Spanish-American War Nurses Memorial and nurses field of dead - Arlington National Cemetery - 2013-08-24
Looking west across the "nurses section" (Section 21) at the rear of the Spanish-American War Nurses Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, in the United States.
The Spanish-American War was a ten-week conflict that occurred in the spring and summer of 1898. Cuba had been waging a war of independence against Spain since 1895, an effort largely supported by the United States (which had extensive economic interests on the island). To ensure the safety of American citizens and property in Cuba, the United States sent the battleship "USS Maine" to Havana in late January 1898. The Maine exploded and was destroyed with large loss of life on February 15. American newspapers whipped up war fever, and held Spain responsible for the ship's destruction. The Spanish-American War began on April 25, 1898, and ended on August 12, 1898.
The U.S. military barred women from serving in any capacity prior to the war. Although the Army had 791 nurses, they were all male, and far too few to provide the medical care needed. Congress quickly authorized the military to hire female nurses -- but on contract, and not as military personnel. Of the 1,563 nurses recruited for the new Nurse Corps, most served in hospitals in the United States. Only 76 were sent to Cuba, 30 to the Philippines, nine to Puerto Rico, six to Honolulu, and eight served aboard the hospital ship "USS Relief". It was the first time in American history where nurses were fully accepted in military hospitals.
Over the ensuing years, as nurse-veterans of the Spanish-American War died, they sought interrment in Section 21 of Arlington National Cemetery. The western end of this section became known as the "Nurses' Section" because so many nurses were buried here.
In June 1899, Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee co-founded the Order of Spanish-American War Nurses to (among other things) commemorate the service of contract nurses during the Spanish-American War and serve as an advocate for nurses within the U.S. military. At the founding convention in August 7, 1899, members of the Order agreed to sponsor a nurses' monument at Arlington National Cemetery. Fundraising went very slowlyl. In the late summer of 1903, Dr. McGee received assurance from Secretary of War Elihu Root that the Order could erect a memorial in Section 21. However, the U.S. Army Quartermaster General requested that order erect a simple, artistic monument rather than anything elaborate.
Many Order members favored the figure of a nurse, but donations were so few by early 1905 that Dr. McGee worried it might never be built. There seemed little reason to believe that more time would allow the order to construct a grander memorial. The Order scaled back its plans for a large memorial, and instead went with a smaller one. In early 1905, the Order contracted with Barclay Bros., a granite company in Barre, Vermont, to produce the memorial.
The Spanish-American War Nurses Memorial was dedicated on May 2, 1905. Dignitaries included Dr. McGee; Colonel M. Emmett Urell, USA (ret.), past commander of the Grand Army of the Republic; Dr. Clifford Cox, commander, Spanish-American War Veterans; Mrs. Emily N.R. McClean, president, Daughters of the American Revolution; and surviving Civil War nurses from Washington, D.C.
The memorial consists of a single rough-hewn, grey granite boulder approximately 6 feet (1.8 m) wide, 3.5 feet (1.1 m) deep, and 7 feet (2.1 m) high. At the top of the memorial in solid granite is a Maltese cross, the insignia of the Order of the Spanish-American War Nurses. On the front of the memorial are carved in bas-relief several palm branches, which lean to the left and shade the panel graven into the boulder below them. A laurel wreath lies atop the palm branches. The wreath has a bow at its base. One of the long, trailing ribbons of stone appears to be loosely draped over the right side of the panel, where it wraps around the base of the palm fronds. The other trailing ribbon appears to be loosely draped to the left of the panel. The wreath, fronds, and ribbon partially obscure the top, upper left corner, and upper right corner of the panel. Below the wreath and fronds is a sunk panel with inscription "To Our Comrades". On the rear of the monument, the Maltese cross insignia is at the top. A third of the way up from the ground, a bronze plaque is set into the rough-hewn grey granite. It reads: "In Memory of the Women Who Gave Their Lives As Army Nurses In 1898. Erected by the Society of Spanish American War Nurses." The memorial was dedicated to 13 nurses who died in the Spanish-American War.
