Memorial Day weekend is often considered  “The first long weekend of summer.” You might have a BBQ planned, or a beach day, or maybe even your town’s parade. But, Memorial Day weekend is way more than that. It is a time to remember those who have served and fought for their country, and ultimately lost their lives in the line of duty.

Memorial Day usually refers to the soldiers. But, throughout history, nurses have been on the frontlines, risking their lives and caring and comforting injured soldiers.

Nursing became a permanent resident in the U.S. Army Medical Department in 1901 as the U.S. Army Nurse Corps (ANC). But, documents have placed nurses in the line of duty since the Civil War and the Crimean War. Well-known nurses like, Clara Barton and Florence Nightingale, have stepped in to care for the wounded during the time of war.

After the Civil War, the Spanish-American War had nurses serving in the military as well, but these nurses were only volunteers and civilians. But, this war saw the need for having a more permanent place in the U.S. military. At first, nurses weren’t awarded the same ranking as others in the army, which inevitably led to issues of who can call orders and who should comply with them. In 1908, however, the U.S. Navy formed the Navy Nurse Corps.

There was an increase of nurses in both of the World Wars. In World War I, there were approximately 30,000 women in the military, most of them as nurses, and by the end of World War II, there were over 59,000 in the ANC (in the beginning of WWII, there were only 1000). It wasn’t until WWII that nurses received the same (or close to) standards of rank as soldiers. In 1947, the Air Force Medical Service established their own nurse corps.

By the time of the Korean War, nurses were the only females allowed in combat. They served aboard ships, mobile hospitals, and hospital trains. Soon, however, the nurse corps reduced their ranks in the Vietnam War, where less than 7,000 nurses served. According to a teacher who served in the Vietnam War, when asking his students about the toughest job while on the frontlines, he said, “Not one of them had the same answer I did. I told them I thought it was being a nurse.”

After the Vietnam War, military nurses continued their presence, protecting soldiers in the Invasion of Grenada and the Panama War, the first Gulf War, and in the war against terrorism in Iraq and Afganistan. They have played, and continue to play, an essential role in transporting patients, assisting other healthcare personnel, tending to wounded soldiers, and comforting soldiers in their time of need.

A military nurse is one of the most respected professions in the military, and it has provided the framework for other nurses in different fields. This Memorial Day, after spending time with your family and friends on the first “long weekend of summer”, make sure to pay tribute to the nurses who have helped protect and serve their countries.

How other nurses have been involved with the military: Being a Veterans Affairs Nurse

American veterans will always a special place in the hearts of the people of the country for the kind of service they render in the name of the country and spirit. They need to be applauded for what they have done to the country and need to be taken care of while they are convalescing. When it comes to veteran care, veteran affairs (VA) nurses will know better than anyone what they need as they are the primary medical professionals responsible for the health and well-being of the veterans. The veterans affairs nurses will have also have a major role to play in transitioning veterans back into their civilian life after their careers are done.

To work as a veteran affairs nurse means that you will practice in a unique kind of atmosphere with patients who need delicate and special methods of care. In simple terms, this job is best-suited for the individuals who are looking to create a difference in other people’s lives. A career in VA, as well as a military nurse, is not only satisfying, but rewarding.

A veteran affairs nurse will not only work in VA hospitals but also can be employed in outpatient centers, nursing homes, as well as in the home-based primary care settings. The primary duty of a VA nurse will be to provide care for veterans, performing duties like:

• Treating post-war trauma
• Dressing wounds
• Enhancing morale

The roles and responsibilities of the VA nurses don’t stop with assisting the veterans in maintaining and reclaiming their health. They will also have to offer them the emotional rehabilitation to help veterans know how to live and survive with their existing disabilities.