My gosh, this was the old west - a small building and nothing else. It looked like the end of the earth to me. I walked to the depot and the only person there was the station master. My mouth was dry; did I really want to be here. I asked where the base was and how I could get there. "Just sit on the bench there and someone will pick you up soon," he told me. About 45 minutes later an enlisted man came in and said: "Hey you, you going to the base? Yes, I'm in the Army Nurses Air Corps," I told him proudly. He said nothing but picked up my bag and motioned for me to follow him.
A small car, which I later learned was called a Jeep, was parked nearby and I got in with him. It was a hot, dry and dusty seven mile drive to the base. I didn’t mind the driver not talking because I was interested in my surroundings - so flat, brown and without trees.
The Jeep pulled up to a long wooden building and the driver muttered "there's the admission building." He took my bag, deposited it on the ground and pulled away almost before I could say thanks. I looked slowly around, saw no one, walked up the steps and opened the door. A long hall before I passed an office and walked in.
The woman at the desk looked up and held out her hand, "Where're your orders?" I passed them to her and stood waiting for instructions. "I'll send you to the nurse’s barracks and tomorrow you come back here and sign some vouchers.” Another enlisted man deposited me at a smaller wooden building. In fact there were several buildings joined together with long wooden walkways - the hospital wards I learned later.
As I got out of the Jeep, climbed steps and opened the door, I saw a long, long hall with many doors off of it and at the end a large room with a table and some comfortable chairs and a radio - the nurse’s day room. A grayish-haired, middle-aged woman looked up from the table and said "You must be the new nurse. I'm Lt. Jensen, head nurse.” ‘I'm Barbara Evans’ “Well, Barbara, I'll show you your room and then get someone to show you the mess hall. It's late but you might be able to get something to eat." I assumed that mess hall must mean dining room - and so it was.
After eating I went back to the day room and met some fellow nurses. Lts. Garfinkle and Galst were older and had served for two years but had only been at this base for four months. They were New Yorkers and had accents that I had only heard in movies. Then I met four other nurses, all about my age, who had been on the base for two weeks.
We had to attend classes on army regulations, learn how to drill and march. At the quartermaster I was issued army nurse uniforms, white shoes, cape and cape. They didn't have my size in dress uniforms so 1 was able to wear civilian clothes off duty until my size came in. We were also issued large foot lockers. As soon as we received army issues all of our civilian clothes were to be sent home. No jewelry was allowed. We did supply our own underwear and nightclothes.
About a week later I still had not gone anyplace or met anyone particularly friendly and I was feeling a bit homesick. The nurses at the barracks had been there longer, had made friends, and I was not yet part of their circle.
About 7:30 one evening Lt. Garfinkle walked into my room and said "I missed dinner, do you want to walk over to the officers club with me and get a sandwich?” Sure, why not. It was my first chance to see the club. We ordered a sandwich from the cook and walked into the dining room, which was huge and almost empty.
Two officers were eating at one table, chatting, so I walked to the next table, sat down and Garfinkle followed. One of the officers was brown-haired and my heart did a flipflop when I looked at the other handsome, black-haired lad. Little did I know that one day one of them would be my husband. The one with brown hair put down his half-eaten sandwich and pushed his plate away. Loud enough for them to hear, I told my nurse friend "A willful waste is a woeful want."
The man with brown hair turned to me and said, "What kind of an evangelist are you?" We started to talk, the usual stuff to get acquainted, but I noticed the attractive other officer didn't partake much or seem very interested.
The brown-haired guy was loquacious and seemed very interested but I didn't care much for him. He was good looking with large hazel eyes, a straight nose and beautiful small, white teeth: but I didn't like his attitude. He oozed self confidence, had a sharp wit but he kept a constant smile on his face which might mean friendliness but I felt was mocking and supercilious. I asked Garfinkle if she was ready to leave and as we started to go the brown-haired chap said "My name is Lyle Mercer, wait a minute and I'll walk you back to your barracks. “It isn't really necessary," I replied. "I'm officer of the day" he replied "and I must see that you get to your barracks safely."
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| That man with the brown hair. |
As we walked along he said to me "So you're a nurse? I know some nurses and they're pretty hot stuff. “Well," I said huffily, "I'll have you to know that I'm 22 years old and have as much modesty as any other girl my age, even if I am a nurse:" He talked on but I didn't say much and when we got to the barracks Garfinkle walked inside. The Lt grabbed my hand and said "Why not stay outside and talk a while?" My response was "Lt., you are the most sarcastic man I have ever met and if I ever meet you again, and I hope I don’t, I will call you Sarky. Goodnight:" His mouth closed, he looked at me in astonishment, then his eyes opened wide and he started to laugh. I went into the building and shut the door. Garfinkle said, "Say, I think that guy likes you." "Well, I don't like him," was my response.
I had always wanted to be a nurse but when I entered training my big objective had been to be an air stewardess (nursing was a prerequisite). The height requirement was 5'2" but I had thought I could get around that, even though I was only 5'. The Air Corps stipulated a minimum weight of 100 lbs. for its recruits. When I was weighed for my physical, the scale recorded 92 lbs. The recruiting sergeant advised me to go home, eat milkshakes and everything else in eight for two weeks and return. I did and, the day I returned, I stuffed on shakes but when I stepped on the scale it recorded only 95 lbs. The sgt. turned his back and said "What done: the scale say?" "One hundred pounds I told him." "Great! I knew you could do it; you pass with flying colors."
The day after the Topeka flight I applied for air evacuation school but was told classes were filled and openings could be a long way off. Frieda and Alice, two other nurses at the Grand Island base applied with me. By now I was getting to know people and we were kept so busy that time really did fly.
Five of us nurse recruits were taking military drill classes taught by a quartermaster captain. Every day we would line up in the road in front of our barracks and Maurice would try to teach us to march and other military procedures. One time when we were standing at attention I dropped my comb, which I had been holding in my hand so I could comb my hair frequently. Heavens, you would have thought I had done something terrible the way the drill master barked at me for just stooping over to pick up my comb. Eventually we learned to march in an orderly manner, how to stand at parade rest and salute. It was not too long before we were included in some of the many ceremonies on the base.
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