Mission

This website is a compilation of information about the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps—the nation's first integrated uniformed U.S. service corps—which fulfilled an urgent need for nurses during World War II. At that time many nurses were called overseas to military service, and others were attracted to the defense industry, while understaffed civilian hospitals in the United States were on the verge of collapse.

By 1945, U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps nurses were providing 80% of the nursing care in U.S. hospitals.

This website is for anyone who wants to learn more about this program and these remarkable women. It is also a reminder that now 72 years later, the legacy of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps continues to be felt. These pioneering nurses were trailblazers during World War II and in the decades that followed. We are honored and humbled by their service to our nation and to the nursing profession. Their stories of commitment and their love of country deserve to be known and publicly recognized.

Don't let the Cadet Nurse Corps slip away
from the Patriot Ledger, Quincy, Massachusetts

...We should take time out to pay tribute to the dedicated group of women who promised to stay in nursing in service of their country for as long as it was necessary to win the war that raged when they entered service. Their contribution was critical to the many young men for whom they cared. It was a contribution we should never forget. By stepping into uniform for their country, the {U.S. Cadet} Nurse Corps played an essential role in ending the war. They should be honored for their efforts.
Army Surgeon General Norman T. Kirk in his tribute to the "Corps" on its 50th anniversary