Alene Duerk Navy’s first female admiral has died at 98,  During World War II worked on hospital ship near Marshall Islands and treated Allied troops who had been prisoners of war

From the AP.

“Navy’s first female admiral has died

Rear Admiral Alene Duerk, the Navy’s first female admiral, who became a trailblazer as the Navy opened up more opportunities for women, has died. She was 98 years old.

Duerk died on July 21, according to a news release last week from the Naval History and Heritage Command. No cause of death was given. She had been living in a suburb of Orlando, Florida.

“Alene Duerk was a strong and dedicated trail blazer who embodied the very principles that continue to guide Navy Medicine today,” said Vice Adm. Forrest Faison, Navy surgeon general, in a statement. “She will forever be remembered as a servant leader who provided the best care to those who defended our nation, honoring the uniform we wear and the privilege of leadership.”

Duerk was born in Definance, Ohio, in 1920. After graduating from nursing school at Toledo Hospital in 1941, she entered the U.S. Naval Reserve and was appointed an ensign in the Nurse Corps. During World War II, she worked on a hospital ship off the Marshall Islands in the Pacific and later treated Allied troops who had been prisoners of war.”

“President Nixon approved her selection as the first female rear admiral in 1972. She retired three years later but remained an advocate for Navy nursing for decades more.”

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https://apnews.com/802efe6991be45238645a0493589dd19