WWII Army Nurse Ruth Parsons Corregidor
This film, part of the Army Screen Magazine, features two segments. The first has an interview with Captain Ruth E. Parsons, who worked as a nurse on the embattled island of Corregidor during the first Battle of the Philippines. This incredible woman later became the model for the Nurse’s Memorial statue at Arlington National Cemetery. Parsons recounts the collapse of the U.S. Army on Bataan and Corregidor, and the gallant service by the Marines as they fought against overwhelming odds to stave off the Japanese. At the 4:47 mark, another segment entitled BACK HOME tells the story of a family living in Cos Cob, Connecticut, who converted their garage into a machine shop in support of the war effort. Even the local milkman volunteered time in the shop to manufacture tools for the aviation industry. The effort was recognized with an “E for Efficiency”, one of the War Department’s highest honors.