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Doris J. Watson collection, 1939-1946

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Series I: Manuscripts
BOX-FOLDER MSS1422/1 Civilian Papers, September 9, 1939
1 folder
MS01: Diploma from the Mercy College of Nursing, Detroit, Michigan.
BOX-FOLDER MSS1422/2 Clippings, Circa 1943
1 folder
MS02: A photocopied newspaper clipping with an image of corpsmen carrying a wounded soldier into a field station (enclosed in letter dated 2/20/1944).
BOX-FOLDER MSS1422/3-14 Correspondence, March 17, 1943-July 25, 1944
12 folders
MS03: Topics covered include: experiences on the trip across the Atlantic; opinion of North Africa, its weather, terrain, and people; social excursions; as a surgery nurse sees horrible wounds; May Day in Africa; purchasing gifts and souvenirs; end of African Campaign, moved on to mountainous terrain, patients slow getting help; discusses allotment; welcomed by all; took in an orphaned kitten; waiting for next invasion to start; sends love to father on his birthday; assisted at scene of traffic accident; came down with dysentery and was hospitalized; poem from the Stars and Stripes about Army nurses; describes a typical day; experience bargaining for merchandise in Tunis; left Africa after invasion, moved on to Sicily; encountered fighting; describes making camp and foraging for food; hopes to be home for Christmas; mismanagement of their site; upset that her hospital is not near the front, treating patients already on the road to recovery; interlude to nest action; has seamstress make her a formal gown for date with a prince, the brother of the king of Italy; warms water for bathing in her helmet; Sicilian pastime, telling jokes, veteran sends 30 moron jokes; humorous letter telling but not telling of her new duty station so it can't be censored; 5 in 1 rations; locals harvesting their crops; receiving packages from home; British invade Italy, but are too slow because they stop for tea time; visit to Palermo; the social scene; writing by flashlight; prince was a 'wolf', no more dates; rumors of moving on; nurses often sick; can't wait to go back to combat duty; in hospital for pneumonia; feels Italy is next destination; dating; mail; daily activities in hospital; news from home; sickness; moving to different stations; friends and relationships; Christmas; back in hospital for diarrhea and infection from impetigo; opinion of Patton; closer to God; temperature, not allowed out of bed; reprimands parents for worrying about her; recuperating; 32nd birthday; able to take walks; will stay overseas as long as troops need her; after 103 days in hospital, discharged; sent back to unit in Italy; life on Anzio Beach; proud of herself for being self-sufficient; working 12 hour night shifts; worries about flak; does not like her location, but that she feels safe; describes new latrine; feels hospitals are in area protected from Germans; many casualties from Anzio Beach; credits the soldiers for their bravery; back in hospital for sacroiliac joint inflammation separation; anticipates big job to do after discharge from hospital; tries to visit Rome, war interferes; wants to stay until war is over; five days leave to Foggia; troops appreciate American nurses; describes the battleground of Anzio; General takes veteran to find brother; concerned that Nurse Corps does not have enough reserve for another Anzio; describes swimming date.
BOX-FOLDER MSS1423/1-2 Correspondence, March 17, 1943-July 25, 1944
2 folders
MS03 continued.
BOX-FOLDER MSS1423/3 Military Papers, September 05, 1946
1 folder
MS04: A double-sided certificate of service and military record form.
Series II: Photographs
BOX-FOLDER MSS1423/4 Original Photographic Prints, Circa 1943
4 Photographs
PH01: Black-and-white portrait of Watson at work in a tent ward.
PH02: Black-and-white image of Watson lying in her bed in her tent, with a flak roof over her bed.
PH03: A colorized portrait of Watson wearing her dress white uniform.
PH04: Black-and-white portrait of Watson in nursing uniform.

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