Rita A. Cleveland

Colonel Rita A. Cleveland USA, Retired Army Nurse Corps, passed away on Friday, March 2, 2007 at the age of 86 at the Army Residence Community. She was born June 21, 1920 in Huntington Center, Vermont to the late Roy Beers and Hazel Brewster Cleveland who along with her brother, Richard L. Cleveland, preceded her in death. She was a graduate of Montpelier Seminary Mary Fletcher School of Nursing, Burlington, VT, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT and Baylor University, Waco, TX. Commissioned in the Army Nurse Corps in April 1943, she served until 1947. She had stateside assignments at Fort Devens, MA and served as Operating Nurse with the 16th General Hospital in England, Belgium and France. After discharge from the Army and prior to reentering the Army Nurse Corps in October 1950, she was Nursing Supervisor, Operating Room Supervisor and Public Health Coordinator at Mary Fletcher Hospital. In 1948, she was appointed to the Board of Registration of Nursing by the Governor of Vermont. During the Korean War she had assignments as Operating Room Nurse, Medical Surgical Nurse in General Hospitals and Chief Nurse in Station Hospitals in Puerto Rico, Europe and the U.S. She also was Operating Room Supervisor at the 45th MASH in Korea. She retired as Chief Nurse, Department of Nursing, at Brooke Army Medical Center (1969-1973) with 30 years of Federal Service. Her numerous awards are: American Campaign Medical; WWII Victory Medal; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal; Unit Citation; Korean Service Medal; United Nations Service Medal; National Defense Service Medal with Oakleaf cluster; Commendation with Medal Pendent; Army Commendation Medal with 1st Oakleaf Cluster; Meritorious Service Medal; Legion of Merit. She was a Past Commander of the American Legion Post 0612, Windcrest, Texas. She was a member of the Retired Officers Association, Retired Army Nurse Corps Association, and American Legion. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 6, 2007 at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery with military honors. A Memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 6th at the Army Residence Community Chapel. Memorials may be made to the Army Medical Museum Foundation, P.O. Box 8294, San Antonio, Texas 78208-0294. Sunset Funeral Home.