North Carolina Nursing History

2LT Helen J Henley, 26--was assigned to the 803rd MAES. She was born in March 1920 and raised in Greensboro, NC. Helen attended Greensboro College and received her nurses training at St Leo's Hospital there. She volunteered for duty with the Army Nurse Corps in October 1943. Helen's first duty station was at Drew Field in Florida. Next she was sent to Will Rogers Field in Oklahoma City, OK. Helen visited her mother and three sisters in November 1944 before going overseas in December to the China-Burma-India theater of war. First she went to Karachi, then to Ledo in February. Helen volunteered to go on flight missions for emergency evacuation of the wounded. That's what she was doing this time also. The plane crashed only a mile from its take-off near Ledo on what was called the Stilwell Road. Helen's family was residing in New Castle, DE at the time of her death but returned to Greensboro after learning of her death. Her remains were returned to the family in May 1948 and they had her buried in the family plot in Greenhill Cemetery. Helen was survived by her mother Beulah Spencer and three sisters. Her father Edgar Henley had already passed away.