Ruth Alice Erickson
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Ruth Alice Erickson
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CAPT Ruth Alice Erickson, USN
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| Born | June 20, 1913 Virginia, Minnesota |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Rochester, Minnesota |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ |
United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1936–1966 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held | Director of the United States Navy Nurse Corps, 1962–1966 |
| Battles/wars | World War II Korean War |
| Awards | Navy Unit Commendation, American Defense Service Medal with one star, Navy Occupation Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal |
Captain Ruth Alice Erickson was the Director of the United States Navy Nurse Corps, serving in that position from 1962 to 1966. As a LT in the Navy Nurse Corps, she witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941.[1]
Contents
Early life
Ruth Alice Erickson was born in 1913 in Virginia, Minnesota.[2] She graduated from Methodist Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, Minnesota in 1934.[3]
Ruth Erickson joined the Navy Nurse Corps in July 1936. During her career she served on the hospital ship Relief, witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor,[1] and served on the hospital ship Haven while bringing home prisoners of war from Japan in 1945.[3] Erickson moved through positions of increasing responsibility, including nursing supervisor, senior nurse and assistant chief of nursing services at various naval hospitals, Nurse Corps representative in the 12th Naval District and Military Sea Transport Service in Seattle, WA, and personnel officer for the Nurse Corps at the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in Washington, D. C..[3] She served as chief nurse at three major naval hospitals and, on 30 April 1962 became the Director of the Navy Nurse Corps. She retired from the U. S. Navy on 1 May 1966.[2]
Education
Erickson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing Education from Indiana University in 1953.[2][3]
See also
References
Further reading
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External links
- Nurses and the U.S. Navy -- Overview and Special Image Selection Naval Historical Center
- Oral History of LT Ruth Erickson about the attack on Pearl Harbor
- Washington Post Obituary
| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Director, Navy Nurse Corps 1962–1966 |
Succeeded by Veronica Bulshefski |
- 1913 births
- 2008 deaths
- People from Virginia, Minnesota
- American nursing administrators
- Female wartime nurses
- American military personnel of World War II
- American women in World War II
- Women in the United States Navy
- United States Navy officers
- American military personnel of the Korean War
- World War II nurses
- Korean War nurses
- United States Navy Nurse Corps officers
