EPISODE · Apr 15, 2024 · 1H 24M
A WWII Nurse in Patton's 3rd Army
from Heroes Behind Headlines · host Heroes Behind Headlines
A different kind of war story and hero: Lt. Mary Balster was a charming Midwestern teenager (the apple of her father's eye) when she enlisted as a nurse at the outbreak of WWII. She proved invaluable on the front lines as a German-speaker, but was unprepared for the nonstop workload; the filth; the horrible injuries and desperation; the quickly formed friendships; having to care for enemy combatants; and being one of a handful of women surrounded by thousands of GIs. Patton insisted on keeping his field hospital close to his front lines, (in order to more quickly care for the wounded) and Mary had her share of challenges and adventures. Her daughter NCR Davis shares highlights from her mother's diaries and war history, including her never-diagnosed PTSD, from her biography, "For the Boys."Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
What this episode covers
A different kind of war story and hero: Lt. Mary Balster was a charming Midwestern teenager (the apple of her father's eye) when she enlisted as a nurse at the outbreak of WWII. She proved invaluable on the front lines as a German-speaker, but was unprepared for the nonstop workload; the filth; the horrible injuries and desperation; the quickly formed friendships; having to care for enemy combatants; and being one of a handful of women surrounded by thousands of GIs. Patton insisted on keepin...
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A WWII Nurse in Patton's 3rd Army
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