Marie Louise Mcdowel – Red Cross Volunteer And World War I Heroine
100 years of history have gone by since World War I, the conditions during 1914 to 1918 were very harsh. Many soldiers became patients for the Red Cross when they were injured. The typical Red Cross volunteer during World War I was. . tough,creative,patriotic,and determined. Marie Louise McDowell, a trained nurse, was just that kind of women. At 34 years old she came all the way from Middletown, Delaware to help the injured soldiers as a volunteer nurse for the Red Cross. McDowell was an important person to our town’s history because she served in the war effort, while most women during this time didn’t even leave their homes. Founded in 1863, the Red Cross’ main mission would be to support and care for the injured soldiers and other people in need.
The idea of providing medical assistance was put together by five men from Switzerland. This was a humanitarian organization run by volunteers that was most commonly known by the symbol of a red cross on a white background. This recognizable symbol identifies military medical services and stands for protection and neutrality around the world. The very first motto of the American Red Cross was Inter Arma Caritas, meaning In war, charity. Marie Louise McDowell’s father was a veterinarian so she was inspired to become a medical nurse at Bryn Mawr College, because of him. (Mr. McDowell) Marie Louise McDowell became very interested in the humanitarian organization that helped the soldiers that suffered from injuries and battle wounds during World War I. She found out that this organization was called the Red Cross (ARC). To prove that the person would be an asset to the organization, volunteers would have to get people from their community to write loyalty letters of recommendation on their behalf. These loyalty letters would vouch for the volunteers’ education and dedication. Then the volunteer had to submit proof that they were born in the United States, proving that they were not of German or Austrian ancestry. Once they became a volunteer for the Red Cross they were expected to buy their own uniforms.
The final step for the volunteers was to get their passports for traveling where they were needed. McDowell successfully completed all these steps and became a nurse for the Red Cross. Marie got her passport allowing her to travel on the SS Chicago to France as a American Red Cross nurse on June 13, 1917. Marie Louise McDowell attended Bryn Mawr College to study nursing. At that time, Bryn Mawr College was a private historical women’s liberal arts school. It was founded in 1885 and is located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. There were other women’s colleges that existed during that time period, but McDowell selected Bryn Mawr College because it had a more ambitious academic program for her. Martha Carey Thomas was an American educator who founded Bryn Mawr college. She came up with this concept of a more difficult school with very high expectations because of Joseph W. Taylor who wanted a school for women. Most women did not go to college during that time period, but Marie not only went to a college, she went to a difficult college to get accepted to back then. McDowell successfully earned her nursing degree from this institution. (bryn mawr)
Marie Louise McDowell was among many nurses who volunteered to go to Europe to assist the wounded soldiers back to health. Her first assignment was with the American Ambulance Hospital which later became known as American Red Cross Military Hospital #1. McDowell worked in this hospital located in Paris,France, but she got frustrated because they mostly helped the french soldiers. McDowell was worried that the American soldiers weren’t getting the help they needed. Marie wrote letters home to her parents, Dr. Harris B. and Ella V. McDowell,sharing stories and facts about her war experiences. One of Marie’s letters was about how she and a colleague put in a transfer. “ I can scarcely wait to get with the Americans, they need us so badly and it’s dreadful to think of our boys not getting all the attention they need. ” When McDowell finally got transferred to the hospital that helped mostly Americans she was very happy. It was in this hospital, Louise started to hear stories about what the war was really like from the injured American soldiers. When she visited the the Red Cross tent to help out, one man told her about how the marines “ charged with out any barrage or artillery and they stopped the German soldiers but at a very great loss. ”
The same man told her about how they did not have food for days and it was open warfare with no breaks. Through these letters, McDowell was able to share her first hand accounts of the war with parents. These letters also serve as a way for us today,to get knowledge of these important historic events. All the women who volunteered for the Red Cross in France during World War I achieved what was consider to be a great accomplishment. These volunteers gave an invaluable service to our country that most people overlooked. These women fought to save peoples lives. These women were pioneers for women’s rights. They did a lot for the soldiers there were 551 stations 24 of these were hospitals that were run with the U. S army. It was very tight in The stations with only 14,890 beds and 91,356 patients. And out of those 91,356 people they only lost 1,457 these volunteers worked so hard for both of the sides of the war. After World War I Marie Louise McDowell got to come home after helping all of these soldiers she didn't care what side they were on she just wanted to help. Marie came all the way home on a ship in this time she met a man that they called sandey who she later married.
When she finally arrived home from serving in the war effort overseas her family from Middletown Delaware threw a big party for her. Serving with the American Red Cross was a big accomplishment for all women back in the early 1900’s. Most women did not even have jobs so working anywhere would be a huge accomplishment. When she lived in middletown it looked a lot different from how it looks today. Before middletown was just a little town but now more and more people come each year. Sandy and Marie got married moved into a home in Canada but never had kids of their own. Without kids they had more time to travel around the world together. Local Middletown resident Mr. Robert McDowell (Marie’s nephew) would drop everything he was doing and go up to Canada to fix things in her house after Sandy died. Marie did not talk that much about when she was helping injured soldiers in the war when Robert was there fixing things for her. In the late 70s Marie died in Canada of a natural cause. She was around 96 years of age.
The soldiers and president were a very important part to winning the first World War, but the men and women who severed as nurses for the Red Cross at that time were also important. Many more lives would be lost without them. They saved as many people as possible. The Red Cross is usually mentioned in the learning of the war but people probably still don’t know about the Red Cross. The Red Cross might not of been fighting against others but they were fighting to save lives. The Red Cross is not the only part of history that is often overlooked. Marie louise McDowell was an outstanding person who helped in the war effort. Many people like marie who helped in the Red Cross all made a difference in history. Marie might not be the first person who pops up in your brain when you think of World War I heroes or heroins. But Marie is a very important person to the war she help saved a lot of lives. Marie is someone who should be celebrated for centennial year. She might not be a veteran but she helped them so much during the War.
