Caroline Bradburn Bradford

In June 1942, I graduated from high school-- on September 16, 1942, I entered Garfield Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Washington, DC. In July 1943, with much publicity, Mrs Bolton visited our Hospital and the students who wished to join pledged ourselves to serve in essential nursing for the duration of the war.  We were fitted (??) for uniforms (they were all too big!) which we wore with pride. We Cadets were the backbone of total patient care until our graduation in September, 1945. We worked 8 hours a day plus attended our classes and did our homework, often working until 11 pm and returning at 7 am. I served at Garfield Hospital in DC, Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, St. Elizabeth's Hospital in DC, and the last 6 months at Newton D Baker General Army Hospital, Martinsburg, WV, where we were assigned to Officer's quarters, Officer's mess, even subjected to a drill Sargent!  It was here that we welcomed and cared for survivors of the Baatan Death March, POWs from Germany, changed numerous orthopedic dressings, helped  many with eye injuries, as well as those with anxiety and psychiatric issues. We were welcomed at USO events. I planned to enlist in the Army Nurse Corps but fortunately The War ended so I applied to the Veterans' Administration and was sent to Winter General Hospital in Topeka, Kansas. My time in the Cadet Nurse Corps had a defining influence on the way I approached the rest of my life.