Oral history interview with Wanda Holzwart, 2000.

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Oral history interview with Wanda Holzwart, 2000.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/63531360

Wanda L. Holzwart, a Waterloo, Wisconsin native, discusses her World War II service as a member of the Army Nurse Cadet Corps serving aboard hospital ships. Holzwart discusses her enlistment and military training, which included marching, calisthenics, and training with male doctors, at Camp McCoy (Wisconsin) and Myrtle Beach (South Carolina). She describes the social atmosphere in the military and spending time at the officer's club. After joining the Transportation Corps, Holzwart details traveling from South Carolina to California on a Merchant Marine ship. She talks about having a wisdom tooth removed and, because of a fungal infection on her feet, risking a demerit to wear sandals. She mentions passing through the Panama Canal and spending a lot of time waving at sailors on other ships. While stationed in San Francisco, she tells of the nurses working together to cover up another Army nurses' abortion of a pregnancy. Holzwart talks about a train ride across the States, begging to be assigned to an Army hospital ship with her friend, and duty aboard the U.S.S. Shamrock, which carried German prisoners of war to France. On the return trip to the States, Holzwart describes transporting American soldiers who had been injured outside of combat or who were awaiting court martial. She mentions fraternizing with enlisted personnel and having shipboard dances and volleyball matches. Reassigned to the S.S. Washington, she talks about five trips transporting English war brides and caring for their babies. She comments on the anger of the English women when there were no nylon stockings available on the ship, and she tells of the ship's captain having a crush on one of the war brides. After being discharged, Holzwart discusses using the GI Bill to take an art course, readjusting to civilian life, getting a job at Wood Veterans Hospital in Milwaukee, and marrying a veteran she met there. She recalls being in a bad storm during one of the ocean crossings and compares the good behavior of the German prisoners they transported to that of the American soldiers. She tells of her friend aboard the hospital ship falling in love with a lab technician and seeing them get married after they were discharged. Holzwart describes sightseeing in Europe, the food and living quarters on the ship, sneaking alcohol aboard, and having pleasant interactions with Japanese prisoners of war at Camp Kilmer.

Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 40 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.Videorecording : 1 videocassette (ca. 40 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 40 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 0.1 linear ft. (1 folder)

Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 7886732

Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center

Related Entities

There are 9 Entities related to this resource.

Wood Veterans Administration Center

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6qc3xr9 (corporateBody)

Washington (Passenger liner)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w60618k6 (corporateBody)

McIntosh, James F., 1923-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6dv1gzw (person)

Dr. James F. McIntosh (1923- ) attended Medical School through the ASTP program and served as a surgeon aboard the USS Haven during the Korean War before returning to practice in Urology. From the description of Oral history interview with James F. McIntosh [sound recording], 1997. (Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 84901467 ...

United States. Army Nurse Corps

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6fb8rnz (corporateBody)

The Army Nurse Corps was established on Feb 2, 1901. From the description of Records, 1951-1961 (inclusive). (Harvard University). WorldCat record id: 232007188 ...

Holzwart, Wanda L., 1923-2002.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6db82v2 (person)

Holzwart (1923-2002) served for eighteen months as a nurse during and after World War II. After being discharged at the rank of 2nd lieutenant, she worked for a time at Wood Veterans Hospital (Milwaukee), had two children, moved to Madison where she worked at the VA hospital and at Madison General Hospital, and eventually settled in Princeton (Wisconsin). From the description of Oral history interview with Wanda Holzwart, 2000. (Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center). WorldCat re...

United States. Army. Transportation Corps

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6517sj2 (corporateBody)

The USS St. Mihiel was built by the American International Shipbuilding Corp. on Hogs Island, Pennsylvania in 1920. She was used as an army transport, carrying soldiers to and from battle. In 1923, she carried the last American soldiers back from Germany at the end of World War I. In 1943, the USS St. Mihiel was decommissioned to the Navy, where she served as an army hospital ship. From the description of USS Mihiel quarantine report, 1923. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat reco...

Wisconsin Veterans Museum

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w69s5frp (corporateBody)

Shamrock (Hospital ship)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65q8q27 (corporateBody)

United States. Army

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6km312r (corporateBody)

The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States Armed Forces and performs land-based military operations. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States and is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution, Article 2, Section 2, Clause 1 and United States Code, Title 10, Subtitle B, Chapter 301, Section 3001. As the largest and senior branch of the U.S. military, the modern U.S. Army has its roots in the Continental Army, which wa...