Driving It Home with Patti VasquezPatti Vasquez is joined by Dr. Leah Garrett, award-winning historian and author. Her new book, “The Flight Nurses’ War: The American Women Who Saved Thousands of Lives at Iwo Jima and Okinawa,” came out Tuesday.
Here are a few key points from the conversation:
- The Navy selected and trained nurses to fly into contested airstrips, triage wounded Marines, and accompany them on flights to Guam without doctors.
- Garrett said the program addressed severe medical staff shortages and threats to medical personnel; the nurses proved highly effective.
- She drew on military archives, family collections, interviews, letters, photographs, and memoirs to recover the nurses’ stories.
- The interview highlighted Chicago-born Army nurse Betty Rothenberg’s service at Okinawa.
- The nurses received group medals and later recognition from veterans, though Garrett said they did not receive the individual medals they deserved.
Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).
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