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Description

Oral history interview of Paula Conroy. Interview conducted by Jessie Oldham with Rivera via Zoom on July 14, 2021. Interview topics include pre-military life, decision to join the Navy Nurse Corps, officer training for Navy Nurse Corps in Rhode Island, promotion to Lieutenant (junior grade) and work at Pensacola station, main job of Navy nurses, experience of the progression from nursing as an all women field to an integrated field and women going on to ships, transfer to Cherry Point, North Carolina at a Marine Corps base, becoming a Navy nurse recruiter, promotion to Lieutenant Commander and move to and life/work at station in Spain, return to the States and return to college for Master's degree in Florida, Shift to Nurse Practitioner administrative role in Navy Nurse Corps, experience at Jacksonville station and Mayport Naval station, promotion to Commander and new job as recruiter in Washington DC and Tennessee, return to Bethesda Naval Hospital and major assignment on hospital ship, the Comfort, in Baltimore, experience on 9/11, retirement, initial decision to pursue nursing, experience of being commissioned, acclimating to military life, diabetes research for the Navy, memorable experiences, favorite stations and duties/assignments, Navy leadership and service men's feelings towards war in the Middle East, re-acclimating to civilian life, continued contact with those she served with and what those relationships mean to her, and applying military training to civilian life.

Date of Birth

1949-02-15

Type

Video; MovingImage

Interviewer

Jessica Oldham

Interview Date

7-14-2021

Location of Interview

Zoom

Collection Description

Contains logs, audio and video recordings of interviews with Central Florida's veterans as part of a history class project for the students at the University of Central Florida (UCF). The UCF Community Veterans History Project(CVHP) started in fall 2010. It collects, preserves, and makes accessible to the public the experiences of Central Florida's veterans so that future generations will better understand the realities of conflict. It is a collaborative endeavor supported by multiple departments and offices at UCF. The veterans' histories are archived and made digitally available through the UCF library and selected materials are contributed to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.

Contributor Affiliation / Organization

RICHES University of Central Florida

Length of Interview

65:12

Publisher

Department of History, University of Central Florida

Type

video

Rights

All rights are held by the respective holding institution. This material is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. For permission to reproduce and/or for copyright information contact Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, (407) 823-2576. http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/

Repository

University of Central Florida Libraries, Special Collections & University Archives

Contributing Project

UCF Community Veterans History Project

Document Type

Interview


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