The American Flight Nurse Who Flew 425 Missions Across Two Wars

The American Flight Nurse Who Flew 425 Missions Across Two Wars

I have been learning about some of the people who served in the world wars. I want to tell you a little bit about Lillian Kinkella Keil.

She was born on the 17th of November 1916 in Arcata, California. Her father left when she was still young, so she and her siblings were raised in a convent.

After finishing high school, she trained at St. Mary’s Hospital in San Francisco and qualified as a registered nurse. By 1939, she had become one of the first stewardesses for United Airlines. But when the United States entered the War, like everyone else, her life changed. She joined the United States Army Air Forces after a passenger encouraged her to do so. She went on to train as a flight nurse.

By 1943, she was serving in London, and not long after that, she was caring for the wounded after D-Day in June 1944. She worked close to the front line, including with the forces of General George S. Patton as they advanced across France. She flew hundreds of evacuation missions, transporting injured soldiers to safety.

After the war, she briefly returned to civilian life, but when the Korean War started, she joined the United States Air Force. She became one of a small number of nurses stationed in the Far East, making even more evacuation flights. Across both wars, she flew around 425 missions and is believed to have cared for over 10,000 wounded service members.

She earned 19 medals and ribbons, including four Air Medals, two Presidential Unit Citations, the World War II Victory Medal, four World War II battle stars, and the Korean Service Medal with seven battle stars.

She went on to marry and she continued nursing in civilian life. Lillian Kinkella Keil sadly died of cancer on the 30th of June 2005 at the age of 88.