Spring 2013 - D'Youville College

Ruth Smith ’55A charm on my bracelet under the Buffalo image reads “Ruth,wherever you may roam, remember Buffalo is your home.” Theinscription has been a nostalgic reminder throughout my travels oftwelve years civilian nursing, twenty years of Navy Nurse CorpsAfter graduation from D’Youville in 1955, I began a versatilecivilian career including industrial nurse for the Buffalo Branchof the Federal Reserve Bank, multiple assignments at BuffaloGeneral Hospital such as program designer and instructor for theirnumerous domestic and foreign trips to Europe and Cuba, but Iwanted more adventure.On September 5, 1967, I found myself commissioned as LieutenantNavy nurse call ourselves, “Thirty Day Wonders.”Naval Regional Center, Bethesda, Md. The severely woundedtroops of our current crisis reminds me of those young patients wecared for, sometimes directly from war zones.Attendance at temporary assignment to the Catholic University assignments in coronary and intensive care at Oakland NavalHospital, Calif.In 1970, I was augmented to the regular Navy and reported as LCOR“selective” to the U.S. Naval Hospital, Subic Bay, Republic of thePhilippines. During the worst torrential rains in their history whichcaused massive mudslides and severe injuries, the hospital intervenedand cared for civilian patients. President Ferdinand Marcos rewardedthe hospital with the Philippines Presidential Citation.This unique experience in this land of beautiful sunsets and sincerecamaraderie with all the civilian staff, probably is my favorite dutystation.Upon my return to the United States in 1973, I attended NavalSchools Command, San Diego, Calif., to embark upon one of themost satisfying assignments of my career, instructor for HospitalCorps School, preparing young men and women for more advancednursing duties to hospitals and combat service with the Marines.In 1978, I was transferred to Naval Regional Medical Center, LongBeach, Calif. During this tour, I was promoted to commander andcompleted my master’s degree with off-duty instruction.1981 found me at Branch Clinic Hospital, Iwakuni, Japan. Thisfacility is a mere 27 miles from historic Hiroshima. As a medicalfacility on a marineair station, it wasnecessary to constantlyrun exercises to beprepared for unexpectedemergencies.Leaving this cherryblossom fairy land,I returned to seniorassignments at the NavalHospital, Camp Pendleton,Calif., including as ambulatorycare coordinator. This positionafforded me the secondarypleasure of workingwith corpsmen detailingassignments as well as beingthe military liaison for RedCross volunteers.uniform including combat boots, atemeal rations and participated with theIn 1988, I retired and found a new interest as hospital representativefor the Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton, Auxiliary, “Heart Beat.”In 2000, I traveled to Buffalo where I was awarded the D’YouvilleDelta Sigma Award, recognizing my devotion to the philosophyand tradition of St. Marguerite d’Youville and the Grey Nuns ofthe Sacred Heart.Although directly involved with the serious illnesses of family anddear friends, I managed to join a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in1995, the Passion Play in Oberammergau in 2000 including a Papalaudience with Pope John Paul II, and most recently, the MarianPilgrimage to Lourdes and Fatima.The retired Navy Nurses Organization has kept me busy withleadership roles and opportunities to travel. My 80th birthday thisyear was celebrated by a trip to the majestic seventh wonder of theworld, the Grand Canyon.Currently, residing in San Marcos, Calif., with my widowed sisteras my next door neighbor, I look forward to returning to Buffalo in2015 for our 60th class anniversary – God willing!alumni.dyouville.edu 27