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Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Cold War; Iraq War, 2003-2011
  • Branch of Service: Navy
  • Service Unit/Ship: 4th Medical Battalion, 4th Force Service Support Group
  • Location of Service: Arlington, Virginia; Kuwait; Iraq; Great Lakes, Illinois; Portsmouth, Virginia; Alaska; Guatemala
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/29570

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"As the battalion commander of the unit, I was the first woman and first nurse to ever hold that position. It was quite an awesome responsibility." (Audio Interview, 6:02)

Among Navy Captain Karen Trueblood's many accomplishments--which include raising one son and a set of triplets--is her deft command of the US Marines 4th Medical Battalion. The first woman and nurse to hold that position, Trueblood felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility to care not just for those in her command, but for the Marines and sailors she treated. After enlisting in 1977, Trueblood experienced combat for the first time in the Persian Gulf War. But it was her service in the Global War on Terror that made the biggest impression on her. The significance of her position couldn't contrast more with the woman of Iraq, who have never known true freedom. Karen Trueblood continues to serve her fellow soldiers and sailors as executive director of the Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program, which provides services to homeless veterans and their families.

Karen Trueblood Collection
Interview / Recording

Transcript

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About this Item

Title

  • Karen Trueblood Collection

Names

  • Amrhein, Jaime
  • Trueblood, Karen
  • Fulmer, Evan

Home State

  • Pennsylvania

Headings

  • -  Trueblood, Karen
  • -  Cold War -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.
  • -  Iraq War, 2003-2011 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Female

Race

  • White

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • Cold War

    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Service Unit/Ship: 4th Medical Battalion, 4th Force Service Support Group
    • Location of Service: Great Lakes, Illinois; Portsmouth, Virginia; Alaska; Guatemala
    • Dates of Service: 1977
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: veteran

  • Iraq War, 2003-2011

    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Location of Service: Arlington, Virginia; Kuwait; Iraq
    • Highest Rank: Captain
    • Dates of Service: 1977
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of audio recording (collected 2008-07-07)
  • Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected 2008-07-07; 2008-07-08)
  • Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2004-10-30)
  • Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2004-10-30; 2007-02-15)
  • Audio: CD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2004-10-30; 2007-10-31)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/29570

Online Format

  • audio
  • online text

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Amrhein, Jaime, Karen Trueblood, and Evan Fulmer. Karen Trueblood Collection. 1977. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.29570/.

APA citation style:

Amrhein, J., Trueblood, K. & Fulmer, E. (1977) Karen Trueblood Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.29570/.

MLA citation style:

Amrhein, Jaime, Karen Trueblood, and Evan Fulmer. Karen Trueblood Collection. 1977. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.29570/>.