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Navy’s First Female Admiral, Alene Duerk, Passes Away


               From Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division
                                              Photo courtesy of :NHHC Public Affairs

           WASHINGTON (NNS) – Retired Rear     Years later, when asked about her ser-  and expanding the sphere of nursing into
        Adm. Alene B. Duerk, the Navy’s first fe-  vice for the Library of Congress’ Veteran’s   ambulatory care, anesthesia, pediatrics,
        male admiral, passed away July 21, 2018.   History Project, Duerk said, “The time I was   obstetrics and gynecology.
        She was 98 years old.                aboard the hospital ship and we took the   Her selection to the rank of rear ad-
           “It took 197 years and a forward-look-  prisoners of war, that was something I will   miral was approved by President Richard
        ing Chief of Naval Operations, Elmo Zum-  never forget . . . that was the most exciting   Nixon on April 26, 1972. The first woman
        walt, to break with tradition before Alene   experience of my whole career.” 2   to be selected for flag rank, she was ad-
        Duerk became the first woman admiral   Thereafter, Duerk was assigned to   vanced on June 1, 1972.
        in the U.S. Navy,” said Naval History and   Naval Hospital Great Lakes until being   Rear Adm. Duerk retired in 1975, but
        Heritage Command director Sam Cox.   released from active service in 1946.   remained a strong advocate for Navy
        “But the credit goes to Duerk. From the                                  nursing through the remainder of her life.
        crucible of caring for wounded Sailors,                                     Duerk was awarded the Naval Reserve
        Marines and prisoners of war during                                      Medal, American Campaign Medal; Asi-
        World War II in the Pacific, she blazed a                                atic-Pacific Campaign Medal with bronze
        trail of stellar performance in tough jobs,                              star; World War II Victory Medal; Navy
        serving as an inspiration for an ever in-                                Occupation Service Medal, Asia Clasp; and
        creasing number of women officers who                                    the National Defense Service Medal with
        have followed her path.”                                                 bronze star.
           Born in Defiance, Ohio, on March 29,                                     Duerk’s biography offers greater
        1920, she received nursing training at the                               insight into her service, it can be found
        Toledo [Ohio] Hospital School of Nursing,                                online at the website of the Naval History
        from which she earned her diploma in                                     and Heritage Command here: https://
        1941. From there, Duerk entered the U.S.                                 www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/
        Naval Reserve and was appointed an                                       diversity/women-in-the-navy/first-fe-
        ensign in the Nurse Corps.                                               male-flag-officer.html
           “Alene Duerk was a strong and dedi-                                      See the entry on Duerk at the Library
        cated trail blazer who embodied the very                                 of Congress Veteran’s History Project on-
        principles that continue to guide Navy                                   line here: http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/
        Medicine today,” commented Vice Adm.                                     vhp/bib/loc.natlib.afc2001001.28852
        Forrest Faison, Navy surgeon general,   In 1951, Duerk returned to active duty   The Naval History and Heritage
        upon learning of her passing. “She will   serving as a nursing instructor at the Na-  Command, located at the Washington
        forever be remembered as a servant   val Hospital Corps School in Portsmouth,   Navy Yard, is responsible for the preser-
        leader who provided the best care to   Va. and later as inter-service education   vation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S.
        those who defended our nation, honoring   coordinator at the Naval Hospital Philadel-  naval history and heritage. It provides
        the uniform we wear and the privilege of   phia, Penn.                   the knowledge foundation for the Navy
        leadership.”                           Her skills in ward management, surgi-  by maintaining historically relevant
           Her first tours of duty included ward   cal nursing and mentoring would be put   resources and products that reflect the
        nurse at Naval Hospital Portsmouth   to use over the next two decades while   Navy's unique and enduring contribu-
        in Virginia, Naval Hospital Bethesda in   serving at hospitals in San Diego; and   tions through our nation's history, and
        Maryland, and sea service aboard the   Yokosuka, Japan; at the Recruiting Station   supports the fleet by assisting with and
        Navy hospital ship, USS Benevolence (AH   in Chicago; and in Wash., D.C.   delivering professional research, anal-
        13), in 1945. While anchored off the coast   In May 1970, following assignments   ysis, and interpretive services. NHHC is
        of Eniwetok, Duerk and the crew of the   as assistant for Nurse Recruitment in the   composed of many activities including
        Benevolence would attend to the sick and   Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary   the Navy Department Library, the Navy
        wounded being brought back from the   of Defense (Health Affairs) and assistant   Operational Archives, the Navy art and
        Third Fleet’s operations against Japan.   head of Medical Placement Liaison (Nurse   artifact collections, underwater archeol-
           Upon cessation of hostilities on Sept.   Corps) at the Bureau of Naval Personnel,   ogy, Navy histories, nine museums, USS
        2, 1945, Duerk and the Benevolence crew   Duerk was appointed director of the Navy   Constitution repair facility and the historic
        took on the task of repatriating liberated   Nurse Corps.                ship Nautilus.
        Allied prisoners of war, an endeavor that   Over the next five years, Duerk   For more news from Naval History and
        solidified her commitment to nursing and   provided direction for the Nurse Corps,   Heritage Command, visit www.history.
        patient care.                        updating policies affecting Navy Medicine   navy.mil.


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