Jane DiGioia
U.S. Cadet Corps
Army Nurse
1944-1945
U.S. Cadet Corps
Army Nurse
1944-1945
Jane DiGioia (Grant) was born in St. Mary’s Hospital in Naugatuck, CT on December 11, 1924. Jane and her younger sister grew up in Naugatuck, CT where her father was a machinist at an industrial company in Naugatuck and her mother was a “Rosie the Riveter” and worked for U.S. Rubber during World War II. Jane graduated from Naugatuck High School in 1942 and worked at U.S. Rubber until she went to Nursing School. Jane recalled listening to the radio in her home on December 7th, 1941 when the news came across that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. “The only entertainment we had at the time was the radio”. She recalled listening to President Roosevelt and his Day of Infamy speech
In January of 1942 Jane headed to Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia to begin nursing school. Jane joined the U.S. Cadet Corps to help pay for tuition and chose to serve in the Army. Her schooling lasted 30 months and she also worked in the hospital during her training. When school was completed, she headed to Phoenixville, PA to begin her service with the Army caring for soldiers that returned to the U.S. for treatment and recovery. She was assigned to Phoenixville Hospital, a military hospital at that time. Jane recalled there was 350 German POW’s taking care of the grounds. “They were glad to be here, let me tell you. They got decent care. Food and they were well taken care of”.
The hospital provided burn care, care for blind soldiers and psychiatric treatment. Jane was 20 years old taking care of GI’s with serious injuries, both physical and mental. Jane worked as an Operating Room (OR) nurse assisting the physician’s performing surgery on the burn victims. Jane recalled many of the GI’s with burns or who were blinded had been hit with prosperous from the bombs that were dropped. Jane also recalled working with some of the GI’s in the psychiatric ward. Being only 20 years old and having limited experience her exposure to those patients was limited, although she did recall treating some young GI’s troubled by the killing they had seen.
Had the war not ended Jane would have been deployed overseas. Was Jane worried? “No. Your young. I hoped I would go”. With the surrender of the Nazi’s, the fighting in Europe ended in May of ’45, and Jane’s last day in Phoenixville Hospital was sometime in July 1945. Jane returned to Hahnemann Hospital and 12 months later she moved to New York City began post graduate nursing classes at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in July of 1946. At the end of her classes Jane began her career as an OR nurse at Columbia Presbyterian.
While at Columbia Presbyterian Jane went to a party with some of the nurses. One nurse brough her brother William and introduced him to Jane. Bill served in the Coast Guard during WWII and went into medical supply sales after he was discharged. The kids hit it off and began dating. Living in New York City in the late 40’s and early 50’s “was great”. “When I was dating my husband, we used to go down to the Village on Friday nights for dinner. You could get a parking space back then. There was one restaurant across from Radio City we used to go to all the time”. Jane and Bill were married in 1951 and the couple moved to an apartment in White Plains, NY.
The couple later bought a home in Tarrytown, NY where they lived for 39 years and raised their family. Bill and Jane had a son and a daughter who became a nurse and served in the Army for 11 years. They also have one grandchild.
When Jane and Bill retired, they moved to a family home in Stone Harbor, NJ where they spent 17 years before they moved to Connecticut to be closer to their daughter. Sadly, Bill passed away in 2017 at the age of 92.
Jane, thank you for stepping up to serve your country and do your part in helping the war effort. Those GI’s in Phoenixville were lucky to have you to care for them.
In January of 1942 Jane headed to Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia to begin nursing school. Jane joined the U.S. Cadet Corps to help pay for tuition and chose to serve in the Army. Her schooling lasted 30 months and she also worked in the hospital during her training. When school was completed, she headed to Phoenixville, PA to begin her service with the Army caring for soldiers that returned to the U.S. for treatment and recovery. She was assigned to Phoenixville Hospital, a military hospital at that time. Jane recalled there was 350 German POW’s taking care of the grounds. “They were glad to be here, let me tell you. They got decent care. Food and they were well taken care of”.
The hospital provided burn care, care for blind soldiers and psychiatric treatment. Jane was 20 years old taking care of GI’s with serious injuries, both physical and mental. Jane worked as an Operating Room (OR) nurse assisting the physician’s performing surgery on the burn victims. Jane recalled many of the GI’s with burns or who were blinded had been hit with prosperous from the bombs that were dropped. Jane also recalled working with some of the GI’s in the psychiatric ward. Being only 20 years old and having limited experience her exposure to those patients was limited, although she did recall treating some young GI’s troubled by the killing they had seen.
Had the war not ended Jane would have been deployed overseas. Was Jane worried? “No. Your young. I hoped I would go”. With the surrender of the Nazi’s, the fighting in Europe ended in May of ’45, and Jane’s last day in Phoenixville Hospital was sometime in July 1945. Jane returned to Hahnemann Hospital and 12 months later she moved to New York City began post graduate nursing classes at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in July of 1946. At the end of her classes Jane began her career as an OR nurse at Columbia Presbyterian.
While at Columbia Presbyterian Jane went to a party with some of the nurses. One nurse brough her brother William and introduced him to Jane. Bill served in the Coast Guard during WWII and went into medical supply sales after he was discharged. The kids hit it off and began dating. Living in New York City in the late 40’s and early 50’s “was great”. “When I was dating my husband, we used to go down to the Village on Friday nights for dinner. You could get a parking space back then. There was one restaurant across from Radio City we used to go to all the time”. Jane and Bill were married in 1951 and the couple moved to an apartment in White Plains, NY.
The couple later bought a home in Tarrytown, NY where they lived for 39 years and raised their family. Bill and Jane had a son and a daughter who became a nurse and served in the Army for 11 years. They also have one grandchild.
When Jane and Bill retired, they moved to a family home in Stone Harbor, NJ where they spent 17 years before they moved to Connecticut to be closer to their daughter. Sadly, Bill passed away in 2017 at the age of 92.
Jane, thank you for stepping up to serve your country and do your part in helping the war effort. Those GI’s in Phoenixville were lucky to have you to care for them.