Alene B. Duerk: The First Woman Admiral

Alene B. Duerk: The First Woman Admiral

Having served during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, Alene Duerk became the first woman to earn the rank of Admiral in the U.S. Navy.

PG 2020 · 9 min · War, Documentary

Following the tradition of military service in her family, Alene Duerk enlisted as a Navy nurse in 1943. During her eventful 32 year career, she served in WWII on a hospital ship in the Sea of Japan, and trained others in the Korean War. She became the Director of the Navy Nursing Corps during the Vietnam War before finally attaining the rank of Admiral in the U.S. Navy. Despite having no other women as mentors (or peers), Admiral Duerk always looked for challenging opportunities that women had not previously held. Her consistently high level of performance led to her ultimate rise to become the first woman Admiral.

Directed by Eliciana Nascimento · Written by Daniel L. Bernardi

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Pamela Roark Pamela Roark
Stephen Granzow Stephen Granzow

Make it a double feature

2h 10m together

Alene B. Duerk: The First Woman Admiral

Irena's Vow

A close match in mood and era.

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