Spanish-American War Nurses Memorial and nurses field of dead - Arlington National Cemetery - 2013-08-24
Looking west across the "nurses section" (Section 21) at the rear of the Spanish-American War Nurses Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, in the United States.
The Spanish-American War was a ten-week conflict that occurred in the spring and summer of 1898. Cuba had been waging a war of independence against Spain since 1895, an effort largely supported by the United States (which had extensive economic interests on the island). To ensure the safety of American citizens and property in Cuba, the United States sent the battleship "USS Maine" to Havana in late January 1898. The Maine exploded and was destroyed with large loss of life on February 15. American newspapers whipped up war fever, and held Spain responsible for the ship's destruction. The Spanish-American War began on April 25, 1898, and ended on August 12, 1898.
The U.S. military barred women from serving in any capacity prior to the war. Although the Army had 791 nurses, they were all male, and far too few to provide the medical care needed. Congress quickly authorized the military to hire female nurses -- but on contract, and not as military personnel. Of the 1,563 nurses recruited for the new Nurse Corps, most served in hospitals in the United States. Only 76 were sent to Cuba, 30 to the Philippines, nine to Puerto Rico, six to Honolulu, and eight served aboard the hospital ship "USS Relief". It was the first time in American history where nurses were fully accepted in military hospitals.
Over the ensuing years, as nurse-veterans of the Spanish-American War died, they sought interrment in Section 21 of Arlington National Cemetery. The western end of this section became known as the "Nurses' Section" because so many nurses were buried here.
In June 1899, Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee co-founded the Order of Spanish-American War Nurses to (among other things) commemorate the service of contract nurses during the Spanish-American War and serve as an advocate for nurses within the U.S. military. At the founding convention in August 7, 1899, members of the Order agreed to sponsor a nurses' monument at Arlington National Cemetery. Fundraising went very slowlyl. In the late summer of 1903, Dr. McGee received assurance from Secretary of War Elihu Root that the Order could erect a memorial in Section 21. However, the U.S. Army Quartermaster General requested that order erect a simple, artistic monument rather than anything elaborate.
Many Order members favored the figure of a nurse, but donations were so few by early 1905 that Dr. McGee worried it might never be built. There seemed little reason to believe that more time would allow the order to construct a grander memorial. The Order scaled back its plans for a large memorial, and instead went with a smaller one. In early 1905, the Order contracted with Barclay Bros., a granite company in Barre, Vermont, to produce the memorial.
The Spanish-American War Nurses Memorial was dedicated on May 2, 1905. Dignitaries included Dr. McGee; Colonel M. Emmett Urell, USA (ret.), past commander of the Grand Army of the Republic; Dr. Clifford Cox, commander, Spanish-American War Veterans; Mrs. Emily N.R. McClean, president, Daughters of the American Revolution; and surviving Civil War nurses from Washington, D.C.
The memorial consists of a single rough-hewn, grey granite boulder approximately 6 feet (1.8 m) wide, 3.5 feet (1.1 m) deep, and 7 feet (2.1 m) high. At the top of the memorial in solid granite is a Maltese cross, the insignia of the Order of the Spanish-American War Nurses. On the front of the memorial are carved in bas-relief several palm branches, which lean to the left and shade the panel graven into the boulder below them. A laurel wreath lies atop the palm branches. The wreath has a bow at its base. One of the long, trailing ribbons of stone appears to be loosely draped over the right side of the panel, where it wraps around the base of the palm fronds. The other trailing ribbon appears to be loosely draped to the left of the panel. The wreath, fronds, and ribbon partially obscure the top, upper left corner, and upper right corner of the panel. Below the wreath and fronds is a sunk panel with inscription "To Our Comrades". On the rear of the monument, the Maltese cross insignia is at the top. A third of the way up from the ground, a bronze plaque is set into the rough-hewn grey granite. It reads: "In Memory of the Women Who Gave Their Lives As Army Nurses In 1898. Erected by the Society of Spanish American War Nurses." The memorial was dedicated to 13 nurses who died in the Spanish-American War.