From the earliest days of our nation, nurses have played an essential role in supporting military efforts. This Memorial Day, Galen College of Nursing is not only remembering those who lost their lives on the front lines, but also those who gave their lives in support of the soldiers in their care.

Memorial Day began in the years following the Civil War to honor those who gave their lives in service to our country. Today, it remains a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made by more than 1.2 million U.S. service members who died defending our freedoms. Across the nation, ceremonies are held in their memory, including at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, where over 260,000 fallen heroes are laid to rest.

Their contributions became more formalized during the Civil War, when organized nursing units were established to care for the wounded. By the end of World War II, the U.S. Army had deployed more than 57,000 nurses to serve in hospitals, field units, and military installations around the world, providing critical care on and off the battlefield.

“On Memorial Day, we honor not only the soldiers who gave their lives in service to our nation, but also the courageous nurses who stood beside them in moments of fear, sacrifice, and hope. Military nurses embody compassion under fire — healing wounds, comforting the fallen, and serving with extraordinary courage. Their legacy reminds us that caring is also an act of bravery,” said Audria Denker, the Chief Operations Officer at Galen College of Nursing.

This year, Galen College of Nursing is highlighting and honoring just some of the thousands of nurses who lost their lives during combat.

World War I British Nurse
December 4, 1865 – October 12, 1915

Edith Cavell, a British nurse during World War I, is one of the first recorded nurses to lose her life in war. On October 11, 1915, she was sentenced to death by German soldiers for her role in helping allied troops under her care escape to neutral territory in Holland. The very next day, Cavell was killed by a firing squad with four other prisoners.

According to the Red Cross United Kingdom’s historical journals, staff members and volunteers reported that “She might have saved herself and left Brussels with the Germans entered, but she elected to stay at her post.”

Cavell worked with a Belgian underground intelligence network, La Dame Blanche, to help smuggle more than 200 soldiers while they were under her treatment. In her last moments it is recorded that Cavell said her patriotism was not enough and forgave her executioners.

Today Cavell is remembered around the world for her bravery and patriotism.  A memorial statue was built in Trafalgar Square in London in her honor, and the Royal Mint also commemorated her by creating 500 five-euro coins with her portrait.

Cultural Support Team attached to the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan
June 25, 1988 – October 5, 2013

On October 5, 2013, Capt. Jennifer M. Moreno and other soldiers were conducting a raid on an enemy bomb-making compound in Afghanistan. During the operation, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device inside of the building. Moreno went to aid another soldier in the aftermath of the blast but stepped on a concealed landmine and was killed.

Moreno entered the Army as a nurse and later volunteered to deploy as a cultural support team member, serving with the 75th Ranger Regiment Joint Special Operations Task Force. In this role, she worked to engage with Afghan women and children during missions.

According to the Joint Base San Antonio, this was Moreno’s first deployment. She was awarded the Combat Action Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Purple Heart, Afghanistan Campaign Medal and NATO Medal.

Today, the Capt. Jennifer M. Moreno Clinic at Joint Base San Antonio–Fort Sam Houston, Texas is named in her honor. In 2022, legislation was also passed to rename the San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center after her.

On November 1, 1944, Aleda E. Lutz was killed in a C-47 plane crash near St. Chamond, France after the aircraft became stuck in a storm. The crash claimed the lives of everyone onboard, including the flight crew, German prisoners of war and American soldiers. Lutz became the first American woman to die in service during World War II.

Lutz served as part of the Army’s 12^th Air Force, and was a member of the first team of flight nurses to deploy overseas. Because there were no doctors on board these flights, surgery for wounded soldiers was not possible. The nurses, known as the “Flying Florence Nightingales,” focused on stabilizing and evacuating soldiers who could survive the journey to receive further treatment.

Lutz completed nearly 200 missions over a 20 month period, making her the most experienced flight nurse during her time. She received many awards including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with four Oak Leaf clusters, European-Africa-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Red Cross Medal, and Purple Heart. Her home state of Michigan inducted her into the Saginaw Hall of Fame in 1979, the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame in 2010. The Aleda E. Lutz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Saginaw, Michigan, is named in her honor.

As we observe Memorial Day, we pause to remember not only the lives lost, but the courage, compassion and selflessness shown by those who served. Nurses like Edith Cavell, Capt. Jennifer M. Moreno, and 1st Lt. Aleda E. Lutz represent just a few of the many who gave everything in service to others, both on and off the battlefield.

“Some carried weapons. Some carried hope. Military nurses carried both strength and compassion into the darkest moments of war. This Memorial Day, we remember those nurses whose sacrifice and service will never be forgotten,” Denker said.

Their stories serve as a reminder of the critical role nurses have played throughout history and the sacrifices made in the name of care, duty and country.