A Soldier's Story: Captain Sallie Durrett



Captain Sallie Durrett was born on October 3, 1914, in Louisville, Kentucky.

After graduating from JM Atherton High School in June of 1932, Captain Sallie Durrett attended the SS Mary and Elizabeth School of Nursing, graduating in 1935.

She joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to Manila, Phillippines, where she stayed throughout World War II.

During the Battle of Corregidor, Captain Sallie Durrett continued her duties in the Malinta Tunnel until the fall of Corregidor in 1942.  With other nurses, she was then taken to the prison camp at Santo Thomas, where she remained a prisoner of war until January 1945.  Like the other nurses, she was nearly starved, most losing up to 30% of their body weight.

After the war, Captain Sallie Durrett continued to work as a nurse, retiring from the Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Captain Sallie Durrett was an active member of the VFW, the Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, and the Disabled American Veterans.  She also volunteered for the Red Cross.

Captain Durrett died on January 7, 2003, and rests in St. Mary's Cemetery.

In 1994, she was inducted into the Ohio Veteran's Hall of Fame.

* Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here*


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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia. 

In addition to the travel writings at www.takethebackroads.com, you can also read her book reviews at www.riteoffancy.com and US military biographies at www.everydaypatriot.com

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Location: Louisville, KY, USA

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