Prudence Burns Burrell facts for kids
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Prudence Hathaway Burns Burrell (March 23, 1916 – February 29, 2012) was an amazing African American nurse and author. She served bravely during World War II in the Army Nurse Corps. She worked in hospitals that were separated by race, mostly in the Pacific Ocean area. Prudence Burrell wrote a book about her life called Hathaway in 1997. She spent her life sharing the important stories of African American nurses who served in the war.
Contents
Growing Up and Becoming a Nurse
Prudence Burrell was born in Mounds, Illinois, on March 23, 1916. She grew up in Danville, Illinois. In 1934, she finished high school at Lovejoy High School. She was very good at Latin.
After high school, she moved to St. Louis. There, she worked as a maid to earn money for nursing school. She trained at a hospital in Kansas City called General Hospital No. 2. This hospital was for African American patients and staff. She became a registered nurse in 1939. In 1941, she started studying public health at the University of Minnesota. She finished her degree after the war.
Serving in World War II
In 1941, important leaders like First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune asked the Army to allow more black nurses to join. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Army needed many more nurses. They finally allowed more African American nurses to join.
Prudence Burrell was asked to help find nurses for the American Red Cross. But she decided to join the Army Nurse Corps herself on October 20, 1942. She started as a second lieutenant. She later became a first lieutenant. At that time, black nurses were not officially allowed to treat white soldiers.
Burrell went through basic training at Fort Huachuca. She was part of the 268th Station Hospital unit for three years. On October 15, 1943, her unit went to Australia for six months. Then they moved to a hospital in Milne Bay, New Guinea. In May 1945, the hospital unit moved again to the Philippines.
As the war was ending, Prudence married Lieutenant Lowell Burrell. Her wedding dress was made from a silk parachute!
Life After the War
After the war, Burrell went back to the University of Minnesota. She graduated in 1951 with her bachelor's degree. She and her husband moved to Detroit. There, Prudence Burrell worked as a math teacher.
Sharing Her Story
Prudence Burrell kept in touch with the women she served with during the war. She continued to talk about her experiences in the Army. She wrote her memoir, Hathaway, which was published in 1997. By 2001, she had found about 80 nurses she had served with. Prudence Burrell passed away on February 29, 2012.
Awards and Recognition
Prudence Burns Burrell received a special Presidential award. President Bill Clinton gave her this award. It honored outstanding African Americans who served with courage during World War II. She received it during the 24th Annual Congressional Black Caucus legislative weekend.
