The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-05-12
Nurses Training
For Invasion Day
BY RUTH CowAN

BY RUTH COWAN
WITH THE U. S. ARMY MEDI-
CAL CORPS IN BRITAIN III
Pre-invasion life in Britain is get.
ting grim and realistic for Uncle
Sans army nurses.
Evening dresses are out and
nurses might just as well send
home their pretty afternoon frocks
if they brought them, for they
won't be wearing them even on
leave.
And newcomers are advised not
to wait until they take typical
English o d before substituting
flannel pajamas for satin night
gowns and wool panties for dainty
silk Seamless
It's one phase of the condition
ing program worked out by Lieut..
Col. Ida w. Danielson of Walnut
Grove, Mimi, new director of the
U. S. Army Nurses Corps in the
European theater of operations.
Accompanied by her assistant
director, Maj. Esther R. McCaf-
ferty of Wilmington, Del, she is
visiting military hospitals where
nurses are on duty or are in train
ing for their role in the invasion.
"We are trying to get across to
the girls that they must get geared
up for what is ahead,' said Lieut..
Col. Danielson, highest ranking
American woman in this theater
of operations.
She is of medium height and
slim. She ears her grazing,
brown hair in a soft bob. Her very
blue eyes are friendly and direct.
in manner h is approachable
and she laughs easily. But there's
an undercurrent Of confident eff
ficiency.
Morale Excellent
Morale among the nurses over
here is excellent" she said. They
are eager to get into action"
At American military hospitals
throughout Britain pre- invasion
training is b Elm 6 intensified. AS
part of this program dry runs"
army term for practice-are be-
ing held.
She related how hospital units
are called upon suddenly to handle
a hospital train supposedly filled
with wounded. Hospitals are faced
with a supposed influx of blitz vic
Tins. Both for practice, and as a
real service, patients have been
evacuated by air from American
in Ireland to England.
Lieut.. Col. Danielson began her
nurses training at St. Peters hos.
pital in St. Peter, MINI, and had
a years post graduate study at
the Mayo Clinic in Rochester be-
fore joining the Army Nursing
Corps. From 1885 to 1886 she was
chief nurse at the Sternberg Gen
eral hospital in Honolulu and d.
rector of nurses in the Philippines
ana IN emma.
The conventional greeting from
small fry in the many countries
where American troops e sta
toned is: Have you got any
gum"
But Pfc. Mary Lever Of Column
bia, S. c., WAC driver based I
in London, is of the opinion that
two English lads carried matters
too far.
WACs in London are housed in
a peers former town mansion, and
it has a magnificent mirror lined
bathroom and huge tub.
After a hard days drive, Mary |
leisurely was taking a bath. She
had soaped her face when she be-
came aware that someone had en-
tered the room.
She got the soap out Of her eyes
to see two small boys standing in
the middle of the room.
Hey" she began as one of
them came up to the tub.
Have you got any gum, lady?"
He asked.
mo. And you get out of here"
exploded Mary.
Capt. Vera Won Stein OF Los An
geles, Calf, commanding officer
of Wacs at the headquarters of
the U. S. Army 9th Airforce Bomb
err Command, related that doctors
on the base are a bit puzzled.
It seems that many Wacs' right
arms are a bit longer than their
left.
Gould that be developing from
SO m uch saluting?" Wondered
Capt. Won Stein,
The WAC assistant director,
Frances Sue Cornick of Norfolk,
Va, is now wearing a majors gold
leaves. With them she joins the
r n k of Maj. Anna Wilson of
Studio City, Calf, WAC director,
and Maj. Mary pee Vice. Hal
lanen of Lowell, Mass, head of
WACs assigned to the 9th airforce. |
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