Aleda E. Lutz

Aleda Ester Lutz (November 9, 1915 – November 1, 1944) was a United States Army flight nurse. She was one of sixteen American servicewoman to be killed in combat during World War II, and the first military woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross, which she received posthumously. She is the second-highest decorated woman in the history of the U.S. military.

Early life

Lutz was born November 9, 1915, in Freeland, Michigan, to German immigrants Friederich Georg Lutz and Margaretha Sybilla (née Hitz) Lutz from Nuremberg, Germany. Lutz grew up bilingual, a native English and German speaker, which would later make her an asset during World War II.

Lutz was the youngest of 10 children and grew up on a farm. During World War I when she was an infant, most of the Lutz family was forced to register as German and report to county court. This was a time in which many Americans were angry and suspicious towards German-Americans, and during the course of the war the government registered nearly half a million "enemy alien" civilians.

Lutz attended Wellman Country School through the 8th grade and Freeland School through the 10th grade. In 1933 she graduated from Saginaw Arthur Hill High School. In 1937 Lutz graduated from Saginaw General Hospital School of Nursing.

Lutz was not alone in her military service to her country: her brother Adam fought in WWI, her brother Conrad joined the medical division during WWII, her nephews Theodore and Frederick joined the U.S. Army during WWII and her nephew Robert joined the peace-keeping force in Germany after WWII.

During WWII, the Lutz farm became the Freeland POW Camp. The Lutz family belonged to St. John Lutheran Church-Amelith and helped minister to the German POWs who were housed at the Freeland POW Camp. Runways were laid to turn the camp into Tri-City Airport, later MBS International Airport.

World War II Lutz became a staff nurse at Saginaw General Hospital, but with the advent of World War II, she began looking for a way to contribute to the massive war effort. She enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps on February 10, 1942, and was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant. Her army service number was N730648. Early letters describe her living quarters, her work at the base, and her thoughts about the service. In one letter she said she was the only nurse on duty and had 25 patients. Furthermore, she expected the work load to increase as more nurses were being sent overseas.

Lutz was one of only 16 American military females to die in combat in World War II. At the time of her death, Lutz was perhaps the most experienced flight nurse in the U.S. military service. She had the most evacuation sorties (196), most combat hours flown by any flight nurse (814) and the most patients transported by any flight nurse (3500+).

Lutz was buried with full military honors in the Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial in Draguignan, France. General Mark W. Clark and Major General Thomas B. Larkin both attended her funeral. Lutz is the only woman buried there.

Honors and legacy Lutz is one of the most highly decorated women in the United States Military. Lutz was awarded the Purple Heart, the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the Red Cross Medal. Lutz earned six battle stars: Tunisia, Sicily, Rome-Arno, Southern France, and North Apennines.

On December 28, 1944 Lutz became the first military woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross,

On April 3, 1945, at the insistence of General George C. Marshall, Lutz was honored with an 800-patient future hospital ship, , the former French liner and largest mercy ship afloat at the time. On February 13, 1945, Aleda E. Lutz was designated a U.S. Army hospital ship in accordance to international practice, as set forth in the provisions of the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907.

On April 17, 2010, Lutz, along with four other former military members with Michigan connections, was enshrined into the Air Zoo's Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame. The ceremonies were made possible in part through the support and coordination of Le Souvenir Franco-Américain, an organization dedicated to preserving the memory of American service members who fought for the liberation of France.