Dearest Diana,

I couldn't be happier that you have decided to follow in your Auntie's footsteps and become a nurse.

I always knew that I wanted to be a nurse. Growing up during the Great Depression, it didn't seem like it was going to be a reality.

After Pearl Harbor was bombed, Nana and I volunteered at the Red Cross every week. I had been volunteering for about two years when I saw a poster that changed my life. The Army Nurse Corps was recruiting, and free nursing training was being offered. I couldn't believe it – I never thought that something good could come out of the war. I went that same day and signed up. I didn't think of how Nana and Papa would receive the news. All I could see was that I finally had a chance to have my dream come true.

As soon as my training was completed, I was shipped overseas. No amount of training could prepare me for the reality of nursing in a combat zone. More than once, enemy shelling came too close and we had to pack up the entire hospital and move to a safer location. Somehow, we kept the boys in our care alive no matter what the circumstances.

Nursing in a combat zone definitely wasn't for everyone – many of the nurses went home as soon as they could. I loved it – it didn't matter how scary or sad a day was, I always knew that I was exactly where I belonged. I stayed in the army after the war ended because I couldn't imagine being a nurse anywhere else.

Best of luck as you start this exciting journey. I hope you find as much joy in nursing as I have.

I love you,

Auntie K