Army Flight Nurse Mary Louise Hawkins

1st Lt. Mary Louise Hawkins was an army flight nurse during WWII who received the Distinguished Flying Cross for keeping 24 patients alive following a forced landing on Bellona Island, until aid arrived 19 hours later. Her heroic efforts included constructing a makeshift suction tube to keep one patient’s throat clear of blood after his trachea had been severed by a propeller during the landing.

Photo size: 1385 × 1800
Photo source: U.S. Air Force
Usage: Public Domain