U.S. Navy Vietnam War Sandwich, IL Flight date: 10/06/21
By Frank Hauenschild, Honor Flight Chicago Veteran Interview Volunteer
Prior to her birth, Jane’s parents, Roald and Margaret, moved to Sandwich, Illinois, a small, quaint community located approximately fifty miles west of Chicago. Being a physician, Roald became one, if not the first, to open a doctor’s office in Sandwich. Jane was one of three children born to Roald and Margaret. After completing grade school, both Jane and her older sister, Susan, started their high school years at Sandwich High School. Jane’s mother Margaret, desiring a more devout education for both of her daughters, transferred them to the Madonna Catholic High School for Girls in Aurora, Illinois. When asked why her parents just did not enroll the girls at Madonna, Jane explained that the commute to Madonna was about twenty-five miles each way, and “we had to wait for Susan to get her driver’s license so she could drive both of us to Madonna.”
Upon graduating from Madonna High School, Jane was already determined to pursue a career in nursing. Jane enrolled at Southern Illinois University in its nursing program at Edwardsville, Illinois. Upon graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1970, she decided to utilize her degree in nursing with the United States Navy.
Jane enlisted with the Navy Nurse Corps in November, 1970 and began her military service at Officer Development School (ODS) in Newport, Rhode Island. The Officer Development School taught Jane about the various aspects of the United States Navy including military structure, traditions and customs, and military protocol, which included learning how to salute and to take orders. Jane rolled her eyes when describing how she learned to take “Orders” at ODS. Jane completed her five-week ODS and left Newport as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy.
From ODS at Newport, Rhode Island, Jane was transferred to the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Virginia. At Portsmouth Naval Hospital, Jane was assigned to a ward where uniformed personnel were recovering from various diseases and injuries. Her first assignment as a nurse was on the night shift. Jane observed that her patients were becoming very bored and impatient from lying in their beds all day during their treatment and recovery. Jane decided to help the boys out and get them out of bed for some activity during the night. Jane said that she started taking a few of her patients outside of the ward area for some exercise and mental recuperation. “Crap games” in the latrine was her answer for getting the boys out of bed, Jane explained.
The nightly “crap games” were becoming extremely popular in Jane’s ward on the night shift. Unfortunately, all good things would come to an end. One evening, her Chief Nurse decided to make a surprise visit to her ward and caught Jane, and a few of her patients, partaking in one of the games in the latrine. Not being the Navy way, and “not very well liked by the Chief Nurse ” Jane was reassigned to the emergency room at the Naval Hospital.
In the emergency room, Jane’s responsibility shifted from a ward nurse to a trauma nurse. One of her most notable, and shocking experiences was when G.I.s from Vietnam would arrive at the Naval Hospital. She was dramatically affected by some of the injuries the soldiers had sustained. Jane commented that some injuries were so serious that they were immediately flown from Vietnam as expeditiously as possible, as they needed immediate and advanced care that could not be provided outside the continental United States. “These boys would arrive in our emergency room still in their jungle fatigues that they were wearing when they were injured; they were so young,” Jane recalled. She often wondered whether the injured soldiers survived, and if they did, how their lives were changed by the war.
During her time at Portsmouth, she did get occasional time off to acquaint herself with the area. Upon her arrival at Portsmouth, she was amazed at the number of Navy personnel in the area. During one of her excursions in the Portsmouth area, she noticed many signs on the lawns of residences that stated: “Dogs and Sailors – Stay off the Grass.”
Another benefit allowed Jane to see parts of the world that she knew she could never afford to travel to, courtesy of the U.S. Navy. When Jane had a long weekend off of hospital duty, she could hop on a Navy cargo plane and travel to destinations in the United States and other countries. “The flights were free and I got to visit Germany, Puerto Rico and other various destinations in the world,” Jane explained.
After working in the emergency room for six months, Jane’s enlistment period ended. While not eager to re-enlist, Jane attempted to negotiate terms of re-enlistment with her superiors. Knowing that she wanted a nursing career after her service in the Navy, Jane tried to have her duty assignment transferred to the Naval Air Station Medical Center at Whidbey Island, Washington. There she hoped to complete her Master’s Degree in Nursing while remaining in the Navy. After unsuccessful attempts for terms to remain in the Navy, Jane left active service as a Lieutenant and returned home to Sandwich.
After her experience as a Navy nurse on a ward floor and in the emergency room, Jane set her sights on becoming a clinical nurse. With her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and her experience with Naval medicine and nursing, it did not take long for Jane to be employed by Loyola University Hospital as a clinical nurse in Maywood, Illinois.
The Navy, and Jane, not giving up with each other, came to terms on her becoming a reservist in the Naval Nursing Corps. While working for Loyola, Jane’s reservist commitment required her to attend training one weekend a month and one, two-week training period each year. Her weekends were usually spent at Great Lakes Naval Training Center near Waukegan, Illinois.
As a reservist, Jane was still able to fly to various destinations that left from O’Hare or from Glenview Naval Air Station on military aircraft. Occasionally, she would be invited to the flight deck and was able to sit in the co-pilot’s seat. The Air Force Base in Cocoa Beach, Florida was always one her favorite destinations. “I would stay on base at the Bachelor Officer Quarters, would enjoy nice meals and was able to relax a bit in Florida!”
One of her memorable trips was to Europe on a KC-97 Stratofreighter refueling tanker. During her flight, she got to assist in an actual mid-air refueling mission from the belly of the plane. “I even had my own flight suit and helmet for my flights out of Glenview Naval Air Station.” Another two-week stateside training period was in Pensacola, Florida at the Naval Air Station. From there, Jane went to sea on the USS Lexington aircraft carrier on a training mission which was quite an experience for her.
One of Jane’s memorable stateside training assignments landed her in the Mojave Desert for two weeks. There she was assigned to establish a tent medical center, similar to a M.A.S.H. units in war zones, for a Marine training encampment. As the ranking officer, at least until the flight surgeon arrived the second week, she oversaw the construction of the medical center, the treatment of Marines who became ill, mostly due to heat exhaustion, and those who were injured during training. Jane commented while displaying pictures, “while it was stressful and hot, I had my own jeep with an assigned driver!”
As an active reservist, and working full-time at Loyola University Hospital, Jane continued her education and received her Master’s Degree in Nursing from Loyola University at their Evanston Campus. Jane completed her reserve duty and officially retired from the Navy Reserves after ten years of service in 1982 as a Lieutenant Commander. Jane recalled that during her time as a reservist, she had the opportunity to visit thirty-plus countries and many destinations in the United States.
After leaving Loyola Hospital in 2003, Jane was employed as a home health care nurse which led to a supervisory position. With this move, she could leave her home in Sandwich and travel to her office in North Aurora. This was a familiar route for her as she recalled traveling to Aurora during her high school years. “As a clinical nurse at Loyola, it was an easy transition to become a home health care nurse.” Jane prided herself on the one-on-one contact she had with her patients both as a clinical nurse and as a home health care nurse.
Formally retiring in 2017 from nursing after an enviable career, Jane still resides in her hometown of Sandwich. She is active with friends, neighbors, her church, and the American Legion.
Thank you, Lieutenant Commander Jane A. Moyers, for your service to our country with the U.S. Navy and the Navy Reserves. Enjoy your well-deserved Honor Flight with your “Operation Her Story” fellow veterans.