Salem in Essex County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)
1st Lt. Catherine Marie Larkin, RN
U.S. Army Nurse Corps
| | January 21, 1916 - April 4, 1945 | |
Photographed by Michael Cleary, September 22, 2023
1. 1st Lt. Catherine Marie Larkin, RN Marker
Born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, Catherine M. Larkin was a 1938 graduate of Salem Hospital School of Nursing. In 1941 as WWII erupted, she voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. In the rank of Chief Nurse, 1st Lieutenant Larkin was deployed to establish a base hospital in Calcutta, India. On route, her plane crashed near Ledo, India on March 4, 1945. Lt. Larkin is the first Salem woman to lose her life during wartime service may her bravery and patriotism serve as inspiration to all.
Erected 2021 by The Larkin Family and The Friends of United States Cadet Nurse Corps WWII.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Patriots & Patriotism • Science & Medicine • War, World II • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is March 4, 1945.
Location. 42° 31.743′ N, 70° 52.795′ W. Memorial is in Salem, Massachusetts, in Essex County. It is at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Szetela Lane, on the right when traveling south on Memorial Drive. Touch for map. Memorial is in this post office area: Salem MA 01970, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this memorial is on Massachusetts’ North Shore, in Greater Boston, and in the Merrimack Valley. It is also in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Almshouse Burial Ground Memorial (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Salt Marsh Returns - Collins Cove Living Shoreline (approx. 0.4 miles
this page online
Another marker is no longer nearby. Narbonne House (was approx. 0.6 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Also see . . .
1. About Lt. Catherine Larkin. Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School website entry:
Excerpt from the biography
In December of 1944, as the war ramped up, she was assigned to the 803rd Medical Air Evacuation Squadron in the Persian and Indian Theatres. While establishing a MASH unit, short for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, in Calcutta, she wrote home about how moved she was by the poverty she witnessed.(Submitted on September 23, 2023, by Michael Cleary of Salem, Massachusetts.)
2. Larkin, Catherine M. Salem Links and Lore website entry:
Excerpt:
A permanent monument honoring Catherine(Submitted on September 23, 2023, by Michael Cleary of Salem, Massachusetts.)Larkin was placed at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Szetela Lane near Bentley School on Veterans Day 2021.via Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School, unknown2. 1st Lt. Catherine Marie Larkin, RN
Photographed by Michael Cleary, September 22, 2023
3. 1st Lt. Catherine Marie Larkin, RN Marker (in its setting)
Photographed by Michael Cleary, September 22, 2023
4. 1st Lt. Catherine Marie Larkin, RN Marker (showing it between Memorial Dr (L) and Szetela Ln (R))
Credits. This page was last revised on March 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 23, 2023, by Michael Cleary of Salem, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 280 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 23, 2023, by Michael Cleary of Salem, Massachusetts. 2. submitted on April 2, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3, 4. submitted on September 23, 2023, by Michael Cleary of Salem, Massachusetts. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
