WWII nurse reflects on her experience

Editor’s Note — In honor of Veterans Day, the Daily  Citizen is running a series of  stories  about  veterans. When Inez McMillan graduated from UW Madison with a degree in nursing in 1944, she just couldn’t ignore repeated calls for nurses to help the war effort overseas. McMillan and a friend from nursing school, Margie, decided it was something they could do. McMillan — who was born in Columbus and graduated from CHS in 1939 — was ready to branch out and see the world. She was ready for an adventure. When she first tried to enlist in the Army in February 1944, however, she was turned down. “They wouldn’t let us because they said Wisconsin’s quota was full. So it was September of 1944 when they let us join the Army,” McMillan said. She spent six weeks in basic training at Camp McCoy. “It was a lot marching and calisthenics, but we were young and could... >>>