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Lola Rhoades Olsmith in a new WAC uniform [7/1973]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Persian Gulf War, 1991; Vietnam War, 1961-1975
  • Branch of Service: Army Nurse Corps
  • Location of Service: Germany; Vietnam; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort Meade, Virginia
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/41214

View full service history

"That's when I started getting chills up and down my spine." (Audio interview, 4:23)

Serving in the Army Nurse Corps in Vietnam in 1968, and treating Vietnamese civilians and prisoners of war in addition to American wounded, Colonel Lola Olsmith's experiences in country quickly transformed her from hawk to dove. Despite her feelings on the war, she took great pride in the accomplishments of the medical community in Vietnam, and continued her military service after returning to the States. Her time in the service gave her a sense of confidence as well as a career: before enlisting, she considered herself "just a nurse," but by the end of her time with the Army, she had found a self-assurance previously unimaginable.

Lola Mae Olsmith Collection
Interview / Recording

Transcript

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About this Item

Title

  • Lola Mae Olsmith Collection

Names

  • Stewart, Ruth F.
  • Olsmith, Lola Mae
  • Women's Overseas Service League, San Antonio Unit

Home State

  • Texas

Headings

  • -  Olsmith, Lola Mae
  • -  Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army Nurse Corps.
  • -  Persian Gulf War, 1991 -- Personal Narratives

Repository

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

Gender

  • Female

Race

  • White

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • Vietnam War, 1961-1975

    • Branch of Service: Army Nurse Corps
    • Location of Service: Vietnam; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort Meade, Virginia
    • Highest Rank: Colonel
    • Dates of Service: 1967-1991
    • Military Status: veteran

  • Persian Gulf War, 1991

    • Location of Service: Germany
    • Dates of Service: 1967-1991
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected 2004-01-15; 2009-03-27)
  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of audio recording (collected 2009-03-27)
  • Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2004-01-15)
  • Photograph: Mixed (Multiple types of photographs) [7 items] -- Photographs (collected unknown)
  • Audio: CD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2007-11-07; 2007-11-07)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/41214

Online Format

  • audio
  • image
  • online text

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

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:

Stewart, Ruth F, Lola Mae Olsmith, and San Antonio Unit Women'S Overseas Service League. Lola Mae Olsmith Collection. 1967. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.41214/.

APA citation style:

Stewart, R. F., Olsmith, L. M. & Women'S Overseas Service League, S. A. U. (1967) Lola Mae Olsmith Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.41214/.

MLA citation style:

Stewart, Ruth F, Lola Mae Olsmith, and San Antonio Unit Women'S Overseas Service League. Lola Mae Olsmith Collection. 1967. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.41214/>.