"I was sorry at one time that I wasn’t a man when World War II came out." (Video Interview, 35:57)

Dorothy Walters Cutts

Dorothy Walters Cutts in nurse's uniform [ca. 1944] War: World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953 Branch: WAAC (Women's Army Auxiliary Corps); Army Nurse Corps Unit: 74th Hospital; 74th Hospital Service Location: Fort Des Moines, Iowa; Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; Fort George Meade, Maryland; Walter Reed Hospital, Washington, DC; Tripler Hospital, Hawaii; also: Fort Des Moines, Iowa; Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; Fort George Meade, Maryland; Walter Reed Hospital, Washington, DC; Tripler Hospital, Hawaii Rank: First Lieutenant; First Lieutenant

World War II was both a frustrating and fulfilling experience for Dorothy Walters. She wanted to make a significant contribution to the war effort, so she went to work in a defense plant. But that wasn’t enough, and she joined the new Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps, first as a clerk, then as part of the Medical Corps, practicing giving injections on oranges. She then decided she wanted to be a nurse and entered the Cadet Nurse Corps of the Public Health Service, but the war ended before she graduated. After working at a children’s hospital with victims of polio, Walters finally got a chance to serve as a full-fledged military nurse during the Korean War, stationed in Washington, D.C. and Honolulu.