#MyStoryMonday: Gray Ladies

During World War I, the American Red Cross had a great influx of volunteers. One service that was established in response was the Hostess and Hospital Service and Recreation corps, which was later famously named the Gray Ladies. The purpose for this new division of volunteers, who were mostly women, was to act as hostesses and provide recreational activities to wounded soldiers.

Although the Gray Ladies were established at the beginning of WWI at Walter Reed Army Hospital, the service quickly spread to both military and civilian hospitals around the country. Some of the Gray Ladies were even sent to serve in U.S. military hospitals overseas.

Gray Lady Jessie Thoroughman reading with Johnny Troxwell
at Hazelwood Sanatorium, circa 1958

The Gray Ladies service was not responsible for any type of medical care, but the volunteers were still required to undergo rigorous training that consisted of courses like hospital organization, psychiatry, ethics and more.

Although the ladies weren’t dressed in vibrant shades, their personalities made up for it. Whether it was sitting down and having a conversation with a serviceman or playing some tunes to patients confined to hospital beds, the Gray Ladies of the American Red Cross made it their mission to keep spirits high and the wounded hopeful.

For more information about the Gray Ladies, click here. If you would like to find out more about joining the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer