136th Evac Hospital

• World War II Origins: The 136th Evacuation Hospital was activated in 1943 at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, in preparation for overseas service during World War II. • European Theater Deployment: The unit served in the European Theater of Operations, providing critical medical care in support of the Allied advance following D-Day. • Normandy Campaign: The hospital landed in Normandy in July 1944, just weeks after D-Day, and played a vital role treating casualties from major battles such as Saint-Lô and the Falaise Pocket. • Mobile Medical Support: As an evacuation hospital, the 136th was semi-mobile, capable of moving and setting up medical operations quickly near combat zones to stabilize wounded soldiers before further evacuation. • Service in Belgium and Germany: After France, the 136th moved into Belgium and later into Germany, following the front lines and supporting the rapid Allied advance into enemy territory. • Battle of the Bulge: The hospital provided essential support during the Battle of the Bulge, treating a surge of casualties in the winter of 1944-1945 under challenging conditions. • Women in Uniform: The unit included Army Nurse Corps officers, highlighting the crucial and often dangerous roles women played in WWII military medicine. • Post-War Occupation: After V-E Day, the 136th Evac Hospital remained in Europe to assist with the treatment of liberated prisoners of war and civilians, as well as occupation forces. • Personal Stories: Numerous veterans of the 136th have recorded their experiences, including accounts of improvising medical treatments and operating under fire, preserving the human side of wartime medicine. • Legacy and Honors: The 136th Evacuation Hospital's service contributed to the evolution of battlefield medicine, and its legacy continues to be honored in military medical history and reunions of its surviving members.