Ellen Ainsworth (1918 in Glenwood City, Wisconsin – 1944 in

Anzio Anzio (, also , ) is a town and ''comune'' on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome. Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands ...

, Italy) was an officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Ainsworth was awarded the Silver Star and the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

for her actions during

Operation Shingle The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign of World War II that took place from January 22, 1944 (beginning with the Allied amphibious landing known as Operation Shingle) to June 5, 1944 (ending with the capture of Rome). The op ...

while serving with the

United States Army Nurse Corps The United States Army Nurse Corps (USANC) was formally established by the U.S. Congress in 1901. It is one of the six medical special branches (or "corps") of officers which – along with medical enlisted soldiers – comprise the Army Medica ...

. She was killed during the Battle of Anzio in the 56th Evacuation Hospital, and was the only Wisconsin woman killed by enemy fire during World War II. After her death she was buried in the

Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial is a World War II American military war grave cemetery, located in Nettuno, near Anzio, Italy. The cemetery, containing 7,858 American war dead, covers and was dedicated in 1956. It is administered by ...

Early life and education

Ainsworth was the youngest of three siblings, and grew up in Glenwood, Wisconsin. She attended the Eitel Hospital School of Nursing in Minneapolis. After graduating in 1941, she joined the United States Army Nurse Corps in March 1942.

Legacy

Subsequent memorials to her include a conference room named in her honor at

The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a meton ...

and a dispensary named in her honor at

Fort Hamilton Fort Hamilton is a United States Army installation in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights. It is one of several posts that are part of the region which i ...

. A post office in Glenwood City, Wisconsin is designated a memorial post-office in her honor by Congress.See Congressional Records from the 114th Congress

References

1918 births 1944 deaths People from St. Croix County, Wisconsin Military personnel from Wisconsin United States Army Nurse Corps officers Recipients of the Silver Star Female United States Army nurses in World War II United States Army personnel killed in World War II {{US-army-World-War-II-bio-stub