Like the nearly 10,000 nurses who served during the war in southeast Asia, it was often 12 hour days, 7 day weeks as they worked to save the lives of soldiers.
AUSTIN, Texas — Linda Knightstep was only 9 years old when she made a decision that would determine the path her life would take.
“It was very clear to me that caring for others was what i wanted to do,” Knightstep said.
When Linda was older, she studied nursing, graduated with honors and, to the surprise of her family, joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. That was in 1968.
America was at war in Southeast Asia then, and Linda was in the middle of it all, working at a field hospital in Vietnam to help save the lives of wounded American soldiers.
Nurses like Linda worked under dangerous and chaotic conditions.
“They moved me over to ward where the guys were recuperating and to a man, they said: ‘You got to get me well, Lieutenant.’ They said ‘I have to get back. I’ve got beaucoup buddies in the field.’ I thought that was astounding,” Knightstep said. “I mean, they were torn up to crap, and that’s their first thought. They didn’t cuss the country. They didn’t cuss the politicians. They said: ‘My buddies need me.’”
That was nearly 60 years ago..
Flash forward to March 2025, when Linda was in Washington, D.C.
She was among a group of veterans who were flown there by Honor Flight Austin, an organization that brings our veterans to the nation’s capital to see the monuments and memorials that honor their service to our country.
For Linda, and three other veterans on this day, there was a surprise. They were asked to present a wreath to be placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, an unforgettable moment.
“I never envisioned it would be as solemn and emotional as it was,” Knightstep said. “But it was to the depth of your soul. I know they’re guarding the souls of others.”
The role of women in the military during wartime is often overlooked. And now that Linda’s years of service have past, what does she want us to know about the sacrifices made by the nurses who served during the war in Vietnam?
“We ask for Just recognition that a service was given, and that it was given with love and care to total strangers,” Knightstep said. “We’re part of this country. And we’re contributors to this county.”