Lauretta M Schimmoler (September 17, 1900
Fort Jennings, Ohio
Fort Jennings is a village in Jennings Township, Putnam County, Ohio, United States. The population was 525 at the 2020 census.
History
The first settlement in Fort Jennings was made around 1850. Fort Jennings took its name from a pioneer Virg ...
– January 1981
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles.
As of 2024, Glendale ha ...
) was an aviator who was the first woman in the United States to establish an airport in the United States, the first woman to command an
American Legion
The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...
post and was the founder of the
Aerial Nurse Corps of America the predecessor of the
flight nurse
A flight nurse is a registered nurse specializing in the field of providing comprehensive pre-hospital, emergency critical care, and hospital care to a vast scope of patients. The care of these patients is generally provided during aeromedical ...
s of the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
.
Biography
Schimmoler graduated from the Bliss Business College in
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...
and began studies in law after working as a court stenographer. She left the study of law to become a secretary in a chicken hatchery in
Bucyrus, Ohio
Bucyrus ( ) is a city in Crawford County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in northern Ohio approximately 28 miles (45 km) west of Mansfield, Ohio, Mansfield and southeast of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo. The population was 1 ...
that led her to become the owner of her own poultry business.
Her life changed when she witnessed a test flight in Dayton. She began an intensive study of flight through working various jobs with the United States Air Mail,
Lockheed Aircraft Lockheed (originally spelled Loughead) may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Lockheed Corporation, a former American aircraft manufacturer
* Lockheed Martin, formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta
** Lockheed Mar ...
where she studied the manufacture of aircraft and the
US Weather Bureau earning a student pilot licence on August 10, 1929, and becoming the advertising manager of her flight school. She became the first woman to establish and maintain an airport that was located in Bucyrus. She received her full pilot's licence on September 8, 1930.
In 1932 in recognition of her works in aviation, she was inducted into the
Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots.
After witnessing the results of a tornado in Ohio in 1930, Schimmoler saw the necessity of evacuating medical patients by air and created what today is recognised as the forerunners of the
flight nurse
A flight nurse is a registered nurse specializing in the field of providing comprehensive pre-hospital, emergency critical care, and hospital care to a vast scope of patients. The care of these patients is generally provided during aeromedical ...
. In 1933 she formed the Emergency Flight Corps. In 1936 it was reformed as the
Aerial Nurse Corps of America with 78 nurses.
Initially, both the
American Red Cross
The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...
and the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
took a dim view of the Aerial Nurse Corps. However, during World War II a medical air ambulance
evacuation
Evacuation or Evacuate may refer to:
* Casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), patient evacuation in combat situations
* Casualty movement, the procedure for moving a casualty from its initial location to an ambulance
* Emergency evacuation, removal of pers ...
squadron was formed in May 1942. During this time Shimmoler became the
technical advisor
In film production, a technical advisor is someone who advises the director on the convincing portrayal of a subject. The advisor's expertise adds realism both to the acting and to the setting of a movie.
Nipo T. Strongheart
Nipo T. Stronghear ...
to and played a role in the
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
film ''
Parachute Nurse'' that was released in August 1942.
The United States Army Air Forces changed their minds on flight nurses and on 30 November 1942 made an appeal for experienced female
registered nurse
A registered nurse (RN) is a healthcare professional who has graduated or successfully passed a nursing program from a recognized nursing school and met the requirements outlined by a country, state, province or similar government-authorized ...
s and
air hostess
A flight attendant is a member of the aircrew whose primary responsibility is ensure the safety of passengers in the cabin of an aircraft across all stages of flight. Their secondary duty is to see to the comfort of passengers. Flight attenda ...
es to be flight nurses in the Army Nurse Corps to be assigned to air evacuation units.
In 1944 she, at last, was commissioned in the
Women's Army Corps
The Women's Army Corps (WAC; ) was the women's branch of the United States Army. It was created as an auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), on 15 May 1942, and converted to an active duty status in the Army of the United S ...
.
Schimmoler became the first post commander of the
American Legion
The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...
's Amelia Earhardt Post 127 of
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles.
As of 2024, Glendale ha ...
in 1946 that initially contained woman veterans.
In 1966 Schimmoler was recognised by the
Surgeon General of the United States
The surgeon general of the United States is the operational head of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government of the United States. T ...
as the first flight nurse and by the United States Air Force who awarded her the gold wings of a flight nurse.
Legacy
In 2011 the United States
Air Force Association
The Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit, professional military association for the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, its declared mission is " ...
created a Schimmoler Award for excellence.
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schimmoler, Lauretta
1900 births
1981 deaths
20th-century American people
American women aviators
Women's Army Corps soldiers
American aviation pioneers
Women aviation pioneers
Aviators from Ohio
United States Army officers