First Lieutenant Sharon Ann Lane, A Soldier's Story
First Lieutenant Sharon Ann Lane, A Soldier's Story
She attended the Aultman Hospital School of Nursing in Canton, where she trained during a period when nursing was both a demanding profession and a calling. On April 18, 1968, she enlisted in the United States Army Nurse Corps, joining a growing number of American nurses serving during the Vietnam War.
First Lieutenant Lane was initially assigned to Fitzsimons Army Hospital in Denver, Colorado, where she gained experience caring for wounded service members returning from Southeast Asia. In April 1969, she received orders for overseas deployment and arrived in Vietnam on April 29, assigned to the 312th Evacuation Hospital at Chu Lai.
Just weeks after her arrival, in the early morning hours of June 8, 1969, the hospital compound was struck by a rocket attack. First Lieutenant Sharon Ann Lane was mortally wounded in the blast. She was 25 years old.
Her death marked a singular loss: First Lieutenant Lane is the only American servicewoman known to have been killed by direct enemy fire during the Vietnam War. Her service stands as a reminder that the front lines of that conflict extended beyond the battlefield, reaching even those whose mission was healing.
First Lieutenant Sharon Ann Lane rests at Sunset Burial Park in Canton, Ohio.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
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