A Nurse in the U.S. Army

Annotation

Popular singer Connie Francis, born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1938, sold millions of records in the 1950s and 1960s. She released the song "A Nurse in the U.S. Army" (MGM Records # 13550), a promotional record for the Armed Forces Radio. Billboard reported on the release of the single on 2 July 1966, saying that "Army nurses get an assist - singer Connie Francis and songwriter Gladys Shelley have come to the aid of the Army Nurses Corps. Miss Shelley has written 'A Nurse in the U.S. Army' and its been recorded by Miss Francis on the MGM label. The song and disk will be used to help the Army Nurse Corps. in its recruiting program".1 The back of the 7" picture sleeve gave further details about the project, which they considered to be "a novel way of alerting the public of the critical shortage of Army nurses".2 A copy is stored at the National Archives II, College Park, Maryland - Records of the Office of the Surgeon General, Record Group 112.7 (Sound Recordings).3 Arranged and conducted by Larry Wilcox, in New York, 31 May 1966.4 The first US nurses arrived in Vietnam in April 1956, attached to the US Military Assistant Advisory Group, set-up under the President Eisenhower administration, to train South Vietnamese. Between 1962 and 1973, over 5000 US nurses served in Vietnam. From 1965, as US forces in Vietnam increased, and thus casualties, a shortage of nurses developed, which led to this army recruitment campaign. The number of nurses reached its peak in 1968, when 900 served. In total, seven nurses died, and two officers attached to the Corps.5 The lyrics largely sought to appeal to the nurses through stirring patriotic emotions. By going to Vietnam, the nurses could be where "are heroes land, and the flag so proudly waves". They could look after the "men who the country love", and gain a "share" of "their glorious goal" - and thus receive a degree of personal satisfaction / achievement. It also promoted the idea of being "where the action is" - that going to Vietnam would be an adventure.Sources1Billboard, 2 July 1966↩2Nurse in the US Army (Connie Francis) (PS - B)↩3US National Archives: Guide fed records↩4The MGM Labels: 1961-1982 (Michel Ruppli, 1998)↩5vietnamwomensmemorial.org (archived copy)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs

Popular singer Connie Francis, born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1938, and died on 16 July 2025 (in Deerfield Beach, Florida) sold millions of records in the 1950s and 1960s. She released the song "A Nurse in the U.S. Army" (MGM Records # 13550), a promotional record for the Armed Forces Radio. Billboard reported on the release of the single on 2 July 1966, saying that "Army nurses get an assist - singer Connie Francis and songwriter Gladys Shelley have come to the aid of the Army Nurses Corps. Miss Shelley has written 'A Nurse in the U.S. Army' and its been recorded by Miss Francis on the MGM label. The song and disk will be used to help the Army Nurse Corps. in its recruiting program".1 The back of the 7" picture sleeve gave further details about the project, which they considered to be "a novel way of alerting the public of the critical shortage of Army nurses".2 A copy is stored at the National Archives II, College Park, Maryland - Records of the Office of the Surgeon General, Record Group 112.7 (Sound Recordings).3 Arranged and conducted by Larry Wilcox, in New York, 31 May 1966.4 The first US nurses arrived in Vietnam in April 1956, attached to the US Military Assistant Advisory Group, set-up under the President Eisenhower administration, to train South Vietnamese. Between 1962 and 1973, over 5000 US nurses served in Vietnam. From 1965, as US forces in Vietnam increased, and thus casualties, a shortage of nurses developed, which led to this army recruitment campaign. The number of nurses reached its peak in 1968, when 900 served. In total, seven nurses died, and two officers attached to the Corps.5 The lyrics largely sought to appeal to the nurses through stirring patriotic emotions. By going to Vietnam, the nurses could be where "are heroes land, and the flag so proudly waves". They could look after the "men who the country love", and gain a "share" of "their glorious goal" - and thus receive a degree of personal satisfaction / achievement. It also promoted the idea of being "where the action is" - that going to Vietnam would be an adventure.Sources1Billboard, 2 July 1966↩2Nurse in the US Army (Connie Francis) (PS - B)↩3US National Archives: Guide fed records↩4The MGM Labels: 1961-1982 (Michel Ruppli, 1998)↩5vietnamwomensmemorial.org (archived copy)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: A nurse in the US Army Corps. / That's what I hope to be / Please tell the new action army boys / They can count on me / In cap of white, beware they are the new action army braves / I'll be on hand where are heroes land / And the flag so proudly waves / Let me be a nurse where the action is / I'll work with my heart and soul / Care for the men who the country love / God let me share their glorious goal / A nurse in the US Army Corps. / I'll be so proud to be / The new action army has a job to do / That's where there's a place for me

Notes

M-G-M K13550 (100,625), yellow label, "Special Promotion Record for U.S. Army Nurse Corps Recruiting Drive", "Not for sale"; "Connie Francis sings A Nurse in the U.S. Army", composed by Gladys Shelley, produced by Tom Wilson, Spiral Record Co. (ASCAP), 1:12. The front sleeve shows Connie Francis holding sheet music beside Capt. Jane Carson in uniform, "As sung by Connie Francis". The back-sleeve note says Francis recorded the song in June 1966; the idea came from Captain Jane Carson, Army Nurse Corps Counselor for New Jersey and part of New York, and the Recruiting Publicity Section of the U.S. Army Recruiting Main Station in Newark, N.J. (with Sfc. Percy T. Benton and SSgt. Dorothy A. Aldrich), to alert the public to the critical shortage of Army nurses; Francis recorded it as her contribution to the recruiting programme, and the note quotes Shelley: "If my song will help the Army…

About the artist

American pop singer, born Concetta Franconero 12 December 1937 in Newark, New Jersey; died 16 July 2025 in Pompano Beach, Florida. [Source: Wikipedia]

Themes

Patriotic · Propaganda · Medic · Nurses

In collections

US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]