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THE EVENING STAR
Washington, D. C.
Tuesday, April 3, 1962
Disaster Nurse Still Has
One More Job to Do
By RUTH DEAN
Star Staff Writer
Miss Gertrude Landmesser
was back on the job today as
a Red Cross disaster nurse,
even though she retired yes-
terday.
The 65-year old nursing
veteran who has worked in
every major disaster in this
country in the last 20 years,
received a gold Red Cross
nurses' badge and a certifi-
cate of commendation at Red
Cross Area Headquarters in
Alexandria yesterday.
But she was back in Wil-
mington, Del. today "to fin-
ish the job," as she put it
yesterday.
MISS GERTRUDE LANDMESSER
The job she's finishing is
"
directing Red Cross Nursing
a nurse is mother,
always keeps a
activities in the aftermath of
sister, friend"
bag packed"
the Mid-Atlantic States
storm disaster which struck
the East coast with such
502 lives were lost Novem-
intensity a few weeks ago.
ber, 1942. She mobilized
nurses, visited the hospitals
BIG JOB
to assure the fire's victims
The big task now is caring-
that the Red Cross would
ing for the homeless and
preventing disease, pointed
meet their every need, and
out Miss Landmesser who's
helped relatives in identifi-
better known to her fellow
cation of the dead.
workers as "Gertie."
Even now that holocaust
"Our job is to see the peo-
has left an indelible mem-
ple still in the mass care
shelters. In a situation like
ory. "I don't look in a fire-
this you meet all walks of
place at a charred log that I
life, all colors, all creeds.
don't think of the Coconut
They're there because there's
Grove disaster. Because that's
no other place to go.
all you had," she said.
"We've placed many peo-
ple in nursing homes because
Weathered Storm
their situation is not cleared
Because she is a nurse,
up and because it's not safe
Miss Landmesser has been
enough to go back home.
able to weather the emotional
"Our medical problems are
shock of seeing so much
mostly virus infections,
suffering and death.
pneumonia, puncture wounds
"You couldn't be a nurse
and head injuries.
without knowing that illness
"You can't realize how
and injury destroy people,"
much the Red Cross does for
she pointed out. "And if
these people until you see
you're the right kind of nurse
them emotionally disturbed,
you help them over the
hysterical-the look on their
hurdles. You're mother, sister
faces when disaster hits and
and friend to them; you help
when the winds stop blowing
them see that life's worth
and all you see are shattered
living. And you realize you
homes.
have something in these two
"The Red Cross can bring
hands to heal."
order out of chaos. I can't
Other disasters in which
say enough for the disaster
this veteran nurse was at
teams of social case workers
the forefront included the
and building advisors who
are assisting these families se
Hartford LOS Man Corn, circus fire,
in rebuilding and repairing M
18 sem to
their homes and seeing they
o TOO sui
get back to some normal way ut
TO aut sem
of life. We know we can do TO
it because the Red Cross is
sem us pa
in every community. That's
M
ut Kepot pa
why I've stayed with it."
M
TO
Miss Landmesser's first
of
CI
disaster was the Coconut
Grove fire in Boston in which
JO
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"ocrText": "THE EVENING STAR\nWashington, D. C.\nTuesday, April 3, 1962\nDisaster Nurse Still Has\nOne More Job to Do\nBy RUTH DEAN\nStar Staff Writer\nMiss Gertrude Landmesser\nwas back on the job today as\na Red Cross disaster nurse,\neven though she retired yes-\nterday.\nThe 65-year old nursing\nveteran who has worked in\nevery major disaster in this\ncountry in the last 20 years,\nreceived a gold Red Cross\nnurses' badge and a certifi-\ncate of commendation at Red\nCross Area Headquarters in\nAlexandria yesterday.\nBut she was back in Wil-\nmington, Del. today \"to fin-\nish the job,\" as she put it\nyesterday.\nMISS GERTRUDE LANDMESSER\nThe job she's finishing is\n\"\ndirecting Red Cross Nursing\na nurse is mother,\nalways keeps a\nactivities in the aftermath of\nsister, friend\"\nbag packed\"\nthe Mid-Atlantic States\nstorm disaster which struck\nthe East coast with such\n502 lives were lost Novem-\nintensity a few weeks ago.\nber, 1942. She mobilized\nnurses, visited the hospitals\nBIG JOB\nto assure the fire's victims\nThe big task now is caring-\nthat the Red Cross would\ning for the homeless and\npreventing disease, pointed\nmeet their every need, and\nout Miss Landmesser who's\nhelped relatives in identifi-\nbetter known to her fellow\ncation of the dead.\nworkers as \"Gertie.\"\nEven now that holocaust\n\"Our job is to see the peo-\nhas left an indelible mem-\nple still in the mass care\nshelters. In a situation like\nory. \"I don't look in a fire-\nthis you meet all walks of\nplace at a charred log that I\nlife, all colors, all creeds.\ndon't think of the Coconut\nThey're there because there's\nGrove disaster. Because that's\nno other place to go.\nall you had,\" she said.\n\"We've placed many peo-\nple in nursing homes because\nWeathered Storm\ntheir situation is not cleared\nBecause she is a nurse,\nup and because it's not safe\nMiss Landmesser has been\nenough to go back home.\nable to weather the emotional\n\"Our medical problems are\nshock of seeing so much\nmostly virus infections,\nsuffering and death.\npneumonia, puncture wounds\n\"You couldn't be a nurse\nand head injuries.\nwithout knowing that illness\n\"You can't realize how\nand injury destroy people,\"\nmuch the Red Cross does for\nshe pointed out. \"And if\nthese people until you see\nyou're the right kind of nurse\nthem emotionally disturbed,\nyou help them over the\nhysterical-the look on their\nhurdles. You're mother, sister\nfaces when disaster hits and\nand friend to them; you help\nwhen the winds stop blowing\nthem see that life's worth\nand all you see are shattered\nliving. And you realize you\nhomes.\nhave something in these two\n\"The Red Cross can bring\nhands to heal.\"\norder out of chaos. I can't\nOther disasters in which\nsay enough for the disaster\nthis veteran nurse was at\nteams of social case workers\nthe forefront included the\nand building advisors who\nare assisting these families se\nHartford LOS Man Corn, circus fire,\nin rebuilding and repairing M\n18 sem to\ntheir homes and seeing they\no TOO sui\nget back to some normal way ut\nTO aut sem\nof life. We know we can do TO\nit because the Red Cross is\nsem us pa\nin every community. That's\nM\nut Kepot pa\nwhy I've stayed with it.\"\nM\nTO\nMiss Landmesser's first\nof\nCI\ndisaster was the Coconut\nGrove fire in Boston in which\nJO"
}