In January 1942, twelve Navy nurses were stationed at a makeshift hospital in Manila when they were taken prisoner of war by the Empire of Japan and sent to Santo Tomas prison camp. Under the direction of Chief Nurse Laura Cobb, the women maintained rank and provided nursing care to thousands of desperate and ailing inmates. Transferred to Los Baños in May 1943, a countryside camp where they were the only medical care providers (and women), the navy nurses built a makeshift infirmary and continued to provide care even as food rations dwindled and mass starvation began. By the time of their liberation, the twelve nurses all had their own health problems and each weighed less than 100 pounds. Yet, they selflessly continued to provide care.

All twelve nursed until the end. All twelve came home. But when they came home, they were advised not to speak of their experiences. In the years to come, they suffered in silence with their memories.

Join the National Women’s History Museum at 1:00pm on Monday, June 15^th for a Zoom presentation as author Dr. Emilie L. Lucchesi tells the heroic story of “The Twelve Anchors,” who fought for life in a dark time. This event is free, but registration is required.

Author Bio:
Dr. Emilie Lucchesi is the author of “This is Really War: The Incredible True Story of a Navy Nurse POW in the Occupied Philippines,” (Chicago Review, 2019) and “Ugly Prey: An Innocent Woman and the Death Sentence that Scandalized Jazz Age Chicago” (Chicago Review, 2017). She has contributed to The New York Times, The Atlantic, Discover Magazine and the country’s top publications. She holds a PhD from the University of Illinois-Chicago in communication and she studies medical history, stigma communication, and mental health.