The overlooked heroines: Three silver star nurses of World War I

Abstract

As members of forward-deployed combat hospitals, World War I Army nurses Miss Jane Rignel, Miss Linnie Leckrone, and Miss Irene Robar received the Citation Star for gallantry in attending to the wounded while under artillery fire in the month of July 1918. In 1932, they were authorized to exchange their Citation Stars for the new Silver Star Medal. Nursing in the war was difficult and required caring for patients exposed to chemical weapons and trauma while in harsh field conditions. These women were among the many Army nurses decorated for their performance in World War I.