Jane I. Rignel St. John ARRC (June 16, 1884 – April 1, 1977) was a United States Army nurse who was the Chief Nurse of Mobile Hospital No. 2 during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. For her heroism she was awarded the French

Croix de Guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

, the British Royal Red Cross, and the United States

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 ...

medal.

Early life, education, and early career

Jane I Rignel was born in Lockport, New York. She graduated from Columbia University Presbyterian School of Nursing in 1913. After graduation, Rignel went to work at Western Electric Company plant in New York City where she established a workmen's compensation health aid station.

World War I

World War I hospitals were often organized around civilian hospitals. In May 1917, Rignel joined the Army Nurse Corps. as Chief Nurse of Mobile No. 2 Hospital which was primarily staffed by personnel from the Presbyterian Hospital in New York. On August 14, 1918, General John J. Pershing sent a commendation to the whole staff of Mobile Hospital No. 2 to recognize them for their courage under fire. For her heroism she was awarded the French

, the British Royal Red Cross, and the United States

medal.

World War II

During World War II, St. John was the assistant director of the Nurse's Aide Corps of the New York Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Family life

Rignel married Captain Fordyce B. St. John, the commander of Mobile Hospital 2, in 1919. The St. John's lived in

Manhattan, New York Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

and

Woodstock, Vermont Woodstock is the shire town (county seat) of Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,005. It includes the villages of Woodstock, South Woodstock, Taftsville, and West Woodstock. History Cha ...

. Fordyce St. John, a professor of surgery at Columbia University, died in 1973.

Death and legacy

St. John died in April 1977 in New York at 92 years old.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rignel, Jane Military personnel from New York City World War I nurses American nurses American women nurses 1977 deaths 1884 births Associate members of the Royal Red Cross