Josephine May Nesbit (also known as Josie Nesbit; December 23, 1894 – August 16, 1993) was an American nurse who served in the Army Nurse Corps. She was second-in-command of the Angels of Bataan, Army nurses stationed in the Philippine Islands during World War II who were the largest group of American women taken as prisoners of war. Nesbit was noted for her "humane, dynamic leadership style." She was credited with the survival of the nurses during the years they were held in captivity at Santo Tomas Internment Camp.
Early life and education
Nesbit was born on her family's farm near Butler, Missouri on December 23, 1894. She was the seventh of ten children and experienced a difficult early childhood. As a child, she woke up before daylight to begin her chores and worked on the farm throughout the day. By the time Nesbit was 12 years old, both her parents had died, leaving her and her siblings orphaned. She first lived with her grandmother and later lived with a cousin in Kansas.
She left high school at age 16. After speaking with her sister's nursing superintendent, she chose to begin training as a nurse. Seeking "adventure and independence," Nesbit became a registered nurse in 1914.
Service in Army Nurse Corps
In 1918, an army recruiter visited Kansas City seeking nurses to help with the influenza pandemic, leading Nesbit to join the Army Nurse Corps. She became Reserve Army Nurse N700 665 at Camp Logan Hospital in Houston, Texas on October 1, 1918. Serving in the army reserve corps enabled Nesbit to travel and experience new adventures during peacetime. She was able to hike the Rockies, visit Hawaii, and travel to Egypt's Valley of the Kings.
Sternberg General Hospital
Nesbit was on her second tour of duty in the Philippines when World War II began. Until the war began, being stationed in the Philippines had been considered a "desirable posting," as there was plenty of free time, mild weather, and "luxurious accommodations."
At Sternberg General Hospital in Manila, where she worked, Nesbit was a lieutenant and second in command to Captain Maude Davison, who was the chief nurse. She was responsible for the nurses' work schedules. While Davison was addressed as "Miss," Nesbit's staff referred to her as "Josie." Nesbit's Filipina colleagues referred to her as "Mama Josie." She referred to her staff as "my girls." Nesbit enjoyed socializing with her staff and was frequently consulted by them for advice on personal matters.
In December 1941, Japan attacked the Philippines. On December 8, 1941, Nesbit was the acting chief nurse at Stenberg General Hospital as Davison had been injured in a night raid. Since about 3:30 a.m., information about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor had been reaching the nurses in Manila via radio; the American nurses stationed in the Philippines were concerned about their relatives and friends in Honolulu. Nesbit told the staff, "Girls, you've got to sleep today. You can't weep and wail over this because you have to work tonight." Less than nine hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese military bombed Baguio. Fifteen minutes later, Clark Field was attacked; most of the American B-17 bombers were destroyed on the ground in the surprise attack. Shortly thereafter, the hospital filled with patients.
General Hospital #2 in Bataan
The Army Nurse Corps were ordered to set up a hospital in the jungle, General Hospital #2, located along the Real River. Without a building, the frontline hospital served 6,000 patients and had 18 wards. Conditions were extremely rudimentary; patients lay on improvised cots and the jungle floor. Many nurses cared for the patients while sick with malarial fever themselves. Japanese soldiers were approaching and there was constant artillery fire. Nesbit helped maintain "morale and solidarity," insisting that "the women respond always as nurses, as army officers and as a united group." She took care of the nurses, commanding sick nurses to go to bed and locating shoes, clothing, and underwear for nurses who did not have them. She convinced military pilots who were flying to outer Philippine islands to return with shoes and underwear for the nurses. To provide privacy for the nurses, Nesbit located canvas field shelters issued by the military and used sheets of burlap to "section off a part of the jungle where the nurses slept."