She is unknown to most, but is owed a debt by many. Here is a brief account of her service.
The opening paragraph from a chapter in Tom Brokaw’s book, The Greatest Generation:
There are so many impressive numbers connected to World War II that it’s difficult for one or two to catch your eye. Here are a few that caught me by surprise: more than sixty thousand women served in the Army Nurse Corps. Sixteen died as a result of enemy action. Sixty-seven nurses were taken prisoner of war. More than sixteen hundred were decorated for bravery under fire or for meritorious service.
The chapter is titled “Mary Louise Roberts Wilson.” It’s a profile of Mary L. Roberts, a Methodist Hospital nurse who enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps in 1942. She served with the 56th Evacuation Hospital Unit alongside many other medical professionals from Dallas (the unit — sometimes called the “Baylor Unit” — was organized by the Baylor University College of Medicine in Dallas). She knew she would be serving overseas in field hospitals in combat zones.
As far as seeing action, the worst of the worst for the 56th was on February 10, 1944, when their hospital tents on the Anzio beachhead in Italy were attacked by German long-range artillery shells for a full thirty minutes. Several operations were underway during the attack, and Roberts, the chief nurse of the operating tent, managed to keep a calm head and help to maintain as much order as possible.
“I wanted to jump under the operating table, but first we had to lower litter cases to the floor. Pieces of steel already were ripping through tents. There were four litters. I saw a patient on the operating table had his helmet near him, so I put it over his head to give him that much protection.” (Mary L. Roberts, Dallas Morning News, Feb 23, 1944)
I often ponder as to how many in the Lord’s army served under dangerous conditions for the good of all. She never let her fellow soldiers down and neither should we. She made sure they suffered no added injuries.
I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea,
Give it some thought.
Gary