World War II Honoree

Jean Gilmore Curtis

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Honored By

John Johnson

Relationship

Volunteer

SERVED IN THE WAVES (WOMEN ACCEPTED FOR VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY SERVICE) FROM JANUARY 1944 TO DECEMBER 15, 1945. ATTENDED BASIC TRAINING AT HUNTER COLLEGE IN NEW YORK IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH 1944. DURING THIS TRAINING, SHE QUALIFIED TO SERVE IN THE NAVY HOSPITAL CORPS. RECEIVED HER HOSPITAL CORPS TRAINING AT THE BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL IN MARYLAND, WHERE SHE LEARNED MEDICAL RELATED SKILLS SUCH AS HOW TO TREAT WOUNDS, GIVE INJECTIONS, AND DISPENSE MEDICINE. FROM APRIL 1944 TO JULY 1945, STATIONED AT THE NAVAL HOSPITAL AT THE MARINE CORPS BASE AT PARRIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA. AT PARRIS ISLAND, SHE TREATED INJURED NAVY AND MARINE RECRUITS AND VETERANS, AS WELL AS CIVILIAN DEPENDENTS. SHE ALSO WORKED AS A LABORATORY TECHNICIAN, CONDUCTING BLOOD TESTS, URINALYSIS AND IMMUNIZATIONS. IN JULY 1945, SHE TRANSFERRED TO THE NAVY HOSPITAL AT PEARL HARBOR, OAHU, HAWAII AND SERVED THERE UNTIL DECEMBER 7, 1945. SHE DEPARTED HAWAII BY NAVY SHIP ON DECEMBER 7, 1945 AND ARRIVED IN SAN FRANCISCO ON DECEMBER 15, 1945, WHERE SHE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED. AWARDED THE AMERICAN THEATER SERVICE MEDAL, THE PACIFIC THEATER SERVICE MEDAL AND THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL.