As we move into the Memorial Day weekend, I want to take this opportunity to honor the countless men and women that have given the ultimate sacrifice to secure the freedoms we too often take for granted. Our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, given to us by God, are secured generation by generation by these heroes as all gave some and some gave all. Our freedom of speech, ability to practice our religion as we decide, the right to bear arms, and the opportunity to choose our own destiny are protected every time we honor their memory.
I encourage all of you as we hit the backyard BBQ this weekend, to share stories of loved ones that served in our Armed Forces and in our communities. Spread the memory of their service, sacrifice, and legacy.
Someone that holds a special place in my heart is Ellan Levitsky of Milford. Although she has passed, she is still very much alive in our community as her legacy of healing and sacrifice continues on. First Lieutenant Ellan J. Levitsky and Second Lieutenant Dorothy F. Levitsky both served as Nurses with the 164th General Hospital in World War II. Stationed in Normandy, France both sisters most notably served in the Battle of the Buldge which was fought in the winter of 1944 and marked the last major offensive effort by the Nazis during the war.
Raised as children in Salem, New Jersey, Dorothy and Ellan both were trained and worked as nurses at hospitals in Philadelphia when WWII broke out. Ellan, the more outspoken and younger of the two sisters, had a desire to join the war effort and support the troops that were fighting against Nazi Germany. Being inseparable across their entire lives, Ellan knew that if she signed up Dorothy would answer the call to serve as well. Dorothy’s one request when she enlisted was that the two were not separated during the war.
After coming home from work early one afternoon, Ellan and Dorothy surprised their mother with the news that they had quit their jobs and were enlisting in the United States Army to serve in World War II. On September 11, 1944, at the ages of 22 and 24, the pair departed New York for Normandy, France aboard the HMS Cynthia.While on duty in France, Dorothy and Ellan served as members of the 164th General Hospital from August 1944 to April 1945.
During the war, Ellan applied anesthesia to soldiers and Dorothy worked as a staff nurse in the hospital wards. According to the WWII US Medical Research Centre, the hospital saw a total admission of 3,455 patients from October, 5 to December 31, 1944, with 31% medical cases and 69% surgical cases. There were 1303 battle casualties admitted.
1st Lieutenant Ellan J. Levitsky, 164th Gen Hosp, Army Nurse Corps, N-762232, and 2d Lieutenant Dorothy F. Levitsky, 164th Gen Hosp, Army Nurse Corps, N-762231, left the ANC at Fort Sheridan, “Separation Center”, Illinois, on 28 March 1946. Their ASR Score (dated 2 Sep 45) was only 30. Both sisters obtained the American Theater Ribbon, as well as the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon, and were entitled to the WW2 Victory Medal. They had proudly served their country, as they wished, and their Active Duty represented 1 year in the Zone of Interior and 11 months and 20 days in foreign service.