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1LT Diane K. Helferich Oral History
Publication date: 26 July 2023
File metadata
Dublin Core Metadata
title:
1LT Diane K. Helferich Oral History
creator:
Helferich, Diane K. (Dye) (1946 November 4 -
subject:
Army Nurse Corps
description:
Diane Helferich was born on November 4, 1946 in Vinton County, Ohio, and although her childhood was complicated she considers Leavenworth, Kansas to be home. She joined the Army because she was going to nursing school in Columbus, Ohio (the same school her mother went to) but didn't want her mom to burden herself to pay for tuition, as she had five siblings her mother was still taking care of. She signed up for the Army Student Nurse Corps to get a scholarship to lift that burden off her mother. In 1969, she went to basic training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas after graduating, and her first assignment was at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. She was certain she'd go to Vietnam and says they even got you excited for it, and she and her husband eloped in advance to make sure they were married before she was sent overseas. Her orders hadn't come through to go to Vietnam by June and her husband had since graduated and gotten a job, so she transferred to Fort Meade, Maryland for her second and final year instead of going to Vietnam. She had to convince herself to join because although she was not a fan of the war, servicemen and women deserved good care, and she needed the financial help to finish her nursing program. She left the service in 1971 with the rank of 1st Lieutenant, and she considers wearing the uniform and serving her country during a very difficult period of time as a highlight of her service. No transcript of this interview is currently available.
publisher:
Military Women's Memorial Foundation
contributor:
Gill, Dennis
date:
2021-08-29
type:
Moving Image
format:
Born Digital
identifier:
1345; 2021.010
source:
Voices of Freedom Project - SWTA
language:
English
relation:
566497
coverage:
Vietnam War (1964-1975) | 1969-1971
rights:
Unrestricted