Elizabeth Lewis, originally from Portland, Maine, joined the Army Nurse Corps in the hope of adventure, experience, and a desire to serve her country in a time of war. In a time when there were fewer than 22,000 Army Nurses, only half of whom served overseas, Ms. Knight considered herself lucky to have been sent abroad. Her service began in May 1918 when she was sent to work in General Hospital #9 in Lakewood, New Jersey.
Ms. Knight was attached to Base Hospital #15 for the duration of the war but frequently traveled with Mobile and Evacuation Hospitals. During her service, she wrote home to her family and friends and requested that they keep her letters so she could look back at them as a sort of a diary. Excerpts of these letters are presented here. The full collection is housed at the US Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, PA, where they are available for public research.
The following excerpts are from letters written by Elizabeth Lewis.
September 20, 1918 – letter about treating German prisoners and the end of the war
November 13, 1918 – letter to mother describing her reaction to the armistice
Read More:
The A.E.F. at Sedan
The Armistice