Carmen Lozano Dumler
| Carmen Lozano Dumler | |
|---|---|
 Second Lieutenant Carmen Lozano Dumler |
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| Born | 1924 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Allegiance |  United States Women's Army Corps |
| Years of service | 1944-1946 |
| Rank |  Second Lieutenant |
| Unit | United States Army Nurses |
Second Lieutenant Carmen Lozano Dumler[note 1], RN, (born 1924), was one of the first Puerto Rican women to become a United States Army officer.
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[edit] Early years
Lozano was born and raised in in San Juan, the capital city of Puerto Rico, where she also received her primary and secondary education. After graduating from high school, she enrolled in the Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing in San Juan where she became a certified nurse in 1944.[1][2]
By this time the United States had entered World War II and therefore needed to boost its military capabilities; as a result, the Army ordered Puerto Rico's 65th Infantry Regiment to full war strength and drafted many Puerto Ricans — even those whose knowledge of English was minimal. The Army recognized the need for bilingual nurses to help the soldiers that returned with wounds. In 1944, the Army sent three WAC (Women's Army Corps) recruiters to the island to organize a unit of 200 WACs. Over 1,500 women responded to the call and applied. Lozano applied to become an Army nurse and was one of thirteen women to be selected.[1][3]
[edit] Military service
On August 21, 1944, she was sworn in as a 2nd Lieutenant and assigned to the Rodriguez (161st) General Hospital (named after Major Fernando E. Rodriguez Vargas) at Fort Brooke in San Juan, where she continued to receive further training. Upon completing her advanced training, she was sent to Camp Tortugero where she also assisted as an interpreter whenever needed.[1] In 1945, Lozano was reassigned to the 359th Station Hospital of Ft. Read, Trinidad and Tobago, British West Indies, there she attended wounded soldiers who had returned from Normandy, France.[1][4]
While in Trinidad she decided that she would like to become a doctor after the war and took correspondence courses from Louisiana State University. She met Army Doctor Lieutenant Joseph Dumler in Trinidad and they were married in the Base Chapel. After the war, Lozano, like so many other women in the military, returned to civilian life. She continued her nursing career in Puerto Rico until she retired in 1975.[1][5]
[edit] Awards and decorations
Among Dumler's awards and decorations are:
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| Army Good Conduct Medal | ||
| Women's Army Corps Service Medal | American Campaign Medal | World War II Victory Medal |
Badges:
Army Nurse Corps badge
[edit] Further reading
- "LAS WACS"-Participacion de la Mujer Boricua en la Seginda Guerra Mundial; by: Carmen García Rosado; 1ra. Edicion publicada en Octubre de 2006; 2da Edicion revisada 2007; Regitro tro Propiedad Intectual ELA (Government of Puerto Rico) #06-13P-)1A-399; Library of Congress TXY 1-312-685
- "Historia militar de Puerto Rico"; by: Hector Andres Negroni; publisher=Sociedad Estatal Quinto Centenario (1992); isbn=8478441387
[edit] See also
- Carmen Contreras-Bozak
- Carmen García Rosado
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Rican military personnel
- Puerto Rican women in the military
- Puerto Ricans in World War II
[edit] Notes
- ^ This name uses Spanish marriage naming customs; the first is the maiden family name "Lozano" and the second or matrimonial family name is "Dumler".
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- 1924 births
- Living people
- Puerto Rican nurses
- Puerto Rican Army personnel
- Women in World War II
- Women in the United States Army
- United States Army officers
- People from San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Puerto Rican military personnel
- Puerto Rican military officers
- Puerto Rican women in the military
- United States Army Nurse Corps officers
