98-year-old Army veteran becomes first woman named to Wall of Heroes

A World War II Army nurse became the first female veteran to be inducted into the VA Puget Sound Health Care System’s Wall of Heroes in Seattle.

Frances E. Harman, 98, enlisted in the Army Nurse Corp shortly after she learned her brother had been called to service, the Seattle Times reported on Thursday.

{mosads}“I said, ‘If he goes, I’m going,’” Harman told the newspaper. “He flunked his physical and I passed mine.”

She left her hometown of Danville, Ohio, and served in the burn unit of a combat-zone hospital in New Guinea.

“Burns were really bad and the protocol at that time was to put on a pressure dressing,” Harman said. “But in a few hours, it was so hot there, that you would come up with the kind of bugs that you don’t want to have.”

She met her late husband, Lt. Howard Harman, while serving in Australia. She was promoted to first lieutenant in the Army Corps before leaving the service in 1946.

Today U.S. Army Nurse Corps Veteran Lt. Frances Harman was honored for her service by being awarded the VA Puget Sound Wall of Heroes recognition. I also had the opportunity to thank her for her by making her Washingtonian of the Day. pic.twitter.com/eyv6vIbDs1

— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) November 8, 2018

Harman was honored Thursday during a ceremony with Gov. Jay Inslee (D) and officials from the Veterans Affairs Department, the newspaper reported.

“I want to thank you for your service,” Inslee said during the ceremony. “I want to tell you that your tradition is alive in this building. I know that there are nurses here who are following in your footsteps.”

Harman has been decorated with numerous other military awards, including Meritorious Unit Award, three Overseas Service Bars, the American Theater Ribbon, the Asia/Pacific Theater Ribbon with one Bronze Battle Star and the Victory Medal.