WWI Nurse Mary Nurney Finally Honored in Stamford, Makes History

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Mary Nurney, a Red Cross nurse in World War I, recently became the first woman honored on Stamford’s Memorial Wall, a recognition more than a century in the making. This milestone not only corrects a long-standing omission from Stamford’s history, but it also gives nurses everywhere a reason to reflect on the legacy of service and sacrifice that Nurney represents.

Who Was Mary Nurney?

Mary Camilla Nurney trained at Stamford Hospital and volunteered for the Red Cross during World War I. In the fall of 1918, Stamford was enveloped in the influenza pandemic, turning hospital wards into battlegrounds. Nurney, just weeks away from deployment to Europe, chose to care for sick soldiers at home. Unfortunately, she contracted influenza and died after 11 days fighting the disease.

The courage she showed wasn’t lost on her colleagues or patients. In a poignant act, the soldiers she had cared for insisted she receive a military funeral, even though nurses were not formally recognized as veterans at the time. As Rev. Henry Callahan said at her crowded funeral, “While Mary had not made it to battle to face the flashing sabre, she was a soldier nonetheless."

Honoring Her Service… Finally

For decades, Nurney’s selfless act went unrecognized on Stamford’s official war memorials, despite local officials noting she was the only woman to die in service during that period. Her memory lingered in street names and fleeting tributes, but she was not listed among Stamford’s war dead, largely because she never officially served overseas.

This year, that changed. After 107 years, Mary Nurney was finally added to the Memorial Wall in Stamford Veterans Memorial Park, becoming its first female honoree. As the Stamford Veterans Park Partnership announced, “We are proud that the legacy of Mary Camilla Nurney, an American Red Cross nurse trained at Stamford Hospital during World War I, will be honored with the SVPP Patriot Award at our Annual Benefit on October 16, 2025.”

Steve Fischer, commander of the Stamford Veterans Council and the Stamford Jewish War Veterans, said at the dedication: “Her battlefield was the hospital ward. And her weapon was care.” Mayor Caroline Simmons added: “What an extraordinary woman to put her life on the line to care for soldiers. She’s a remarkable inspiration. I always think of our nurses as angels.”

What Mary Nurney Means for Nursing

Mary Nurney’s story is a reminder that nurses have always been on the front lines, whether the battle is across an ocean or right in the heart of their own communities. Her willingness to put herself in harm’s way, her skill, and her commitment to her patients echo the values that continue to define nursing today.

For Stamford, her recognition sets a new precedent. For nurses everywhere, her legacy demonstrates how every act of care can ripple through history, even if it takes generations for the world to fully honor that sacrifice.

 

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