14 Comments

Lt. Reba Z. Whittle, an American POW and flight nurse was finally recognized as a POW after many years and following her death. It is difficult for me to understand why it took so long for her status as a POW to be officially recognized. In my book, Ms. Whittle was a hero for her dedication to duty as a POW nurse and for her serving repeatedly in an active war zone.

May God bless Reba Whittle and may God continue to bless all who have served or currently serve this great nation. Thank you Tara.

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I can only imagine being a POW, stuck in horrible conditions and still expected to perform her duties as though nothing was wrong. Well done, Nurse Whittle! RIP.

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Well done indeed 👏 👍 👌

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This is a beautiful part of our history and a great testament to the bravery and skills of women. Second Lt. Whittle would have bolstered the spirits of her fellow POWs. She was eventually given overdue recognition, but probably what meant the most to her was the appreciation of her fellow prisoners and helping them. We love our nurses. Another great post, Tara.

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Those early flight nurses had a risky job and some didn’t survive. They were of strong generation. This is the generation of my folks. They sure were tough and ingenious. Thanks for the awesome story of this wonderful nurse! Whittle was quite soldier and nurse.

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I don't understand why the military was "embarrassed" that Lt. Reba Z. Whittle was a POW. Whatever. She took her bad circumstances and turned it into good. I'm sure our soldier POWs were more than happy to see an efficient and caring American nurse tending to them!

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Happy to know the government got over the embarrassment and corrected the records to the truth. Thanks for an uplifting Friday lesson Tara.

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Thanks for sharing! Have a great weekend! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

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Thank you, Tara.

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🇺🇸 Well done, Lieutenant! R.I.P. 🇺🇲

Thank you, Tara.

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I love these history lessons! Who knew about Nurse Whittle, she was brave and a blessing to others! Thanks Tara!

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Brave lady. I'm surprised she hasn't popped up in the many historical books I've read about WWII. But the again even the nurses at Bataan were hardly mentioned other than the book specifically written about them. There were so many women from nurses, shuttle pilots, code breakers and factory workers that were so important to the war effort who mostly are a footnote. The exception has been several books specifically written to highlight their importance. Thanks Tara for bringing her to light.

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Always interesting to read your posts. A good book to read for a more 'daily life' including how captured medical staff were treated/operated during the Europe portion of WW2: https://archive.org/details/citizensoldiersu0000ambr/page/n9/mode/2up

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Love the stories of American women and their courage.

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