Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-03-21

or col lege
gi s. or -
women whose
main occupa- -
ton was to-
be pretty or ~, p,rrv,,xn
amusing. You
should see them now.
Mrs. Carl Grawn suggested,
why don't you go In the grad
uatiOn exercises for the Volun-
teer Hospital Nurses Aid
course"
what story IL there" i won
dered. Elm watching some assist
ant nurses get their caps"
found out.
In their blue and white uni
forms, they were sitting in the
front rows Of the operating
amphitheater at Harper Hos
pltal, 70 of them.
They were there because the
need for army and navy nurses
has been draining the hospitals.
There aren't enough. America
needs thousands. This is the
beginning.
So these Detroit women,
some from busy lives, some from
leisureiy ones, volunteered 20
take the place of the expert
enced nurses who are moving
tovArd the battle fronts.
This was the second group 20
finish the course. It's possible
In fact -likeiy-thst within the
next few weeks some char ity
patient will he having his pulse
taken by Crosse Pointe dehu-
tante who II working for
nothing.
They are learning their work
with extreme speed The need
Is enormous; perhaps that is
why. Yet most Of them were In
an entirely now field when they
started the COURSE, Emily Sar-
gent told Of one girls answer
~ the question. Which side Of
the bod do you opcn when
patient is being brought in -
The answer should he. Tho
side toward tho stretcher" But
= few weeks ago ane Of these
students said, The side toward.
the Window
And another. seeing babies In
an isolation ward. said, Look
nj them cute babies in insuia-
ton" Sure. they made all the
mistakes that are always made
by women learning to he nurses.
But they have gotten past that
stage much more quickly Maybe
that's cue that shows how
Americans work when the going
gets tough.
Americans i'd I sHy7 Sure
Americans ] talked 10 these
volunteers, Mrs Mary Louise
TecG--Swiss ard her husband
is Norwegian Which makes
US twice As interested in win
ming the war. "
MarV G. DeliSo. an Italian.
Mrs SeveEjno Martinez, dark
haired and Spauish and an
nther with dark hair. Mrs
Julian Mainc Indian,
Mrs. Otto Grnb is from
Southern GERMANY CPartIv
AlsatiaR." she adds without
commentD She hears little
from Germany. last Novem-
her" she said. "the last letter
came. what did u saye What
could they say except, We are
alive"
From Scotland came Mrs.
David Behaves. and Mrs. Helen
Middleton who has been iu the
Motor Corps and other sctivi-
ties hut found the need 10 be
greatest In nursing. Mrs. Ano
LaBow Is Jewish: Mrs. Robert
VI. Back came from Durham.
England my son, Aihort. l. in
the American navy now. and
Robert II going In the air
corps" sse said. This work
helps me keen my mind busy"
Mrs. Helen Toparcean went 30
school in Bucharest. When last
she heard from her father. nc
was an engineer for the Ru-
manian government, hut she has
not heard from him since 1898.
Next to Mrs. Martinez stood
Ruth Hargraves. whats there
TO say about me ." she said.
I'm just plain American"
Black hair. blond or gray. All
ages. all nations. Mrs. Walter
iIuzar. a Ukrainian who was
born in Austria Mrs. Ralph
SimondS, who took the course
side by side with her daughter.
Mrs. William Seelbach Jr.
One thing is different. Mrs.
John Coppin (the wife Of the
artist: she's one of 10 former
nurses who came hack 10 work
for nothing. teaching the volun-
teers) says there isn't much
hOrse-play now. No sending
new girls 10 the kitchen for
"a pie streteher."
The need is too real. and time