Captain Maria Ines Ortiz, United States Army, died on July 10, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq "carrying out a mission she believed she was destined to fulfill." These were the words spoken by her fiance when he described her "calling" to serve in the nursing profession. Although she is no less or more important than the numerous other service men and women who have been killed in combat since the beginning of the Middle Eastern conflict, Maria's distinction is that she was the first military nurse to die during active war duty since the Vietnam War. The barrage of mortar shells from indirect enemy fire silenced a dedicated nurse, respected by her colleagues, superiors, and patients.
There is reason to applaud the strides made to provide opportunities for women in the military. While not completely in balance with males, females are now assigned to positions that place them in as much danger as their male counterparts. It may be difficult to understand why anyone would volunteer for an assignment where the odds of never returning home are real; but many U.S. military personnel volunteer to go to Iraq, just like Maria.
A Nurse's Resilience
I remember watching the longrunning popular television sitcom M.A.S.H. (mobile army surgical hospital) and wondering if their depiction on screen had any semblance to reality. Americans were given a glimpse of "existence" at a military trauma and surgical hospital during the Korean War. Today's advanced communication technologies provide us with real-time footage and instant replay of happenings in the Iraqi war zone and beyond. Many images are disturbing; but nurses and other health professionals display courage, strength, and perseverance. How do they sustain?
A History of Nursing
Earlier this year, I stumbled onto the book, Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33rd U.S. Colored Troops, Late 1st South Carolina Volunteers by an African-American nurse named Susie King Taylor. Born a slave, she gained her freedom during the Civil War and published her memoirs in 1902.
When she was only 14 years of age, Taylor accompanied her uncle into the service as the official company laundress. She soon found herself assuming numerous other responsibilities such as cook, educator, and nurse. Other accounts verify that she often accompanied Clara Barton on her tours of hospital wards that administered to wounded African-American soldiers. Taylor wrote:
"It seems strange how our aversion to seeing suffering is overcome in war, how we are able to see the most sickening sights, such as men with their limbs blown off and mangled by the deadly shells, without a shudder; and instead of turning away, how we hurry to assist in alleviating their pain, bind up their wounds, and press the cool water to their parched lips, with feelings only of sympathy and pity."
Her commitment to caring for her "boys" became a lifelong endeavor. After the war, she returned home and moved on to her next "calling" as an activist for the rights of African-American veterans.
Remember Those Who Serve
I have mentioned only three of many wars, past and current. November 11th is Veteran's Day. We remember the women and men who serve/have served our country. Let us salute the cadre of dedicated enlisted nurses who bring caring, healing, hope, and peace to the wounded every day. We can honor Captain Maria Ines Ortiz through the safe return home of all who remain in combat.
Jamesetta Newland, APRN, BC FNP, FAANP, FNAP, PhD
Editor-in-Chief