Ellen Ainsworth
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Ellen Ainsworth (1918 in
Glenwood City, Wisconsin Glenwood City is a city in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,306 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is known as the "City of 57 Hills." Glenwood City is the site of the annual St. Croix County Fai ...
– 1944 in
Anzio Anzio (, also ; ) is a town and ''comune'' on region of Italy, about south of Rome. Well known for its seaside resorts, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola, and Ve ...
, Italy) was an officer in the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Ainsworth was awarded the
Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...
and the
Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...
for her actions during
Operation Shingle The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II that commenced January 22, 1944. The battle began with the Allies of World War II, Allied amphibious landing known as Operation Shingle, an ...
while serving with the
United States Army Nurse Corps The United States Army Nurse Corps (USANC) was formally established by the U.S. Congress in 1901. It is one of the six medical special branches (or "corps") of officers which – along with medical enlisted soldiers – comprise the Army Medica ...
. She was killed during the
Battle of Anzio The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II that commenced January 22, 1944. The battle began with the Allies of World War II, Allied amphibious landing known as Operation Shingle, an ...
in the 56th Evacuation Hospital, and was the only Wisconsin woman killed by enemy fire during World War II. After her death she was buried in the
Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial is a World War II American military war grave cemetery, located in Nettuno, near Anzio, Italy. The cemetery, containing 7,858 American war dead, covers and was dedicated in 1956. It is administered by ...
.


Early life and education

Ainsworth was the youngest of three siblings, and grew up in Glenwood, Wisconsin. She attended the Eitel Hospital School of Nursing in Minneapolis. After graduating in 1941, she joined the United States Army Nurse Corps in March 1942.


Legacy

Subsequent memorials to her include a conference room named in her honor at
The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As ...
and a dispensary named in her honor at
Fort Hamilton Fort Hamilton is a United States Army installation in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights. It is one of several posts that are part of the region which ...
. A post office in
Glenwood City, Wisconsin Glenwood City is a city in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,306 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is known as the "City of 57 Hills." Glenwood City is the site of the annual St. Croix County Fai ...
is designated a memorial post-office in her honor by Congress.See Congressional Records from the 114th Congress


References

1918 births 1944 deaths People from St. Croix County, Wisconsin Military personnel from Wisconsin United States Army Nurse Corps officers Recipients of the Silver Star Female United States Army nurses in World War II United States Army personnel killed in World War II Nurses killed in World War II {{DEFAULTSORT:Ainsworth, Ellen