Group+3+Women



Sylvia: Helen! It's so nice to finally see you after all this time!

Helen: It's very nice to see you too Helen! How have you been doing?

Sylvia: Pretty good. How about yourself?

Helen: Pretty good! Hey did you know that the United States Government is finally getting serious about giving women more rights? I read about it in a newspaper article.

Sylvia: Yes I did hear that. I guess it's because the United States is getting involved in World War One. My brother George is a soldier and he's fighting for the United States. I'm worried about him.

Helen: I'm sure George is going to be fine. He's pretty tough. I've actually been thinking about going overseas in a couple weeks to be a nurse. The soldiers need as many nurses as possible for when they get injured. You remember our friends Genevieve and Lucille Baker, the twins, don't you?

Sylvia: Oh yes I remember them, why?

Helen: I heard from their mother that 13,000 women were enlisted in the navy and marine corps. Apparently Genevieve and Lucille were enlisted, too! They transferred from the naval coastal defense to become the first uniformed women in the coast guard. They got mustered out of service, though. Consequently, women other than nurses can no longer serve in the army uring World War One.

Sylvia: Oh wow! I don't think I'm ready to be a nurse for the soldiers even though it would be nice to help the hurt soldiers. I'm not ready to leave my family or friends quite yet.

Helen: Like I said I'm probably going in a couple weeks. There is much need for female nurses to go overseas.

Sylvia: That's good. I hope that works out for you! Well I have to go home and put the groceries away.

Helen: Okay. See you later!

Sylvia: See you!

2 Weeks Later

Nelle Fairchild: Daddy! Aunt Helen sent us a letter.

Father: What does it say, Nelle?

Nelle: It says that she has a lot of stories to tell us when she gets home and that she misses us very much.

Father: I can't wait to hear what she has to tell us!

Nelle: You're very proud of her, aren't you daddy?

Father: Of course I am. She's serving her country and that's not something women were not allowed to do in the United States until we got involved in World War One.

Nelle: Oh no! I'm going to be late for school! Bye daddy!

Father: Bye Nelle.

Nelle: Hi May!

May: Oh Hi Nelle! How are you today?

Nelle: Pretty good. I got a letter from my aunt Helen today. She's a nurse in World War One.

May: Really? That's good! What did she say?

Nelle: She was just saying that she has a lot of stories to tell me and my daddy when she gets home and that she misses us very much.

May: You must be so proud of her.

Nelle: Of course I am. She's serving our country.

Group of Boys: She's not serving our country! She's a girl!

Nelle: Yes she is! For your information she's a nurse and she takes care of all of the sick and hurt soldiers so ha!

Group of boys: Nurses don't count! They don't fight!

Nelle: They don't have to! They take care of the soldiers who are fighting and without the nurses, more soldiers would die because they don't have anybody to take care of them when they are sick or injured!

May: Just leave us alone! I'm sure you have better things to do other than argue with Nelle just because your jealous that her aunt is serving our country in war!

Group of boys: Yeah, we're jealous that we have a girl "serving our country". Yeah right!

Nelle: Oh my gosh! Leave me alone! She's a nurse in World War One and that's final! And there's nothing you can do about it!

A few Months Later

Father: Nelle, aunt Helen's general sent us a letter!

Nelle: What does it say?

Father: Nelle, I don't know how to tell you this. The letter says that aunt Helen died. They think it was caused by "acute atrophy of the liver" but they don't know for sure.

Nelle: Oh no!

Father: I know Nelle I'll miss her too but there's nothing we can do now. I'm sorry.

Nelle: I already miss her so much!

Father: I know Nelle, so do I. She's in a better place now, though.

Nelle: Yes I know. I'll never forget her. She was and always will be my hero.

media type="youtube" key="KxLkslae34A" height="344" width="425"

"WW1 Thirty thousand women were there". __Women in World War One__. 17 Dec. 2009 <__Http://userpages;aug.com/captbarb/femvets4.html__>

"Nurse Helen Fairchild. My aunt, My hero / World War One/ WW1 medical font". __Nurse Helen Fairchild__. 22 Dec. 2009. [|Http://www.vlib.us/medical/mamh/myaunt.htm#Nurse%20Helen%20Fairchild,%20RN%20]