[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 70-71]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         U.S. CADET NURSE CORPS

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Madam President, today I wish to recognize the women of 
the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps. Approximately 125,000 American women served 
as Corps members during World War II, providing comfort and care at 
hospitals across the country, including in New Hampshire. Most of the 
former Corps members are now in their eighties, and it is incumbent 
upon us to ensure that the lessons of their service are remembered for 
the benefit of future generations.
  In March of 1943, Congresswoman Frances P. Bolton of Ohio, a strong 
believer in the power of nurses in the healing process, introduced 
legislation to ensure that the supply of nurses in the United States 
would be large enough to meet the increasing demands of the war effort, 
especially as large numbers of experienced nurses left the country to 
serve overseas. The Bolton Act promised a free nursing education in 
exchange for a commitment to serve in the Cadet Nurse Corps for the 
duration of the war.
  Driven by the immediate need for more nurses, Corps members worked 
overtime to finish their studies within

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a compressed study schedule and began to perform nursing duties even 
before they had formally graduated. This on-the-job training ensured 
that civilians and recovering servicemembers continued to receive 
necessary medical care even as much of the medical community was 
focused on the war front.
  Members of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps took an oath to dedicate 
themselves to the triumph of life over death at a time when this 
perpetual struggle took on previously unseen dimensions. Like many of 
the American soldiers fighting overseas, these women were predominantly 
young, recent high school graduates who, when confronted with the call 
to serve their country, answered unhesitatingly and in large numbers.
  I ask my colleagues in the Senate to join me in thanking all former 
Cadet Nurse Corps members for their service to the country and for 
their the selfless commitment to the nursing profession.

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