25th Station Hospital Unit facts for kids
The 25th Station Hospital was a special group of African American nurses who served in the Army Nurse Corps during World War II. This unit was the first group of African American nurses sent overseas by the U.S. Army. They were stationed in Liberia for a short time in 1943.
A Special Group of Nurses
The 25th Station Hospital was the very first United States Army medical unit made up entirely of African American service members to go overseas during World War II. These brave nurses from the Army Nurse Corps traveled to Liberia in March 1943.
There were 30 nurses in the unit. Their main job was to help and care for United States troops working at airfields and rubber plantations. The leader of this group was First Lieutenant Susan E. Freeman. They were based at a place called Roberts Field. Many of the soldiers they cared for were sick with malaria.
Challenges and Recognition
The nurses did not carry weapons. To show they were medical staff, they wore Red Cross armbands. They were also given helmets, gas masks, and canteens.
The work these nurses did was also being done by Army corpsmen. This made the nurses feel less important, and their spirits suffered. Because of these low spirits and some health issues within the unit, the 25th Station Hospital Unit was called back home in the same year they were sent out.
Even though their time in Liberia was short, their work was recognized. In April 1944, officials from Liberia asked to honor Lieutenant Freeman. She was given the Liberian Human Order of African Redemption. She also received a Mary Mahoney Award in 1944 from the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses for her important work in Liberia.
