 1901, [female] Army nurses became an actual component of the Army. IMHO, two other dates are equally important in the history of the Army Nurse Corps.
Men served as nurses in one capacity or another from the Revolutionary War until 1901. Ironically, with the founding of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901 men were excluded by law from such service. It was not until 9 AUG 1955, when President Eisenhower signed into law H.R. 2559, that Male RNs were authorized reserve commissions in the ANC. In 1961, Ohio Representative Frances Payne Bolton introduced a bill to Congress to authorize regular commissions for Male RNs.
However, 11 years passed before Male RNs were to receive regular commissions in the ANC. Due to efforts made by the 12th Chief of the ANC, COL Mildred Irene Clark, on 30 SEP 1966 [Public law 89-609] authorized regular commissions for Male RNs. So, eleven years elapsed between the time the first Male RN was commissioned in the ANC in the USAR & when Male RNs were allowed to apply for a regular commission.
*Source from the book written by Mary T. Sarnecky, COL ®, USA, A History of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps [iSBN 0-8122-3502-9].