Re: Hospital ships during Korean conflict

[<CavKVet50@aol.com>]

In a message dated 10/29/00 11:24:29 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
Velogare@aol.com writes:

<< 
 The Benevolence collided with a civilian ship and sank during sea trials 
 before heading to Korea.  How many of her passengers and crew were lost?
  >>


In August 1950, off the California coast, the hospital ship USS Benevolence 
was rammed by another ship on a trial run and sank within 30 minutes. In 
looking at some notes I have when I was doing research for women in service, 
but unfortunately I didn't write down the source. But my notes tell me that 
15 nurses assigned to the ship ended up in the water hanging on to wooden 
rafters to keep afloat; eventually they were picked up by an Army tug but one 
died from shock. I was unable to get names from DOD DIOR which does not keep 
records on outside-of-theater deaths -- so they say. 

The following are names I gave to Captain Barbara Wilson for her website, but 
none of them are from the Benevolence. The names listed below died in plane 
accidents. 

 <A HREF="http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/lives.html">The Women Who Gave 
Their Lives</A> http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/lives.html

Ensign Constance R. Esposito, Navy Nurse Corps *
Lt.jg. Alice S. Giroux, Navy Nurse Corps*
Lt.jg. Calla C. Goodwin, Navy Nurse Corps *
Lt.jg. Constance A. Heege, Navy Nurse Corps *
Lt.jg. Margaret Grace Kennedy, Navy Nurse Corps *
Ensign Mary E. Lijegreen, Navy Nurse Corps *
Major Genevieve Smith, Army Nurse Corps **
Lt. Wilma Ledbetter, Navy Nurse Corps *
Ensign Eleanor Beste, Navy Nurse Corps *
Ensign Marie Boatman, Navy Nurse Corps *
Lt.jg. Jeanne E. Clarke, Navy Nurse Corps *
Lt.jg. Jane L. Eldridge, Navy Nurse Corps *
Ensign Edna J. Rundell, Navy Nurse Corps *
Captain Vera M. Brown, Air Force Nurse Corps ***

* Sep 19, 1950, nurses on way to US Naval Hospital, Yokosuka - killed when 
plane crashed off Kwajelein Island in the Pacific. 

** Smith died in plane crash on way to her new assignment as Chief Nurse for 
the Korean theater. 

*** Air Force officer

These are listed by DOD DIOR 
SN Doris Frances Brown, Milwaukee, non-hostile death Navy.
AN Virginia May McClure, Sioux City, non-hostile air crash, AF.
AN Margaret Fae Perry, Morgantown, non-hostile crash, AF. 
AB3 Kay Sherill Platt, Dexter, non-hostile death, Navy.