Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Audio Recording Diane M. Henderson Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: Persian Gulf War, 1991
- Branch of Service: Army Nurse Corps
- Location of Service: Fort Ord, California; Fort Monmouth, New Jersey; Bremerhaven, Germany; Fort Carson, Colorado; Fort Stewart, Georgia; Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado; Kuwait
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/11706
By the time she reached her field hospital in Bahrain during the Persian Gulf War, Lieutenant Colonel Diane Henderson had served for nearly 20 years in the Army Nurse Corps. Still, combat nursing offered a new set of hurdles to overcome: a constant lack of supplies, extreme heat and humidity, and crowded living conditions. Despite these constraints, she made sure that her hospital offered treatment comparable to any found in the States. Her interview offers a glimpse into the daily life of a field hospital; as well, she chronicles the challenges of being a mother as well as soldier, particularly during times of conflict.
Diane M. Henderson Collection
Interview / Recording
Transcript
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PlayReceiving a nursing scholarship from the Army Institute of Nursing; summary of how she earned her commission as a First Lieutenant. 00:03:37.0 - 00:04:15.3
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PlayRigors of training at Walter Reed Army Institute of Nursing; isolation of program: eating, sleeping, studying in the same building; dealing with difficult instructors; lack of guidance in practical/technical skills; learning on the job from other nurses at Ft. Ord, California; decision to stay in the service even after starting a family. 00:05:07.3 - 00:10:03.2
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PlayReturning from vacation and being called up for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm; expecting it to be a drill but instead receiving orders to deploy overseas. 00:13:14.8 - 00:14:05.5
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PlayEffect of her deployment overseas on her family. 00:17:25.1 - 00:18:43.2
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PlayArrival in Saudi Arabia; transfer to Bahrain; conditions and daily schedule in Bahrain. 00:21:23.4 - 00:24:42.5
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PlayDescription of different types of military hospitals and procedure for transfer of patients; conditions in the field hospitals she worked in during the Gulf War; lack of supplies; reaction of other nurses to the "primitive" facilities; having to use outdated equipment. 00:28:55.2 - 00:41:53.4
More Resources
About this Item
Title
- Diane M. Henderson Collection
Names
- Hilger, Prudence
- Henderson, Diane
- Henderson, Diane M.
Home State
- Colorado
Headings
- - Henderson, Diane M.
- - Persian Gulf War, 1991 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army Nurse Corps.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Female
Status
- veteran
Service History
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Persian Gulf War, 1991
- Branch of Service: Army Nurse Corps
- Location of Service: Fort Ord, California; Fort Monmouth, New Jersey; Bremerhaven, Germany; Fort Carson, Colorado; Fort Stewart, Georgia; Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado; Kuwait
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Dates of Service: 1970-1996
- Entrance into Service: Enlisted
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2004-02-24)
- Photograph: Mixed (Multiple types of photographs) [5 items] -- (collected unknown)
- Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2004-02-24)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/11706
Cite as
- Diane M. Henderson Collection (AFC/2001/001/11706), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- audio
- image
- online text
Additional Metadata Formats
IIIF Presentation Manifest
Part of
Wars & Conflicts
Service Branch
Location of Service
- Bremerhaven, Germany
- Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado
- Fort Carson, Colorado
- Fort Monmouth, New Jersey
- Fort Ord, California
- Fort Stewart, Georgia
- Kuwait