Ruth Mabel Gardiner was a U.S. Army nurse originally from Calgary. She became the first U.S. nurse to lose her life in the line of duty during World War II. Learn more about her life and career on calgarynka.
Move to the United States
Gardiner was born on May 20, 1914, in Calgary. Of Irish descent, she had fair skin, light hair, and blue eyes. At the age of 3, her family relocated to the United States. They arrived in Eastport, Idaho, in March 1917 but were initially ordered to leave. Eventually, they received permission to settle in Noyes, Minnesota.
During her youth, Gardiner lived in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she attended Sacred Heart High School. She lived with her older sister, Constance, a stenographer, and her brother-in-law, Clarence, a salesman. After graduating, Ruth pursued nursing at a sanatorium in White Haven, Pennsylvania, completing her training in 1934.
From the moment she entered nursing school, Ruth demonstrated a sincere desire to serve humanity. She was dedicated, compassionate, and responsible in her care for patients, earning the admiration of her classmates and colleagues.
Early Career and Military Service
After completing her education, Miss Gardiner worked at St. Agnes Hospital in White Plains, New York; St. Elizabeth Hospital in Utica, New York; and the Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis. Her skills and character shone brightly during this time.
In January 1942, Gardiner joined the U.S. Army. She was a member of the first training class for air evacuation nurses in the 349th Group. On February 18, 1943, she was assigned to the 805th Medical Air Evacuation Squadron. As one of six Army nurses in the unit, she evacuated wounded soldiers from the Aleutian Islands by plane. Serving in Alaska, Ruth rose to the rank of Second Lieutenant. Collectively, the six nurses flew 3,500,000 air miles during World War II, evacuating over 2,500 sick and wounded soldiers.
Tragic Death and Legacy
On July 27, 1943, Gardiner was on an instrumental approach to Naknek Army Air Base with her fellow nurses aboard a Douglas C-47 Skytrain, piloted by Carl T. Moore and his crew. Tragically, the plane crashed into the sea, killing Ruth Gardiner.
Initially, Gardiner was buried at Fort Richardson Post Cemetery in Anchorage, Alaska. In October 1948, she was reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
To honor her bravery, Major General H. S. Aurand decided to name an Army general hospital after her. Located in the former 12-story Chicago Beach Hotel, it became the first Army hospital named for a nurse, opening in July 1944 as the Ruth M. Gardiner General Hospital.
The 1,250-bed hospital featured a portrait of Ruth painted by Chicago artist Edmund Gisbert, unveiled during the hospital’s dedication ceremony attended by approximately 3,000 people. At the time, the hospital gained significant popularity, serving numerous international patients.
In 1943, the International Women’s Bowling Congress’ “Wings of Mercy” fund donated a Douglas C-47 Skytrain air ambulance to the U.S. Army Air Forces in memory of Ruth M. Gardiner.
In 1948, the nurses’ quarters at the White Haven sanatorium, where Ruth trained, were named Ruth M. Gardiner Pavilion. Additionally, the nurses’ quarters at Fort Wainwright Army Base were named Gardiner Hall in her honor.