American nurses , “ They would be able to understand the patient in a way no white person ever could ” ( A Nurse ’ s Journey , 2013 ). At Sage Memorial , Viola excelled , graduating as the valedictorian of her class in 1943 . She passed her board exam with the highest score recorded in Arizona at the time ( A Nurse ’ s Journey , 2013 ). The training from Sage Memorial Nursing school and Viola ’ s strength helped her navigate what she would call “ the most difficult and hardest time ” in her life ( Walsh , 2001 ).
After graduation , she took a nursing job in Colorado , never thinking about joining the military . However , with fighting in Europe and Japan , there was discussion that drafting nurses might be needed . She said that all the surgical nurses were given a number . The system “ was not a draft ,” but if a nurse ’ s number was drawn , the nurse would be called to service ( Walsh , 2001 ). Viola , given false information that volunteering came with the perk of choosing your location of service and job , decided to enlist in the ANC ( A Nurse ’ s Journey , 2013 ).
When she was told she would be assigned to the surgical unit doing amputations , Viola told her Army charge nurse that she did not want to work there ; the charge nurse responded candidly , “ Honey , you are in the Army now ” ( Walsh , 2001 ). Viola was subjected to the horrors of young men with limbs being amputated at alarming rates for a few months before she , along with 600 other nurses , were placed on the USAHS Marigold , where 300 nurses were bound for Hawaii as potential replacements for nurses heading to Japan ( A Nurse ’ s Journey , 2013 ). Viola recalls thinking she would not be coming home ( Walsh , 2001 ).
While docked in the Philippines after avoiding naval skirmishes with the Japanese in the Pacific , the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima , prompting the Japanese to surrender . Viola recalled the care she provided for the prisoners of war being swapped after the surrender . “ They were in bad condition ; they were boys with pot bellies from starving . Their skin was ulcerated .” After processing former prisoners of war for about a month , Viola was transferred to help at Tokyo 42 nd General Hospital , which , according to Viola , was nothing more than filthy rooms and amphitheaters that had been stripped before the surrender ( Walsh , 2001 ). Once again , Viola ’ s strength and nursing training would see her through to the end of her tour .
While Viola had surgical unit experience , she had only spent six months in the military by that point and could only be promoted to first lieutenant . By military protocol , only a captain could oversee surgical units .
In the case of rebuilding the 42nd Tokyo General Hospital , two nurse captains failed at the task , according to Viola . The last captain nurse begged Viola to lead , “ This is the hardest thing I have ever done ; I cannot be in charge . You do the work [ Viola ] and just boss me around ,” the captain pleaded ( Walsh , 2001 ). A replacement never came after the captain nurse left ( Minority Nurse , 2013 ).
In the first week , Viola had the walls scrubbed clean when disaster struck . Thirteen US troops had been ambushed by a Japanese airplane . All were severely injured ; Viola having nothing to work with , not even one surgical table , called all personnel back to hold up IV drips , assist in surgery , apply pressure to wounds , anything , and everything . Viola led as a dedicated trained Sage Memorial nurse . Despite not having a surgical unit , several of those troops survived due to her leadership ( Walsh , 2001 ). She then built up the 42 nd Tokyo General Hospital contributing to saving lives in the future , as it is now known as St . Luke ’ s International Hospital ( St . Luke ’ s International Hospital , n . d .).
Viola described the military as a “ hard life ,” one that she wished she did enjoy more ( Walsh , 2001 ). After the war , she became a wife and mother and continued to be a nurse for decades , contributing to her community . She was a leader , Native American , a nurse , and an unsung hero . n
References A Nurse ’ s Journey . ( 2013 , March 30 ). Minority Nurse . https :// minoritynurse . com / a-nurses-journey /
Walsh , C . ( 2001 ). Audio interview with Viola Elizabeth Garcia Schneider collection . Veterans History Project . Retrieved February 8 , 2021 , from https :// memory . loc . gov / diglib / vhp / story / loc . natlib . afc2001001.31745 /
History . ( 2019 ). Navajo Health Foundation - Sage Memorial Hospital . Retrieved February 9 , 2021 , from http :// sagememorial . com / about-us / history /
St . Luke ’ s International Hospital . ( n . d .). History . http :// hospital . luke . ac . jp / eng / about / history / index . html Ygnacia Rivas is a nursing student at Evergreen Valley College , San Jose , CA . She ’ s been a caregiver for 15 years and a graduate of San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science in Forensic Chemistry . She collects comics and reads history books in her spare time .
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