Gayle Offenbacher Lewis Collection

Details

Who's responsible?: Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries (Repository)
How much has been digitized?: Most of this collection has been digitized. Some items have not beed digitized due to copyright or other logistical issues.
What's in the full collection?: 22 December 2008 oral history transcript; CD-ROM of photographs of Gayle during service in the United States Navy circa 1968-1991.
Full biography: Gail Offenbacher Lewis (b.1947) was born in Jacksonville, Oregon. Lewis volunteered as a “candy striper” at a nearby hospital and became intrigued by nursing. In 1964, she attended college at the University of Oregon and enrolled in their pre-nursing program. The next year Lewis continued her education at the University of Oregon school of Nursing in Portland. In 1966, while a sophomore in college, Lewis joined the United States Navy on a delayed enlistment program which paid for the remainder of her schooling and provided her with a monthly monetary stipend. Lewis was commissioned as an ensign upon the completion of her civilian education and attended nurse corps officer candidate school at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island. In 1968, Lewis was transferred to Naval Hospital Boston (Chelsea Naval Hospital) for further training. While in Boston, Lewis prepared corpsmen for their deployments to Vietnam. In the August of 1969 Lewis was assigned to Naval Base Guam, where she worked on osteopathic and triage units. As Guam served as a major medical stop for Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam, Lewis was able to care for servicemen within forty-eight hours of injury. Lewis met her future husband while on Guam—a naval fleet officer. In 1971, after eighteen months of service on Guam, Lewis was reassigned to Naval Hospital Bremerton, Washington. After marrying her husband, she moved to Virginia and transitioned into the United States Navy Reserve. She was assigned to the command of a non-medical reserve unit in Newport News, Virginia. After a number of years of service, and several commands, she returned to Medford, Oregon, where she continued her military service in the Oregon naval reserve. Her final duty station was at a fleet hospital near Seattle, Washington. In 1994, after twenty-eight years of service, Lewis was honorably discharged from the navy reserve as a captain.
Topics: Women's History
Military
Branch of service: Navy -- Navy Nurse Corps
Conflict: Vietnam Era (1964-1974)
Subject headings: Vietnam War, 1961-1975
United States. Navy--Women
Contributing Institution: Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries

: Captain Gayle Lewis and Captain Joanne Levin-Homme; Captain Gayle Horn, left, poses with Captain Joanne Levin-Homme during Advanced Training at Bremerton Naval Hospital; 1991.

: Gayle Lewis during Fleet Hospital Training; Gayle Horn, far right, poses with Captain Steven Bennett, far left, and Damage Controlman Dana Fayette during Fleet Hospital Training; circa 1990.

: Gayle Lewis poses with fellow U.S. Navy Nurses; July 1968 Working Uniform Inspection. From left to right are Gayle Offenbacher Lewis, Joyce Parks, Barbara Helzer Cayere.

: Gayle Lewis presents fleet hospital detachment for inspection; Gayle Lewis stands at attention facing her superior officer. She is presenting fleet hospital detachment for inspections. She wears the traditional white uniform of the United States Navy. " Text attached to photo:"CDR [United States Navy rank of commander] Gayle Lewis presenting Fleet Hospital detachment, Naval Reserve Center, Central Point, OR, c. 1989"

: Gayle Lewis with Guamanian baby; Gayle Lewis poses in a nursery wearing the traditional all white uniform of the United States Navy Nurse Corps. The baby she holds is of Guamanian descent, indicating that this hospital served the Guamanian population. " Text attached with photo:"Gayle USNH [United States Navy Hospital] Guam 1970 in Newborn Nursery with Guamanian baby"

: Gayle Lewis with husband James; Gayle Lewis stands with future husband, James W. Lewis. They both wear the traditional white uniform of the United States Navy. The two yellow stripes embroidered on the bottom of Gayle's white long sleeve t-shirt indicate the rank of lieutenant. The insignia on James Lewis's shoulder indicates the rank of lieutenant. In addition, he wears the Vietnam Service Medal of the United States. Directly behind the couple is the USS Sedwick; the ship was decommissioned the day that this photo was taken. " Text attached with photo:"Guam 1969 Decommissioning of USS Sedwick County LST-1123. LTjg [Lieutenant Junior Grade] James W. Lewis (m. 3/21/71)"

: Gayle Lewis with village elder; Gayle Lewis sits with a village elder from the small island of Yap. Her blue sneakers with snug dark blue jump suit suggest that this photo was taken while she was off duty. " Text attached to photo:"Yap, June 1970 with Village Elder"

: Gayle Lewis works with computer; Gayle Lewis works on a computer for the United States Navy Selection Board. She wears the traditional white uniform of the United States Navy without the standard cap. The three yellow stripes located on her shoulder marks indicate the rank of lieutenant commander. Text attached with photo:"Serving on Selection Board, Arlington Annex, Arlington, VA, 1985."

: Portrait photo of Gayle Lewis; Gayle Lewis wears the dark blue dress uniform of the United States Navy with standard dark blue tie, white undershirt, and cap. " Text attached with photo:"July 1968 Newport, R.I. Graduation from Officer Training."

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Gayle Offenbacher Lewis Collection

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