ARMY NAVY AIR FORCE USPHS
SUPPORT S.2195 & H.R. 4901
THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL FOR WWII NURSES
Two companion bills, S.2195 and H.R. 4901, were recently reintroduced to award the Congressional Gold Medal to World War II Nurses who worked for U.S. Army and Navy Corps Hospitals. Senator Tammy Baldwin (Democrat-WI) sponsored S.2195 on June 25, 2025, and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (Republican-NY-21) sponsored H.R. 4901 on August 5, 2025.
Both bipartisan bills were previously introduced several times in both houses as early as 2013 but never received the required votes. For the 119th Session of Congress, it will need the approval of at least 67 Senators and 290 Representatives. It has been almost 80 years since the end of WWII but this long-delayed honor has yet to be given to WWII Nurses who saved thousands of lives amidst great personal sacrifice. Most of the nurses have passed on and only a handful are left today like Elsie Chin Yuen Seetoo who will turn 107 on September 14.
When the U.S. entered World War II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, there were fewer than 7,000 nurses on active duty. By 1945, there were approximately 59,000 nurses serving under the Army Nurse Corps and 14,000 serving under the Navy Nurse Corps from all over the country as well as from US territories like the Philippines, Hawaii, Guam and Alaska.
These nurses saved tens of thousands of lives from despair and even death without any regard for their safety or well-being. Many of them worked near the frontlines in makeshift hospitals and suffered from disease, starvation and constant bombing. Some like the Army and Navy Corps American and Filipino nurses in the Philippines and Navy Corps nurses in Guam were imprisoned, suffering further indignities. Fourteen nurses from the China-Burma-India theater died in a plane crash in March 1945. African-American nurses suffered discrimination and were subjected to a quota of only 56 at the beginning of WWII, which later was lifted only because of the great need for nurses in Europe, Africa and the Pacific. Chinese-American and Nurses of Asian descent worked for the Army and Navy Corps Hospitals in the Pacific Theater under the most dangerous conditions. And despite being subjected to a forced internment, Japanese-Americans signed up as Cadet Nurses while those who were already nurses worked in hospitals in the mainland.
The WASPS, Rosie the Riveter and the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion have already been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Majority of the nurses have passed on without being honored for their sacrifices for our country. It is time to honor their memory and their legacy. It is high time for representatives from both sides of the aisle of the Senate and Congress to come together to recognize the bravery and immense sacrifice that the nurses gave to our country during WWII.
Please write to your Senators and House Representatives and ask them to co-sponsor bipartisan Bill S-2195 and H.R. 4901. If you represent an organization, please send a copy of your letter to Senator Tammy Baldwin's office or to Cong. Elise Stefanik's Office.
watch we all came home (the Voices of WWII Nurses)
Sample letters to send to your representatives:
sample letter of support for s.2195
sample letter of support for h.r. 4901
Thank you for your support.