My Army Service Uniform

On the outside, my Army Service Uniform looks like the standard uniform courtesy of Army Regulations 670-1.

 

However, under the jacket is my personal salute to 13 Army Air Force nurses who survived the crash-landing of a Grumman C-53D Skytrooper, called the “Gooney Bird" during World War II. These 13 nurses were assigned to the 807th Army Air Force Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron (MAETS). Along with the 13 nurses were 13 medics and 4 members of the flight crew.

The aircraft crashed-landed on November 8, 1943. After being blown off course by a storm and being found by the German Luftwaffe  fighters, the pilots put the aircraft down in what they believed to be Allied territory in Italy. They were unaware that they had crossed the Adriatic Sea and were now landing in Nazi-occupied Albania.

After 3-months of running and hiding from Nazi troops, 27 of the team members were rescued. A month later, the remaining 3 team members were found and rescued.

Following their debriefing, all team members were instructed they were not allowed to discuss their story with anyone. Only now, over 50 years later, are we just learning what happened to 26 members of our medical teammates and 4 flight crew members. 

 

If you know me, you know I am not a big reader. However, with the rediscovery of "books on tape" I have been enjoying experiencing the stories of our past. So, if you are intrigued by my choice in uniform alterations, I encourage you to read The Secret Rescue: An Untold Story of American Nurses and Medics Behind Nazi Lines, by Cate Linberry.