A bipartisan group of lawmakers is renewing efforts to recognize the women who served as military nurses during World War II with one of the nation’s highest civilian honors.
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, joined by Congressman Chris Deluzio and Senators Tammy Baldwin and Steve Daines, has reintroduced legislation to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the U.S. Army and Navy Nurse Corps members who served in the war.
“America must recognize the nurses who served in World War II for their unimaginable courage, bravery, and sacrifice,” said Stefanik. “These nurses saved numerous lives under extreme conditions and they are nothing short of heroes who deserve every bit of recognition.”
Deluzio, a Navy veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, echoed the call for long-overdue recognition. “Tens of thousands of World War II nurses worked tirelessly, often in harm’s way, to save the lives of American and Allied troops,” he said. “Many lost their lives even as they tried to save others.”
Before the war, fewer than 600 Army Nurses and 1,700 Navy Nurses were on active duty. By 1945, those numbers had swelled to over 59,000 and 14,000 respectively—many volunteering to serve under dangerous and demanding conditions around the world.
The Congressional Gold Medal legislation was first introduced by Stefanik in 2023.
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