Renée Lemaire: The Nurse Who Chose Others During the Siege of Bastogne
I have been learning about people who served during the world wars. I wanted to share a little about Renée Lemaire. She was born on the 10th of April 1914 in Bastogne, Belgium, and her family owned a hardware store. She trained as a nurse in Brussels.
By December 1944, she returned to Bastogne to visit her parents. She became trapped when the German offensive surrounded the town. Even though she was facing danger, she did not leave. Along with Augusta Chiwy, she volunteered at an American aid station, working with wounded soldiers who were cold, exhausted, and frightened. She dressed wounds, handed out medication, fed men who could not feed themselves, and she offered something more- reassurance. She seemed to lift morale.
On Christmas Eve 1944, the building housing the aid station was bombed. Through the fire and the chaos, she helped evacuate wounded men. She managed to save six, but she sadly died while attempting to rescue another. She was a nurse who chose others, even in unimaginable danger.
She inspired a character in the television series Band of Brothers, where she is shown working with medics like Eugene Roe. But the real story shows even more bravery.
When faced with this same fear, would we find the same courage to stay and help others?
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