Lessons Gillmor learned in WWII lasted a lifetime

Photo by Reza Marvashti

There’s one quote from my interview with Edith Gillmor that really stands out in my mind.

I interviewed the Fairview Beach resident on Monday, which was her 90th birthday. She walked into the living room, smiling and wearing a pink tiara. For a split second, I wondered if she was of sound mind and body.

I shouldn’t have doubted her. Gillmor’s hearing is shot, but her memories are great of her time as a World War II nurse—the reason for the interview and story.

I asked what about the experience has stuck with her all these years, and she said she was grateful for the chance to learn about different cultures. At the Naples hospital where she was stationed, she worked with Italian nuns, German prisoners of war and mothers of different ethnic backgrounds.

“I think as Americans, we tend to think everybody does things the way we do,” she said. “I think it awakened me to the idea that other people have ways to achieve their goals. Whether theirs is the best way or not, it’s not for me to evaluate.”

Here’s a link to the full story.

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