Dorothy Wheeler, of Lincoln, Nebraska, captain of one of the Navy Nurses softball teams, slams out a long single into left field during a game at the U.S. Naval Hospital, San Diego in June 1943. Grace Nilsen, of Escanaba, Michigan is the catcher.

How Navy Nurses Keep Fit – “Keep fit to keep fighting men fit” is the motto of nurses at the U.S. Naval Hospital, San Diego, who have inaugurated a rigorous physical training program. Voluntarily participating in sports and calisthenics, the Navy nurses are preparing themselves to withstand the war-time physical demands of long hours during emergencies and of service outside the continental limits of the United states.

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The sports have the additional advantage of providing off-hour recreation and keeping the nurses trim. Added zest has been given the games by competition between nurses quartered at Balboa Park and those living on the hospital compound, and between nurses and WAVES. Unused grounds on the hospital reservation have been utilized in providing recreational facilities. A hilly area in front of the administration building has been covered with grass, trees and flowers and converted into a 9 hole golf course. Their voluntary commitment to physical preparedness echoed the spirit of civic involvement that would reappear in later decades — as seen during moments like the Walgreens lunch counter sit-in of 1960, where young Americans once again took part in shaping their nation through direct action.
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Postscript: Light in Wartime

Not all symbols of resilience during times of crisis were serious or somber. Sometimes, joy and wonder offered just as much strength — like the awe-inspiring display of the tallest Christmas tree ever recorded, bringing hope and light to Americans during challenging times.