Army Nurses Became First Americans Awarded Distinguished Service Cross

The Distinguished Service Cross, created on January 2, 1917, stands as the nation’s second-highest honor for valor and has been conferred upon more than 20,000 service members. However, the initial recipients were not soldiers or airmen but rather two Army nurses who served with the British Army during World War I.

On August 17, 1917, Beatrice MacDonald and Helen McClelland, members of the Army Nurse Corps Reserve, were stationed at the British Casualty Clearing Station Number 61 near Lillers, France. During that night, amidst a German air raid, the two nurses bravely persisted in caring for wounded soldiers, undeterred by the bombs detonating in their vicinity.

Nurse MacDonald sustained serious injuries during the attack, resulting in the loss of vision in one eye. McClelland not only attended to her colleague's injuries but also persisted in caring for other wounded service members amidst the ongoing danger.

In acknowledgment of their remarkable bravery and commitment, both women were presented with the Distinguished Service Cross on July 9, 1918, making them the first Americans to attain this esteemed accolade.

Although the Distinguished Service Cross was originally established to commend acts of valor in combat, the selflessness exhibited by MacDonald and McClelland established a standard for acknowledging remarkable heroism in battlefield situations.

Throughout the years, the Distinguished Service Cross, alongside its counterparts—the Navy Cross and Air Force Cross—has come to represent extraordinary acts of courage. Nevertheless, tales such as those of MacDonald and McClelland frequently slip into the shadows, serving as a reminder of the unrecognized efforts of early military champions.

Their legacy endures, showcasing that acts of courage manifest in various ways, even distant from the heat of conflict.

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