Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Marian Charlotte Jones Collection

Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army Nurse Corps
- Service Unit/Ship: 34th Evacuation Hospital, 3rd Army
- Location of Service: Louisiana; Camp Barkley, Texas; France; Luxembourg; Germany; United Kingdom; Fort Dix, New Jersey; European Theater
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/34779
Training to be a nurse in 1941, First Lieutenant Marian Jones was inspired by FDR's "Date of Infamy" speech to join the Army Nurse Corps. Bored by her initial duty station in Pennsylvania, she sought a transfer to the 34th Evacuation Hospital, and following training at a tent hospital, was sent to England, where she was billeted with a British family. Landing on Omaha Beach on June 22nd, 1944, she spent her first night in France sleeping in a foxhole on the beach. Upon arriving at the hospital, she was told which patients were to be given plasma-a procedure she had never carried out on her own. She describes her absolute joy at returning home in October 1945, after more than a year of nursing in a combat zone, and seeing her father, mother, and sister for the first time since her departure.
Interview / Recording
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PlayHearing FDR's speech after Pearl Harbor and deciding to enlist; getting orders to base in Pennsylvania; deciding work there was too monotonous; putting in for transfer overseas; sent to join the 34th Evacuation Hospital 00:01:01:.8 - 00:02:54.6
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PlayBilleted with an English family; wife became like a second mother; riding around the countryside on bicycles; learning about English culture 00:09:26.5 - 00:10:59.8
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PlaySent to southern England; boarding ships; landing on Utah Beach on June 22; spending first night there sleeping in a foxhole 00:17:27.1 - 00:19:19.1
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PlayMeeting the nurse she was to replace; taking responsibility for a new procedure 00:19:45.5 - 00:20:26.0
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PlaySetting up the 34th Evacuation Hospital on July 3; hearing howitzer guns nearby; floor of hospital shaking; admitting over 500 patients into the hospital on the first day; hospital only held 400 beds 00:20:28.5 - 00:22:39.4
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PlayEnd of the war; receiving orders home; arriving in New York; discharged at Fort Dix, New Jersey; reuniting with her family 00:31:03.6 - 00:34:10.1
About this Item
Title
- Marian Charlotte Jones Collection
Names
- Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN)
- Battaglia, Jolene L.
- Jones, Marian Charlotte
- Risser, Jolene
Home State
- Pennsylvania
Headings
- - Jones, Marian Charlotte
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army Nurse Corps.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Female
Race
- White
Status
- veteran
Service History
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World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army Nurse Corps
- Service Unit/Ship: 34th Evacuation Hospital, 3rd Army
- Location of Service: Louisiana; Camp Barkley, Texas; France; Luxembourg; Germany; United Kingdom; Fort Dix, New Jersey; European Theater
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Dates of Service: 1943-1946
- Entrance into Service: Enlisted
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Video: DVD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2005-10-25; 2005-12-21)
- Manuscript: Clippings [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/34779
Online Format
- image
- video
Additional Metadata Formats
Part of
Wars & Conflicts
Service Branch
Location of Service
- Camp Barkley, Texas
- European Theater
- Fort DIX, New Jersey
- France
- Germany
- Louisiana
- Luxembourg
- United Kingdom