Frances M. Liberty
Bio
Frances M. Liberty joined the United States Army after nursing school during World War II and the dire need for nurses. After basic training, she went to England. Because she had operating room experience, she was chosen to go to Africa and then to Anzio, Italy, where she landed in the first phase of that invasion. At the end of the war, she was “separated” from active duty, but was recalled when the war in Korea began. In Korea, she was stationed aboard the hospital trains which transported injured soldiers from the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M.A.S.H.) units to the hospital ships. Upon returning Stateside, she treated high-profile patients such as John Foster Dulles, George Marshall, and Betty Ford. She went on to serve in Vietnam as well, finally retiring in 1971.
Video Clips
Basic Training and Women in the Military
Frances Liberty discusses her experience at basic training. She recalls that Ft. Dix was not prepared for women. She recounts the experiences of learning to pitch tents, climb walls, and being shot at as she crawled under barbed wire. She reflects that the experience was rewarding and opened up a big world. She compares how nurses were seen during World War I to her experiences in the military.
Off to Japan and Korea and the Hospital Trains
Frances Liberty recalls traveling to Japan and then Korea after being recalled by the military following her World War II service. She recounts she was stationed on the hospital trains. She explains these trains transported patients from the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M.A.S.H.) units to hospital ships. She shares that once she dropped the patients off on the hospital ships, she was able to get clean clothes and take a hot shower. She admits that she often would take medical supplies from the M.A.S.H. units for use on the trains.
Remembering an Incident on the Train
Frances Liberty recalls an incident where the fireman and stoker on the train ran away when they saw Chinese Soldiers on a nearby hill. She admits she thought she was going to die, but a soldier was able to drive the train back to Pusan. She discusses another experience that occurred while serving in a medical facility. She remembers everyone pulling out overnight and being left behind with a young captain. She recounts they were discovered by U.S. Marines that helped them evacuate.
Treating Soldiers Across Three Wars
Frances Liberty discusses the use of triage, which was a new concept. She recalls it was very difficult for nurses to adapt to, but that the triage process ended up saving a lot of lives. She reflects on the patients that she treated and how she used to sit with dying soldiers, offering them comfort. She remembers a specific patient who was very close to death, but he ended up surviving. She discovered years later that his first granddaughter was named after her.
Photos
[Front]: Frances Liberty taken at the time of the interview
Frances M. Liberty Collection (AFC/2001/001/2548), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
![[Front]: Frances Liberty taken at the time of the interview](https://koreanwarleg.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/iiif-service_vhp_0025_002548_ph0001001-full-pct_100-0-default.jpeg)
[Front]: Frances Liberty in uniform.
Frances M. Liberty Collection (AFC/2001/001/2548), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
![[Front]: Frances Liberty in uniform.](https://koreanwarleg.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/iiif-service_vhp_0025_002548_ph0002001-full-pct_100-0-default.jpeg)