Alene Duerk passes
The Naval History and Heritage Command passes on the sad news that Alene Duerk, the first female admiral of the US Navy has passed at the age of 98 years on July 21, 2018;
Her first tours of duty included ward nurse at Naval Hospital Portsmouth in Virginia, Naval Hospital Bethesda in Maryland, and sea service aboard the Navy hospital ship, USS Benevolence (AH 13), in 1945. While anchored off the coast of Eniwetok, Duerk and the crew of the Benevolence would attend to the sick and wounded being brought back from the Third Fleet’s operations against Japan.
Upon cessation of hostilities on Sept. 2, 1945, Duerk and the Benevolence crew took on the task of repatriating liberated Allied prisoners of war, an endeavor that solidified her commitment to nursing and patient care.
Years later, when asked about her service for the Library of Congress’ Veteran’s History Project, Duerk said, “The time I was aboard the hospital ship and we took the prisoners of war, that was something I will never forget . . . that was the most exciting experience of my whole career.”
Thereafter, Duerk was assigned to Naval Hospital Great Lakes until being released from active service in 1946.
In 1951, Duerk returned to active duty serving as a nursing instructor at the Naval Hospital Corps School in Portsmouth, Va. and later as inter-service education coordinator at the Naval Hospital Philadelphia, Penn.
Her skills in ward management, surgical nursing and mentoring would be put to use over the next two decades while serving at hospitals in San Diego; and Yokosuka, Japan; at the Recruiting Station in Chicago; and in Wash., D.C.
In May 1970, following assignments as assistant for Nurse Recruitment in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) and assistant head of Medical Placement Liaison (Nurse Corps) at the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Duerk was appointed director of the Navy Nurse Corps.
Over the next five years, Duerk provided direction for the Nurse Corps, updating policies affecting Navy Medicine and expanding the sphere of nursing into ambulatory care, anesthesia, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology.
Her selection to the rank of rear admiral was approved by President Richard Nixon on April 26, 1972. The first woman to be selected for flag rank, she was advanced on June 1, 1972.
Rear Adm. Duerk retired in 1975, but remained a strong advocate for Navy nursing through the remainder of her life.
Category: Navy
Wow, talk about a life of service. May she rest in peace and her family find some comfort in their grief.
Fair winds and following seas indeed…
43 years in retirement. Brother, that’s the way it’s done. Bet her retirement pay was larger than her pay was during her last year on AD. Sounds like a mission for Hondo.
Figuring our her pay for her last year on AD is easy enough:
https://www.dfas.mil/militarymembers/payentitlements/military-pay-charts.html
…figure 26 years of service, O7 = $2,761.80/month. The place where I’m out of my depth is her retirement pay. Would it be under today’s rules? If so, and correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m assuming: 26 * 2.5% = 65% * $12,656.40 (O-7, 26 years) = $8,226.66.
Of course, accounting for inflation, that $2,761.80 in 1975 dollars has the same buying power as $13,357.84 does today:
https://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=2761.8&year1=197501&year2=201806
…and since $8,227 is ~62% of $13,358, I guess that aligns pretty well…
All that said, I have no idea if her retirement pay would resemble how it works today or not…
That was like wining, dining, and dancing with a woman and then leaving! All that work for no return.
BTW, I mean no disrespect to the Admiral. She lived a long and useful life, and that, along with someone who loves you, is all anyone can hope for.
In 1975, it would have been the 2.5% multiplier times years of service times final pay (formula was implemented in 1916). In 1980, the “high-three” was implemented, lowering your retirement check by averaging in your last 36 months of base pay but only applied to new members, those already in or retired were grandfathered under the high-pay rules.
Your initial calculation should be close (each full month after an anniversary would have added 1/12th of a year to the calculation, or ~0.2 percent) so without the calculation of months of service it won’t be exact).
After that, the COLA adjustments need to be looked at, adjustments were pegged to the CPI in the 60’s, but effective dates were all over the place to include twice a year in the Carter years.
