Their patients called them angels. In actuality, they were simply American women serving their nation as wartime military nurses. To commemorate their contribution, the University of Delaware Library will mount an exhibition titled “American Battlefield Nurses: Fighting to Serve, Fighting to Heal” to spotlight the American military nurses who served in the Civil War, both World Wars and the Vietnam conflict.

The materials on display are drawn from the circulating collection of the library and include both books and films. Curated by Jan Wright, library assistant in the Access Services Department of the UD Library, the exhibition will be on display in the Information Room (near Interlibrary Loan) on the first floor of the Morris Library from Jan. 24 to March 31. An online version of the exhibition will also be available, on this page.

Some of these women were spurred by the call of adventure, others by a wave of patriotism. Some were just looking for a job. Using their personal narratives, letters and interviews, this exhibition will illustrate how these dedicated nurses fought to serve their country and sought the respect of their superiors and recognition from their nation.

Although there were male nurses, who served in these wars, this exhibition will focus on the unique wartime experiences of women nurses. It is being mounted to coincide with Women’s History Month.

The exhibition also attempts to illustrate the emotional and physical price these women paid for endeavoring to preserve life in an atmosphere of pain and destruction. In spite of the devastating atmosphere of war, many of these nurses affirmed that their wartime service was the most rewarding experience of their lives.

A library representative said that “it remains to be seen whether the common thread of these women’s stories foreshadows the perceptions of American nurses serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, something we will only know when they are prepared to share their experiences.”