A Military Nurse

One day, when I was working as a nurse at what is now the Iwate Medical University Hospital, I read in the newspaper that the Morioka Army Hospital was recruiting nurses. At the time, in the midst of the "China Incident," 1 it was almost a daily duty of women on the home front to see off soldiers as they departed from the train stations for the front lines. There were organizations such as the National Defense Women's Association and Patriotic Women's Association, which welcomed passing soldiers with tea, sang military songs, and sent them off with cheers of "Banzai, Banzai." Yet, nobody among my relatives joined the military, which made me feel somewhat ashamed. Fortunately, I was a nurse myself, and I believed there was no greater honor than to be of service. Hence, I asked permission from the head nurse and went to take the exam. There were over 70 applicants for 13 positions, but luckily, I managed to pass. My father died when I was 14, and my older brother caught typhoid fever during a major outbreak and died at the young age of 28. My mother went through recurring hardships. But she was overjoyed that I was able to serve as an army nurse. When I received the notification, I was so happy I could not stop the tears from falling.