Veteran of the Day graphic created by Alexandra Craig for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Sharon Lane. Sharon served during the Vietnam War.
After graduating nursing school in 1965, Sharon began working at a local hospital. On April 18, 1968 Sharon enlisted in the United States Army Nurse Corps Reserve. She reported to Fort Sam Houston, Texas for basic training on May 5, 1968. After her training, Sharon reported for duty at the Army’s Fitzsimons General Hospital in Denver, Colorado. There, she was promoted to lieutenant and eventually placed in the cardiac intensive care unit, where she served until receiving orders for Vietnam on April 24, 1969.
Sharon arrived at Chu Lai on April 29 and was assigned to the 312th Evacuation Hospital, where she served in the Intensive Care Unit before being reassigned to the Vietnamese Ward. There, she treated wounded Vietnamese and Americans, working 12-hour shifts, five days a week.
On June 8, 1969, Viet Cong forces fired a salvo of 122mm rockets, striking the 312th Evacuation Hospital. Sharon was one of two people killed in the attack.
Sharon was buried with full military honors at Sunset Hills Burial Park in Canton, Ohio. She was the only American servicewoman killed in Vietnam as a direct result of enemy fire. For actions during her service, Sharon was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star with Valor, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal and the National Order of Vietnam Medal. Her memory remains an important symbol representing the service and sacrifices of women who served in Vietnam.
We honor her service.
Memorial Day Awareness
This month, the VA’s National Cemetery Administration is partnering with Carry the Load, a nonprofit organization that connects Americans to the sacrifices made daily by the U.S. military, Veterans, first responders and their families to commemorate the “Memorial May” awareness campaign. The VA will share the stories of service members and Veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice in “Veteran of the Day” posts leading up to Memorial Day 2019.
Contributors
Editor: Geoffrey Townsley
Fact checker: Jordan Gossett
Graphic design: Alexandra Craig
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Thank you for recognizing 1/Lt Sharon Lane. We should never forget the sacrifices of our women and men -past, present and future.
Thank you so much for this tribute to Sharon Lane, however, you left out where her name is inscribed next to her fallen brothers on The Wall in Washington, D.C. Panel 23, Line 112.
She is one of eight nurses (seven from the Army and one from the Air Force) whose names are inscribed on the Wall in DC and they should be remembered and honored on Memorial Day as well.
• 2nd Lt. Pamela Dorothy Donovan
• Col. Annie Ruth Graham
• Mary Therese Klinker
• 2nd Lt. Carol Ann Elizabeth Drazba
• 2nd Lt. Elizabeth Ann Jones
• Eleanor Grace Alexander
• 1st Lt. Hedwig Diane Orlowski
Thank you Sharon Hodge
I’m so glad I signed up for this web site. I served in the army from Aug 1974 to Aug 1979. Mine was the last platoon to both serve under the Women’s Army Corp. I loved every moment of it.
We honor the service of Army Veteran Sharon Lane.
Sir,
I wrote a poem for the Veterans and as the 6th of June is coming up I wonder if I am
autorised to copy my poem down on this site.
Hoping to hear from you soon, I am
Yours truly
Thery Hardy