Anna Mae Hays facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anna Mae Hays
|
|
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg)
Hays in the 1970s
|
|
| Birth name | Anna Mae Violet McCabe |
| Born | February 16, 1920 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 7, 2018 (aged 97) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Buried |
Grandview Cemetery
|
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |
United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1971 |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Commands held | United States Army Nurse Corps |
| Battles/wars | World War II Korean War |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) Army Commendation Medal |
| Spouse(s) | William Hays (until 1962; his death) |
Anna Mae Violet Hays (born McCabe; February 16, 1920 – January 7, 2018) was an important American military officer. She became the 13th chief of the United States Army Nurse Corps. In 1970, she made history as the first woman in the United States Armed Forces to become a general officer. She was promoted to brigadier general. Hays worked hard to make things fairer for women in the military. She helped change rules and policies to give women more equal opportunities.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Anna Mae Violet McCabe was born on February 16, 1920, in Buffalo, New York. She was the middle child of three. Her parents, Daniel Joseph McCabe and Matie Florence Humphrey, were officers in The Salvation Army.
When Anna Mae was about 12, her family settled in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She went to Allentown High School, now called William Allen High School, and graduated with honors in 1938. Anna Mae loved music. She played the piano, organ, and French horn. She dreamed of going to Juilliard School to study music. However, she didn't have enough money for tuition. So, she decided to become a nurse instead.
In 1939, Hays enrolled at the Allentown General Hospital School of Nursing. She earned her nursing diploma in 1941. Later in her career, she continued her education. She earned a bachelor's degree in nursing education in 1958 from Columbia University. In 1968, she earned a master's degree in nursing from The Catholic University of America.
Career Highlights
Serving in India During World War II
In May 1942, Anna Mae Hays joined the Army Nurse Corps. In January 1943, she was sent to India during World War II. She worked with the 20th Field Hospital in Ledo, in northeastern India.
The hospital was near the start of the Ledo Road, which went through jungles into Burma. Living and working conditions were very basic. Buildings were made of bamboo. Nurses often dealt with dysentery, leeches, and snakes, especially during the rainy season. In April 1945, after two and a half years, she was promoted to first lieutenant. After the war ended, Hays continued to serve in the Corps at various hospitals in the United States.
Helping Soldiers in the Korean War
In August 1950, Hays was sent to Inchon to serve in the Korean War. She worked at the 4th Field Hospital for seven months. She said the conditions there were even tougher than in India. The operating room was very cold, and supplies were limited.
Over the next fourteen months, she and 31 other nurses cared for more than 25,000 patients. Just like in India, Hays used her free time to help chaplains. She played a field pump organ for church services, sometimes even near the front lines. After her time in Korea, Hays was transferred to Tokyo Army Hospital in Japan. Later, she worked at Fort Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania.
Nursing for President Eisenhower
After more training, Hays became the head nurse in the emergency room at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington D.C. She also led the Radioisotope Clinic there. During this time, she was chosen as one of three private nurses for President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He had become ill with ileitis. Hays later said this experience was one of the most memorable parts of her nursing career.
Leading the Army Nurse Corps
In October 1960, she became the chief nurse of the 11th Evacuation Hospital in Pusan. From 1963 to 1966, she was the assistant chief of the Army Nurse Corps. In July 1967, she was promoted to Colonel. On September 1 of that year, she was appointed chief of the Corps. She held this important position until she retired on August 31, 1971.
During the Vietnam War, Hays visited Vietnam three times. She checked on the American nurses working there. She also helped create new training programs and increased the number of nurses serving overseas.
Breaking Barriers for Women
On May 15, 1970, President Richard Nixon appointed Anna Mae Hays to the rank of brigadier general. On June 11, 1970, she was officially promoted in a special ceremony. This made her the first woman in the United States Armed Forces to become a general. After her promotion, Elizabeth P. Hoisington, another female officer, was also promoted to brigadier general. Hays said that her general stars honored the "dedicated, selfless, and often heroic efforts of Army nurses throughout the world."
After her promotion, Hays showed her strong spirit. She asked to be dropped off at the front entrance of the army officers' club. Before this, female officers were usually expected to use a side entrance. She helped challenge unfair rules.
Hays made several important suggestions about how women in the military should be treated. These ideas were accepted and became military policy. For example, women who became pregnant were no longer automatically discharged from service. Also, rules were changed to allow spouses of female service members to have similar benefits as spouses of male service members.
Recognition and Legacy
Anna Mae Hays received many military honors. Her home region, the Lehigh Valley, also recognized her service. In 2015, the Coplay-Northampton Bridge was named in her honor. In 2012, she was added to Lehigh County's Hall of Fame. In November 2017, she received a special Flag of Valor quilt during a Veterans Day ceremony.
In June 2020, the Allentown School District named one of its elementary schools after her. The Brigadier General Anna Mae Hays Elementary School opened in August 2020.
Personal Life
In July 1956, Anna Mae married William A. Hays. He directed workshops that provided jobs for people with disabilities in Washington D.C. William Hays passed away in 1962.
Death
Anna Mae Hays died at the Knollwood Retirement Facility in Washington, D.C., on January 7, 2018. She was 97 years old and passed away from complications of a heart attack.
Three days later, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf ordered the state flag to fly at half-staff. This was done at the Pennsylvania State Capitol and all state facilities in Allentown to honor her. Hays could have been buried at Arlington National Cemetery. However, she chose to be buried with her parents in Grandview Cemetery in South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania.
See also
- List of female United States military generals and flag officers
- Timeline of women in warfare in the United States from 1900 to 1949
- Women in the military
- Women in the military in the Americas
