Joan McDermott, U.S. Army Nurse Corps, Vietnam War 1967
Joan McDermott was a U.S. Army Nurse Corps officer who served as a surgical nurse during the Vietnam War.
Commissioned as a First Lieutenant in 1967, she served two tours in Vietnam, including one in 1968 and another in 1971. She worked in Army hospitals during one of the most brutal periods of the war, treating wounded soldiers while also volunteering at civilian hospitals and orphanages.
Between her Vietnam tours, she was assigned to Walter Reed, where she worked as a cardiovascular open-heart surgical unit nurse.
What stands out to me is that her service did not end when she came home. She continued a long career in nursing, volunteered with hospice, supported veterans’ organizations, and later became active in the VFW and other veteran communities.
A lot of military history focuses on combat roles, but nurses like Joan McDermott were right in the middle of the human cost of war. They saw the damage up close, carried it home, and still kept serving.
Respect to Captain Joan McDermott and the Army nurses of Vietnam!