Elsie S. Ott

Elsie Ott was born on November 5, 1913, in Smithtown, New York. After graduating high school in 1933, Elsie attended Lennox Hill Hospital School of Nursing. She joined the Army Nurse Corps in 1941.












As the war progressed, casualties became a major issue. The Allies became increasingly concerned about how to care for the wounded. With improvements in aeronautic technology,  evacuating wounded soldiers through aircraft seemed to be a new possibility. Elsie S. Ott was the first nurse to prepare for the evacuation of the injured. She had never been on an airplane before, and she was given 24 hours notice to prepare the plane for her passengers.

With five seriously ill patients and only one other medical technician, Elsie flew from Karachi, India to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington D.C. The plane made stops along the way, picking up eleven more wounded soldiers. The patients were suffering from various ailments, such as paralysis, tuberculosis, glaucoma, and psychosis. It was a six and a half day trip; the same journey would have taken several months if traveling by land and sea. Once returning to the hospital, Elsie was consumed by exhaustion and fatigue.

Elsie gave multiple suggestions for future air evacuations. She recommended that they provide more bandages, blankets, oxygen, and coffee. She also found it impractical for a nurse to be wearing a skirt while tending to patients. Elsie Ott revolutionized the military medical community. In 1943, she became the first female recipient of the Army Air Medal. She was promoted to captain as a flight nurse before being discharged and settling in Wheaton, Illinois. She passed away in 2006, at 93 years old.


https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/history-of-war/struggling-school-drops-military-heros-name-shake-legacy/
https://americacomesalive.com/2011/03/06/elsie-s-ott-1913-2006/
https://purpleheartfoundation.wordpress.com/2017/03/10/honoring-the-female-heroine-2nd-lt-elsie-s-ott/