"That night changed my life forever." (Video interview, 12:45)

Linda Schwartz

Linda Schwartz [detail from video] War: Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Air Force Unit: Nurse Corps; 2nd Aeromedical Evacuation Group; 69th Air Evacuation Squadron Service Location: Sheppard Field, Texas; Brooks Air Force Base, Texas; Amarillo, Texas; Japan; Plattsburg Air Force Base, New York; Germany; McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey Rank: Major

Enlisting in the Air Force in 1967, Major Linda Schwartz set her sights on becoming a flight nurse--a goal which she eventually achieved. Before treating patients at 30,000 feet, however, she cared for them at Tachikawa Air Force Base in Japan during the Vietnam War. Observing the resolve and selflessness of the wounded servicemen and women that she treated at Tachikawa solidified her commitment to military nursing. After sustaining service-related injuries during an accident aboard a plane, she was medically retired at the rank of major, and subsequently began a career with the VA, advocating for women veterans and others needing assistance.