This lecture will discuss twelve U.S. Navy Nurses that were taken prisoner of war in the Philippines by the Empire of Japan in 1941. They were soon transferred to a civilian concentration camp in Manila. Under the direction of Chief Nurse Laura Cobb, the nurses maintained rank and provided tireless care to thousands of inmates. In 1943, the nurses bravely agreed to transfer to a countryside prison camp where they would be the only medical care providers. In the new prison camp, the nurses built an infirmary and bravely stood up to guards to protect their patients. This true and inspiring story tells of 12 nurses whose heroism saved thousands of lives. Registration required. Light refreshments provided.

Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, PhD., is an author, journalist and educator. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, National Geographic, The Atlantic, and USA Today. She is a regular contributor to Discover magazine. She is the author of three nonfiction books including "This is Really War: The Incredible True Story of a Navy Nurse POW in the Occupied Philippines" (Chicago Review, 2019).