caption serviceyears servicenumber branch death_date death_place birth_place unit awards battles birth_date placeofburial rank image article_title name
united states air force flight nurse badge 1941 1946 n734426 united states army nurse corps 26 january 1981 sacramento , california rocksprings , texas 813th medical air evacuation transport squadron air medal purple heart world war ii 19 august 1919 san francisco national cemetery lieutenant united states air force flight nurse badge.svg reba z. whittle
 reba zitella whittle
reba z. whittle

first lieutenant reba zitella whittle -lrb- august 19 , 1919 -- january 26 , 1981 -rrb- was a member of the united states army nurse corps during world war ii .
she became the only american military female prisoner of war in the european theater after her casualty evacuation aircraft was shot down in september 1944 .
