1920s Legislation for Nurses
In 1922, the Spanish-American War contract nurses were granted pensions — the same pensions male Spanish-American War veterans had received in 1920. On July 2, 1926, Public Law 448 granted the Spanish-American War contract nurses full military status "as members of the Army Nurse Corps."
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America,... That the benefits of the Act of Congress approved June 5, 1920, entitled "An Act to pension soldiers and sailors of the War with Spain ..." are hereby, extended to include any woman who served honorably as an Army nurse ... under contract for ninety days or more ... and any such nurse who was released from service ... because of disability contracted in line of duty.
Public Law 294, September 1, 1922
Statements of Service for Rose M. Heavren and Mary (Frazier) Freeland. These documents would have been used in the 1920s to prove their military status so that they could receive their pensions.