The Angels of Los Banos: Lieutenant Junior Grade Mary Rose Harrington of the US Navy Nursing Corps

Following her 1934 graduation from St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital School of Nursing, in Sioux City, Iowa, Mary Rose Harrington entered the US Navy Nurse Corps on January 11, 1937. Harrington reported to Manila, Philippines, on February 10, 1941. Mary Rose was taken as a Prisoner of War when Japanese forces seized the islands on January 6, 1942.

Initially, Lieutenant Junior Grade Harrington was interned with other US civilians at a Catholic school that had been converted into a prison facility. Later, she was held at the Los Banos Internment Facility, about 30 miles southeast of Manila. Mary was one of 11 nurses that were imprisoned at the Los Banos facility. During this time she, along with the others, worked endlessly to care for the injured and sick.

By 1944, the Japanese military had reduced the food ration to less than 1000 calories a day per prisoner. The "Angels of Los Banos" were known to sacrifice their own food rations in favor of their patients. All 11 nurses were awarded the Bronze Star Medal for their actions during imprisonment.

On February 23, 1945, the US Army 11th Airborne Division and a Filipino guerrilla task force combined their efforts to liberate 2,147 Allied civilian and military internees from Los Banos Internment Camp.

While at Los Banos Mary met her future husband, T. Page Nelson Sr., a US Treasury Department Official who also had been interned within the camp. Mary Rose and Page Nelson were married in San Diego on April 13, 1945. The couple relocated to the Washington DC area where they had four children - two boys and two girls.

Mary Rose began a career as a volunteer with the Red Cross in the 1950s. She spent over 40 years as a nursing volunteer in the Fairfax School District, worked at Red Cross bloodmobiles and scheduled bloodmobile volunteer workers. In 1997, she received the Outstanding Volunteer Award from the Red Cross.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Mary Rose Harrington Nelson passed away on June 17, 1999 at the age of 85 years old. She lies in rest at Fairfax Memorial Park in Fairfax Virginia. Lest We Forget.

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