Historical Profile: Frances Y. Slanger

Frances Slanger plaque - MA State House 

Boston, MA. - In Nurses Hall at the Massachusetts State House there is a plaque dedicated to Frances Y. Slanger - a nurse who served during World War II. Born in Poland in 1913, Slanger emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts with her family in 1920.

Slanger eventually became a nurse serving as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Slanger served in the 45th Field Hospital unit in Normandy after the D-Day invasions. She died as a result of artillery fire. She was the first American nurse killed in action after the D-Day invasions. After her death, Slanger was awarded the Purple Heart medal.

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