DESCRIPTION: This collection of letters from 1942 to 1945 was written by Lt. Catherine Cayle of the Army Nurse Corps to her friend Mrs. Dickson in Tunkhannock, PA. The first letter begins with this Sayle, PA native's discussion of being unhappy as a private duty nurse and wanting to join the army but not being able to as "the boy I go with put his foot down and with my mother's aversion to it too I am still a miserable civilian" [November 23, 1942]. She apparently goes against both of their wishes as by October of 1943 she is a member of the Army Nurse Corps and is stationed at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. Lt. Cayle writes about how understaffed the hospital is but also that she enjoys the work. In February of 1944 she is in bed as a patient due to gallbladder problems exacerbated by the greasy food they serve in the army. At this point she also comments that she would like to be stationed overseas. Later that month she writes about the death of her boyfriend, a lieutenant in the navy. The last letter in this collection is written aboard ship, having finally received orders to be stationed overseas. She is unable to reveal any information other than the accommodations on the ship (favorable) and the extreme heat. She also talks about amusements available on the ship such as card playing, listening to records and drinking Coca-Colas, which were a luxury.
LOCATION:
Women Veterans Historical Collection
#WV-0232
Papers, Printed Material
Correspondence, 1942-1945
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