Col Ethel S. Underwood, USAFR NC Ret. Oral History

title:

Col Ethel S. Underwood, USAFR NC Ret. Oral History

creator:

Underwood, Ethel Sanders (1925 April 26 - )

subject:

Army Nurse Corps

description:

Ethel S. Underwood was born on April 26, 1925 in Hampton, South Carolina, and her family moved to Buford, South Carolina soon after. Her father died when she was 18 months old, so she was raised by her mother and grandmother. She graduated from Robert Smalls School in 1943. She saw a recruiting poster, thought it would be a challenge, and enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps in November 1943. She went to basic training at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, then received orders to Port Johnston in Staten Island, New York. The work there was quite difficult, and her unit was reassigned to different services, hers being driving an ambulance. While doing that, she decided to sign up for Medical Certification School at Campy Atterbury, Indiana. After completing her training there, she was stationed at the hospital in Camp Stoneman, California. May in her initial company became members of the 6888th Postal Battalion, which was the only all-black WAC battalion to go overseas. She remained at Camp Stoneman until she had enough points to get out, leaving the WAC in February 1946. She worked in a dress factory in Brooklyn, New York while taking night classes to prepare for nursing school, enrolling at Lincoln in 1948 using the GI Bill to pay for it. After completing her education there, she applied for a commission in the Air Force Nurse Corps, curious about the differences between the experience of enlistment versus commission. She was sent to indoctrination at Gunther Air Force Base in Alabama in July 1952. She spent six to ten weeks there, then was stationed at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where she worked in obstetrics and air evac. After working in air evac there, she went to flight school at Mitchell Air Force Base. She returned to Westover after training, then went overseas to Burtonwood, England. She returned to the United States and went into the reserves, serving at Floyd Bennett Naval Air Station while attending Columbia University, earning a bachelor’s in nursing. In 1972, she was chief nurse on a team at Travis Air Force Base that was responsible for treating Vietnam veterans who were suffering from drug addictions upon returning to the United States. After that project, she was able to go into the inactive reserves, which she did until her retirement in 1985. When she left the service Underwood had reached the rank of colonel, and for her service she was awarded an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, Women’s Army Corps Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Award, and Armed Forces Reserve Medal. Her civilian awards include an NAACP Community Service Award, AARP Volunteer of the Year Award, Commission on Aging Excellence in Aging Award, Commission for Women Margaret Payez Leadership Award, Alexandria Society for Preservation of Black Heritage Community Service Award, and Alexandria Senior Extraordinaire Award 2006. A transcript of this interview is available.

publisher:

Military Women's Memorial Foundation

contributor:

Scott, Kate M.

date:

2003-09-20

type:

Audio

format:

CD

identifier:

948; 2003.948

source:

CLIR - Recordings at Risk

language:

English

relation:

065110

coverage:

World War II (1939-1945) | Korean War (1950-1953) | Vietnam War (1964-1975) | 1943-46 | 1952-85

rights:

Unrestricted