Oral History Interview with Bernice Shafer, May 18, 2012

Oral History Interview with Bernice Shafer, May 18, 2012

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Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bernice Shafer. Shafer joined the Army in October 1942 as a newly registered nurse. She was treated poorly at basic training and was advised repeatedly that since rape was inevitable she should try to enjoy it. Shafer's first duty was to oversee three rowdy wards at Winter General Army Hospital. To set the tone, she immediately assigned KP duty to a colonel. Deploying to a hospital near Manila in 1944, she worked in an operating room with a hot-tempered doctor whose only response to her displeasure in working … continued below

Physical Description

54 p.

Interviewers

Publisher

National Museum of the Pacific War
Place of Publication: Fredericksburg, Texas

Audiences

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Provided By

National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Established in 1967, the Museum honors the 8 million Americans who served in WWII in the Pacific Theater by sharing their stories with the world. Located in Fredericksburg in the restored Nimitz "Steamboat" Hotel, the Museum partners with the Texas Historical Commission to preserve the historical resources of the era.

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Bernice Shafer. Shafer joined the Army in October 1942 as a newly registered nurse. She was treated poorly at basic training and was advised repeatedly that since rape was inevitable she should try to enjoy it. Shafer's first duty was to oversee three rowdy wards at Winter General Army Hospital. To set the tone, she immediately assigned KP duty to a colonel. Deploying to a hospital near Manila in 1944, she worked in an operating room with a hot-tempered doctor whose only response to her displeasure in working with him was to kiss her on the face. She mainly tended to war casualties but occasionally treated natives who suffered from parasites. Long after the war, she was haunted by the memory of a soldier who sustained a brain injury; without a neurosurgeon on staff, she could only sit beside him until he died. When the war ended, Shafer felt unsafe amidst the celebrations as soldiers grabbed ahold of her. Even on the voyage home, she was awoken by a sailor kissing her. Shafer was discharged into the Reserves and served again in the Korean War.

Physical Description

54 p.

Subjects

Keywords

Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms

Library of Congress Subject Headings

World War, 1939-1945

University of North Texas Libraries Browse Structure

Language

English

Item Type

Text

Identifier

Unique identifying numbers for this text in the Portal or other systems.

Accession or Local Control No: OH03518
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1606196

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Bernice Shafer, May 18, 2012 - ark:/67531/metapth1610002

Collections

This text is part of the following collections of related materials.

National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection

This oral history collection depicts an instrumental era in American history. In these transcripts of interviews with World War II veterans are personal experiences with the war, from the Doolittle Raid and D-Day to the Battle for Bataan.

National Museum of the Pacific War Digital Archive

The Digital Archive presents digitized collections from the Center for Pacific War Studies collections at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Collections and material are continuously being added and represent only a small portion of the archives' physical holdings.

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