Azaria+B.+-+VWD+-+SP12

Army Nurse Corps, Female Nurse
====Out of the 58,000 names engraved into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, only 8 of them were of women. However, there were 8,000 – 10,000 women who served during the war, a majority of them serving as nurses. Although the importance of female nurses in Vietnam was repeatedly overlooked, they held heavy burdens on their shoulders, day after day. “Playing God”, as some called it, deciding who should get the chance to live, and who should be let go, women faced emotional hardships constantly. ==== ====Regardless, plenty of nurses volunteered year after year, making do with little equipment and staff that they had. As nurses, they sometimes had to go above and beyond their normal duties. With so many deaths, the nurses constantly had to deal with the job of being the last person many men saw, touched, or even loved. Being women, some had to take on motherly roles comforting, caring for, and giving them love and attention. ==== ==== Many women realized the vital part they played in American society during the Vietnam war, and they acted on it by becoming nurses. Although women were shut down for a majority of other positions, nurses came in by the hundreds. Even through suffering up to 36 hour shifts, nurses stayed on their feet and attended to the wounded. ==== ==== It was hard to be noticed as a nurse during the war, especially with such limitations, but few did it. Some were promoted to flag ranks like Col. Anna Mae Hays and Brig. Gen. Elizabeth P. Hoisington. With the way gender roles played out in this time period, nurses accepted the appreciation and gratification they were given. After the war, the Army Nurse Crops gained more recognition and has grown tremendously. Many of the women hold baccalaureate degree or higher in nursing or a similar field. ====

Works Cited  "ARMY.MIL Features." //U.S. Army Women Nurses //. Web. 01 May 2012. .

//YouTube //. Dir. Seizeallhearts. //YouTube //. YouTube, 24 Apr. 2009. Web. 01 May 2012. .