Not going to run the numbers, but if you’re curious, skip to page 24 of the document found here:
https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/documents/fmr/archive/07barch/07b_08_Sep12.pdf
Some adjustments to your calculation- RADM would have been O-8 and her max pay would have been $3,000 per month (assuming she retired prior to 1 October when the base pay would have been raised to $3,150). 65% of $3,000 would be $1,950 per month, or $23,400 for the first year.
If I have to look at a number, my eyes lose focus and my mouth goes dry. If I have to calculate something, I just get up and walk away. Mu Achilles heal. I envy those of you who can take to the math with relish and gusto.
Rest in peace Sister. You gave so much and asked so little.
Fair winds and following seas, Admiral Duerk.
I thought the first woman admiral was Grace Hopper, who by the way came up with the expression that it is far better to seek forgiveness than to ask permission. As I read, they redesignated her rank and she became an admiral along with others.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Hopper
Grace Hopper is a legend among techies, but she was promoted to Commodore (which was then renamed Rear Admiral in 1985) in 1983, over a decade after Duerk.
Regarding her statement, I wish it still worked that way, but all too often you see someone trying to do the right thing and getting his pecker slapped for his trouble. That home depot employee, who left his “post” to thwart a kidnapping comes to mind.
That rumble you hear is the welcoming cheer from Heaven as she is reunited with those she helped.
Rest In Peace, Admiral.
Long life of service. The real deal.
Jan Spann should be cc’d for comment.
Quite a lady! Now gone on from her life well lived to her well-earned reward.
Rest in Peace.
She visited Great Lakes in 1972 when I was over there in the summer, and was kind enough to spend some time with us junior WAVES people. Never said a word about her WWII service. Very down to earth.
Gods Bless her.
Rest In Peace after a life well lived.
You guys whinin’ about money- She served our great nation and should be recognized for that. You whiners have better things to do-so do I. Enjoyed reading yer comments Ex-PH2. I’m off this net. OUT
Which guys do you mean? I see me, 2/17 Air Cav and AZtoVA answering an interesting question about retirement pay, but none of us were whining. She earned every penny of that and more.
Nobody whining ’round here except some guy calling himself borderbill.
On the retirement pay issue – yeah it’s always humbling when a retiree begins earning more in retirement than ever was earned on the job.
“I’m off this net.” Knucklehead. Have you been clueless your entire life or is this a late development? SSG E and OWB were nice in their replies. Mine? You can go to hell.
“I’m off my meds.”
Fixed it for you.
Whassamater? Someone whizz in your coffee pot this morning and tell you it was “Navy Joe”?
You can’t help but show your ass can you banana bill. Oh, if I wasn’t clear enough the last time, let me put it succinctly for you. Fuck off.
To all those posers and fakers…
THIS is what honorable service looks like. Honor, humility, and placing service to others above oneself. Fair winds and following seas, Ma’am.
A life well lived indeed. Thank you for gracing us with your presence for a little while Ma’am.
Medical Department personnel are (or were, when I retired in 2012) entitled to collect up to 110% of basic pay for 40+ years of service. Many Mustangs MSC and NC officers were Senior Chiefs and Master Chiefs when commissioned and could do 44 years (or more, if promoted to Flag) active duty.
I recall Admiral Boorda speaking at a Medical Conference and suggesting that at the time he had more time on active duty than any one in the room (just over 40 years). A show of hands proved that there were more 40+ year active duty members in that room than the rest of the Navy COMBINED.
I retired at 37 years, 10 months. The Old Timers just called me a quitter.
That’s a fairly recent development (FY 2007 DAA). Prior to passage of the 2007 DAA, military retirement pay was capped by law at 75% of base pay for anyone with 30 or more years of service. The 2007 change removed that limit.
I think disability retirement is still capped at 75%, but that cap may have been lifted by later changes in Federal law.
Fair winds and following seas, Admiral.
Agreed. A life well-lived, indeed.