Fort Myer in Arlington in Arlington County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Spanish-American War Nurses Memorial
Erected by the Society of Spanish-American War Nurses.
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Science & Medicine • War, Spanish-American • Women. In addition, it is included in the National Cemeteries series list.
Location. 38° 52.497′ N, 77° 4.527′ W. Marker is in Arlington, Virginia, in Arlington County. It is in Fort Myer. Marker is in Section 21 of the National Cemetery near the intersection of Lawton, McPherson and Porter Drives. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Myer VA 22211, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Battle of the Bulge Monument (a few steps from this marker); Army, Navy, and Air Force Nurses (within shouting distance of this marker); African American Veterans of the Korean War (within shouting distance of this marker); "The Borinqueneers" (within shouting distance of this marker); Rough Riders (within shouting distance of this marker); Task Force Smith (within shouting distance of this marker); Buffalo Soldiers (within shouting distance of this marker); U.S. Fourth Infantry Division (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arlington.
Also see . . .
1. Army Nurse Corps in the War with Spain. (Submitted on September 27, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
2. Band of Angels: Sister Nurses in the Spanish American War. (Submitted on September 27, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
Additional commentary.
1. "Women Were There..."
In 1898 when Teddy went charging up San Juan Hill, after the Battleship Maine blew up in Havana Harbor, sanitary conditions for the wounded soldiers were deplorable. There were typhoid fever epidemics in the camps and few qualified medical personnel. Congress quickly authorized the U.S. Army to procure female nurses but not with military status. They were hired as civilians under contract and over one thousand women were recruited to serve - for thirty dollars a month. From 1898 to 1901 more than 1500 women served in the states, overseas, and on a U.S. Hospital ship. ...
Ellen May Tower of Byron, Michigan was the first U.S. Army nurse to die on foreign soil, of typhoid fever, in Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War, and was the first woman to receive a military funeral in Michigan.
Spanish American War Nurse Clara Maass died as a result of yellow fever. Army Contract Nurse Maass volunteered to participate in an experimental treatment program, after having survived the war. A stamp was issued in her honor in 1976.
Extracted from "Women Were There..." at http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/femvets3.html.
— Submitted September 27, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 27, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 2,096 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 27, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 3. submitted on July 20, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.