It was this strong desire to elevate my profession that led me to volunteer for military service in 1940 with the U.S. Army Nurse Corps," Raney wrote, reflecting on her career 40 years later.

It's not just a man's world in the U.S. Army. Women have been an official part of the service since 1901, when the Army Nurse Corps was created. But before that, women served unofficially in many ...