WWI - Blanda Sampson, U.S. Army Nurse Corps 

Over 22,000 professionally-trained female nurses were recruited by the American Red Cross to serve in the U.S. Army between 1917 and 1919 – and over 10,000 of these served near the Western Front.   From PBS American Experience, the Great War American Nurses WWI     Blanda Sampson enlisted in the Army 20 Feb 1918 and discharged 6 Jul 1919, U.S. Veterans Administration BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010.

   “We are sure that our readers enjoyed greatly the interesting letter from Miss Blanda Sampson, of the Army Nurse Corps in France, that we published yesterday, and we are therefore glad to publish today an extract from a letter that her mother, Mrs. Alida Sampson, received from her today, and in which she refers to some of our Stoughton boys, Miss Sampson wrote this letter July 24th.  It was mailed the 25th, and thus was less than two weeks enroute.  It will be seen that she is now stationed at Limoges, a good-sized city in south central France, far from the battle region.  Limoges, by the way, is famous as being the home of the celebrated Haviland china.  Miss Sampson is night superintendent of the hospital at which she is now stationed…” 
Excerpt from Stoughton Courier Hub August 7th, 1918  

   The above Courier Hub article reported Otis Sampson suffered gas and that portion is also included on Otis Sampson webpage:  “Otis Sampson had suffered from gas – Stoughton boy reported as severely wounded in France is now well again”  published just two months before he died on October 9th, 1918.


“Lamoges, France, June 24

Dear Mother:

   “We left Paris on July 15.  The Sunday night before we left, the bombardment could be heard in Paris.  It started at about midnight, and the next day “Bertha” shot every twenty minutes into Paris.” 

   “Osuld Bredesen was up and around before I left.  His foot was still stiff.  He had the calf of his leg shot off with a machine gun.

   The other night some new patients came into our hospital, and Oliver Myre, from Stoughton, was one of them.  His hand was wounded, but he expects to go back to the front.  And another boy came in – he was a friend of Otis Sampson; he and Otis have been together all the time until this boy was wounded.  He had the end of his elbow shot off, but expects to go back to the front soon.  He said Otis was fine now, Otis had been gassed, and had slight burns, but was O.K. the last he saw him.” 

   “Will write again soon.  Love to all,     BLANDA” 

Excerpts of letter written to her mother, from Lamoges, France, June 24, 1918 as printed in the Stoughton Courier Hub, August 7, 1918


Six months after the U.S. entered WWI nearly 1,100 nurses were serving overseas in nine base hospitals. One year later 2,000 Regular Army and 10,186 Reserve nurses were on active duty serving at 198 stations worldwide.  By the end of the war the ranks of the Army Nurse Corps would swell to 21,480 with over 10,000 having served overseas.  This was an increase of 3800% from before the war.  Army Nurse Corps Association - U.S. Army Nurse Corps link below.

Please click to read more about the Red Cross Nurses during WWI

To read more on the contributions of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps

Alice Ames, U.S. Army Corps Reserves Nurse from Stoughton, was born  8 Nov 1892 and died 1 Dec 1970, daughter of Sylvanus and Cora Ames.  She departed France on 20 May 1919 and discharged on 14 Jun 1919.  Discharge date from U.S. Veterans Administration BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010.

With thanks to the Kvamme Local History Collection, Stoughton Public Library

To read more about Blanda Sampson click here