Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Uniform |
Source |
Shelby County Historical Society |
Iowa History Era Tag |
World War II to an Urban State (1940-1963) |
Chronological Tag |
The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945) |
Catalog Number |
2018.061.003 |
Credit line |
Shelby County Historical Society- Harlan, IA |
Description |
Gatha Baughn served as a nurse during WWII. Because women were not allowed to serve in the military in the same capacity as men, most women enlisted as military nurses during the wars. Most nurses were young, single women with no children. This uniform includes two shoulder patches and three ribbon pins. Gatha dedicated much of her life to serving as a nurse in the military, never marrying or having kids. Her uniforms and accessories were donated by her family after her death. Her uniform and photo are significant because they highlight female military service and can be used in a discussion on women's history. Content can be used with the following standards: SS-W.H. 9-12.26 Iowans Influence World History in a lesson on womens' contributions to WWII. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item regarding copyright restrictions. |
Additional Research & Sources |
Wanting to offer help to the war effort, many women chose to enlist in the Army as a nurse. While women were active in the Civil War as nurses, the Army Nurse Corps was not established until 1901. With help from the American Red Cross, YWCA, and ARC Workers, nurses went overseas to areas such as Britain, Belgium, France and Italy to aid injured soldiers. Beginning in 1944, before a nurse could leave the U.S., she must go through a 144 hour basic training program that consisted of learning basic military training, organization, sanitation and ward/clinic nursing. While nurses did not fight in the field, they dealt with their own difficulties of working in a stressful hospital environment, often with low supplies to treat the wounded with. Their importance was recognized near the end of WWI, when nurses were given ranks similar to soldiers and were able to be declared an Officer, Major, or Lieutenant Colonel. |
Primary/Secondary Source |
Significant - State/National |
County Tag |
Shelby |
People |
Baughn, Gatha |
Relation |
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Multimedia Links |
Click here to view/hear the file. |
Search Terms |
War & Conflict Women's Experience WW2 World War II Women Uniforms Nurses War |
Legal Status |
Ownership of this resource is held by the Shelby County Historical Society and has been provided here for educational purposes only, specifically for use in the Iowa Museum Association's "Teaching Iowa History" project. It may not be downloaded, reproduced or distributed in any format without written permission from the Rights Holder. For information on U.S. and International copyright laws, consult an attorney. |
