Bernardine Armstrong, LtCol USAF(Ret)

[BLUEHAWK]

Lt. Col. Bernardine H. "Bernie" Armstrong











Bernardine H. Armstrong "Bernie", Lt. Col. USAF, Retired, passed away on January 3, 2011 at the age of 98. She was born July 15, 1912 in San Bernardino, California. In 1938 she graduated from San Bernardino County Hospital with an AA degree in nursing. Bernie lived a full life filled with adventures not possible for many women at that time.

Following the start of WWII, Bernie enlisted in the US Army Nurse Corp and served as a surgical nurse in the Mediterranean on the hospital ship John J. Meany, as a flight nurse in the newly formed U.S. Air Force Nurse Corp., as the first nurse at K 55 in Osan, So. Korea in 1953 and ended her career as Chief Nurse at Schilling Air Force Base in Salina, Kansas in 1963.

Following retirement she worked in the Pentagon clinic and later was Head Nurse of the OB/GYN clinic at DMAFB, Tucson. Bernie is survived by her daughter, JoAn Forehand (Dan Gilmore); son, Roger Armstrong (Sonia Maxwell); four grandchildren, Greg Forehand (Carolyn), Gene Armstrong, ME Armstrong and Anne Pagel (Ray); four great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter. The family thanks her dedicated caregivers whose loving care allowed Bernie to remain at home for many years, the caring staff at Desert Villa Adult Home, Inc. and Odyssey Hospice.

Memorial Services will be held at BRING'S BROADWAY CHAPEL, 6910 E. Broadway at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 15, 2011. Interment of cremated remains will take place at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Memorial Fund of the Society of Air Force Nurses, Inc., PO Box 681026, San Antonio, TX 78268; the Humane Society or a charity of your choice. Bernie's bright smile, sparkling eyes and sense of adventure will remain with us always.