[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H12520]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMENDING PRESENT ARMY NURSE CORPS FOR EXTENDING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES 
                            TO MEN AND WOMEN

  Mr. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Armed Service be discharged from further consideration of the 
resolution (H. Res. 476) commending the present Army Nurse Corps for 
extending equal opportunities to men and women, and recognizing the 
brave and honorable service during and before 1955 of men who served as 
Army hospital corpsmen and women who served in the Army Nurse Corps, 
and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 476

       Whereas in 1901, in the Act popularly known as the Army 
     Reorganization Act, the Congress established the Army Nurse 
     Corps as a permanent corps of the Medical Department of the 
     Army;
       Whereas 2001 is the centennial of the Army Nurse Corps;
       Whereas the law establishing the Army Nurse Corps 
     designated it as a female unit;
       Whereas men, whatever their qualifications or 
     accomplishments, could not enter the Army Nurse Corps because 
     of its designation as a female unit;
       Whereas more than 59,000 women bravely served in the Army 
     Nurse Corps during World War II, and more than 5,000 woman 
     served during the Korean War;
       Whereas some male nurses who might have served in the Army 
     in officer grades instead, due to the exclusion of males from 
     the Army Nurse Corps, served in enlisted grades as Army 
     hospital corpsmen in World War II and the Korean War;
       Whereas male nurses expressed concern about this situation 
     to the Surgeon General, their congressional representatives, 
     and newspapers;
       Whereas the Congress opened the Army Nurse Corps to males 
     in August 1955, thereby allowing male nurses in the Army to 
     be commissioned as officers, and the Army Nurse Corps became 
     the first gender integrated corps in the Army that year;
       Whereas today the Army Nurse Corps is open to both men and 
     women; and
       Whereas men and women have bravely served in the Army Nurse 
     Corps in Vietnam, Desert Storm, and other military 
     engagements since 1955: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) commends the present Army Nurse Corps for extending 
     equal opportunities to men and women; and
       (2) recognizes the brave and honorable service during and 
     before 1955 of--
       (A) men who served as Army hospital corpsmen; and
       (B) women who served in the Army Nurse Corps.

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 476, 
which commends the present Army Nurse Corps for extending equal 
opportunities to men and women, and recognizes the brave and honorable 
service of the men and women who have served in the Army Nurse Corps 
and as Army hospital corpsmen.
  From the earliest days of this great country, whenever our army was 
needed, nurses have served. During the Revolutionary and Civil Wars and 
other times of need, nurses have been there with the soldiers.
  Congress officially established the U.S. Army Nurse Corps on February 
2, 1901, with 202 nurses serving on active duty. During World War II, 
the Corps swelled to over 59,000 nurses, all of whom served their 
country valiantly and honorably.
  Indeed, Army Corps Nurses received 1,619 medals, citations, and 
commendations during World War II, reflecting their courage and 
dedication. Sixteen medals were awarded posthumously to nurses who died 
as a result of enemy fire. These included the 6 nurses who died at 
Anzio, 6 who died when the Hospital Ship Comfort was attacked by a 
Japanese suicide plane, and 4 flight nurses. Overall, 201 nurses died 
while serving in the Army during the war.
  In 1947, another act of Congress established the Army Nurse Corps as 
part of the Medical Department of the active army. In 1950, when 
hostilities broke out in South Korea, 3,460 Army Nurses were on active 
duty. Many of them were assigned to field, evacuation and new Mobile 
Army Surgical Hospitals (MASH), only minutes from the battle areas by 
helicopter.
  Unfortunately, due to the gender discrimination of the Army Nurse 
Corps during World War II, men, regardless of their training and 
accomplishments, could not receive officer's commissions in the Nurse 
Corps and thus often had to enlist as hospital corpsmen, subordinate in 
rank to female nurses.
  One of my constituents, Sam Landis, was one of these men. Mr. Landis 
served as a surgical technician in the Pacific theater during World War 
II. During the battle of Okinawa, Mr. Landis placed himself at extreme 
personal risk in tending to anesthetized casualties while his field 
hospital was being shelled. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his 
heroic service.
  I am proud to offer this resolution which recognizes men like Sam 
Landis and which commends the Army Nurse Corp for allowing men into 
this brave and honorable service.
  In 1955, Congress opened the Army Nurse Corps to males, thereby 
allowing male nurses in the Army to be commissioned as officers, and 
the Army Nurse Corps became the first gender integrated corps in the 
Army that year.
  From the battlefields of the Civil War to the foreign lands of Asia, 
these Army Nurses and Army hospital corpsmen sought to relieve the pain 
and suffering of war. And their mission is no less vital in peacetime. 
Army Nurses perform in a range of medical situations and emergencies. 
The extensive training, the sense of proud tradition and the strong 
commitment to help mankind, have made the Army Nurse not only a 
valuable asset to the Army, but to our country as well.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H. Res. 476.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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