Page 53 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Fall 2019- Online Magazine

VIetnAm eRA

Anne remained in the Air Force until March of 1981.
Over the years, she worked at several other hospitals
on air bases, including Sheppard AFB, Texas, but felt it
was always the same: she was working for men who
did not value her knowledge. She told me that:

“The Air Force provided me with many
opportunities to further my education for
at Langley, she began treating men coming back from which I am truly grateful. With each class,
Vietnam, working with them to regain their strength. I learned more about the many conditions
I had to encounter with our service men
In the spring of 1963, she went to Warm Springs,
Georgia for a post-graduate course in neuromuscular and women. This enabled me to be a
anatomy for three months. Following this course, better physical therapist to better serve our
she was assigned to the hospital on Wheelus AFB returning soldiers.”
in Tripoli, Libya located on the Mediterranean Sea -
again the only physical therapist on site. She and her
assistant were not very busy, so Anne worked extra Anne stayed in the Air Force until March of 1981. She
duty as the base water safety officer, linen officer, and received the Meritorious Service Medal for her service
the officer in charge of the hospital medical library. from August 4, 1977 to March 26, 1981.
While there, she also served as the PT consultant to She came to Amarillo/Canyon in hopes of working
clinics in Turkey, Greece and Italy.
for West Texas State College but returned to the
Anne reflected on her travels while living in Libya. “I hospital setting at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Amarillo.
found I didn’t like traveling alone, so I found others at After the air base closed in Amarillo, Anne learned
the hospital who shared the same passion to travel and to drive a truck and did long haul trucking among
explore.” She continued, “While stationed in Libya, other miscellaneous
I was able to visit Germany, Holland, Italy, Austria, jobs. She has lived
Switzerland and England while on leave.” at Brookdale Senior
Living at Medi Park
From Libya, Anne was assigned to Wilford Hall West since August
USAF Hospital near Lackland AFB San Antonio. In 2011.
September of 1965, Anne was promoted to Captain and
set up a program for pre-natal care and exercises and
was clinical supervisor for students.

She was promoted to Major in November 1971 while
stationed at USAF Medical Center at Wright-Patterson
AFB, Ohio. She was stationed there from the summer
of 1971 to the summer of 1973.

Amarillo Senior Link 53