Medics and Nurses

Charles Norman Shay was a Penobscot Native who worked as an Army Medic. Shay fought to save lives on the battlefield during the invasion of Normandy, or D-Day. His unit, Big Red One, had suffered 2,000 casualties from the Germans that day. Another thousand Allies died and 9,000 were injured or declared missing. Shay was one of two medics that survived D-day without injury. Shay also spent some time as a Prisoner of War after being taken behind German lines. He was forced to take care of the Germans after they confiscated his supplies.

Native American servicemen weren't the only ones who enlisted. Many Native American women were involved with the war working with the Red Cross and worked as nurses. Working with the Red Cross and as Army nurses, many of the nurses and other volunteers worked on the front lines, risking their lives just as much as their male counterparts. During World War I there were 14 Native American Women who worked in the Nurse Corps. These women would take care of Americans, British, and French soldiers. The women volunteered to work on the front lines and got paid the same amount as the soldiers they were treating.