Evening star., 1934-04-27
TRIBUTE IS PAID
TO WAR HERO|NES
Nurses Dedicate Monument
to Miss Jane DeIanO and
Others Who Died.

The sisterhood Of American nurses
joined en- masse yesterday afternoon
in paying tribute to one of its most
! distinguished members and leaders,
when the American Nurses Associ-
alton, the National League Of Nursing
Education, the National Organization
,, Red Gross, Army and Navy Nursing
services together dedicated the monu-
ment erected in the Red Cross Garden
to Miss Jane A. Delano and the 296
nurses who lost their lives in the
World War.
The bronze memorial, consisting OF
an exedra of white marble fanking
on either side the statue representing
the spirit of nursing with hands out
stretched in compassion and service,
is the work of DR.. R. TAFT Mckenzie,
sculptor. 1t was erected with funds
contributed chiefly by nurses and
begun by small gifts from members OF
the Army Nurse Corps in March,
1920, less than year after the death
of Miss Delano at Savenay, France,
April IS, 1919.
Before the ceremonies began, uni
formed groups representing each Of
the hospitals in Washington, the
Army, Navy, Red Cross, the Bellevue
Hospital Nursing School Alumnae
Association, the National Organization
of American World War Nurses, and
the Jane A. Delano Post of the Amer
ican Legion. marched into the garden
and formed three arms OF cross,
leaving the monument itself to COM
, plete the fourth arm.
Classmate Unveils Statue.
Miss Elnora E. Thomson, president
of the American Nurses Association.
presided and presented the memorial
on behalf of the nurses. DR.. Ae-
Barney Phillips, chaplain Of the U. S.
Senate, said the invocation.
This was followed by the unvelling.
Miss Anna w. Kerr. classmate OF
Miss Delano at Bellevue, her close
friend, and her companion when she
died. pulled the cord that dropped a
huge Red Cross flag behind which
the figure was hidden. AS the flag
dropped to the ground, Arthur s.
Whitcomb, second leader of the U. S.
Marine Band, sounded Taps.
Miss Mabel T. Boardman, secretary
of the American Red Cross, accepted
the memorial on behalf of the Red
Cross. To Miss Delano, Miss Board
man said, the United States owes its
present great nursing service.
ITO live in the hearts of those who
remain behind is not to die Miss
Boardman's tribute said.
Gen. Ireland Speaks.
Mai. Gen. M. w. Ireland, retired,
former Surgeon General Of the Army,
bespoke the gratitude of that arm OF
the service. He told how Miss Delano
accepted appointment as superintend-
ent of the Army Nurse Corps, and in
creased its membership 20 to 5000
members, and made the whole Red
Cross Nursing Service a reserve for
the military and naval services.
This occasion should not pass" he
said, without a word for the 296
nurses with the Army during the war
who made the supreme sacrifice Tor
their country. Most of these women
were young, with the prospects Of a
useful life before them. Their ideals
were of the highest and their enthusi-
asm beautiful.
"At first it was thought nurses
| would serve only in our general hos
pitals and in the war zone far back
of the battle front. But in France
hundreds of these nurses served in
casualty clearing stations, evacuation
hospitals, field hospitals and surgical
hospitals, where they were subjected
to all the hardship of service at the
front, including bombing. None was
killed by the enemy's missiles, but sew
eral were wounded. Their attention
to duty and their courage were mag
nificent, ard they met their final
illnesses with superb courage.
Truly the death of Miss Delano
and these 296 nurses were casualties
of war just as though they had died
on the field of battle"
Six Years Abroad.
Miss Lucy Minnigerode, superin-
tendent of nurses of the United States
Public Health Service and chairman
of the Memorial Committee, also paid
tribute to the nurses who gave their
lives during the war. She pointed
out that American nurses began their
services abroad in 1914 and continued
their work until the last American
soldiers returned from France in 1920.
Bishop James H. Ryan, rector of
Catholic University, said the benedic-
ton. During the entire ceremony ap-
propriate music was presented by the
United States Marine Band.
AS an added tribute, memorial
wreaths were placed at the base of the
monument by five organizations. Miss
| Clara D. Noyes, director of the Red
Cross Nursing Service and former
associate Of Miss Delano, placed q
victory wreath for the Red Cross.
Maj. Julia c. Stimson, superintendent
of the Army Nursing Corps, repre-
sented the Army; Miss j. Beatrice
Bowman. superintendent of the Navy
Nurse Corps, the Navy; Miss AIDA
Eldridge, past president, represented
the American Nurses Association, and
Miss Maude johnson represented the
Bellevue Hospital Alumnae Association.
Although he was not included on