Eleanor: Army Nurse and Military Wife

As a 21-year old nursing school graduate, she became a lieutenant officer in the Women’s Army Corp, serving in the European Theater during WW2. She was decorated for her service, receiving the American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. (In 1993, her family honored her as a registrant at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, Arlington VA.)

During her tour of duty in France. Eleanor and some of her fellow nurses were taking a much needed few days of leave and went to Paris. While there she was set up on a blind date with an Army officer, Russell Pietro Bonasso. The blind date turned into a courtship across Europe. They fell in love and married after the war ended.

Although the war had ended, her husband, a West Point Graduate, was an active Army officer. With her beautiful smile and gracious hospitality, she took on the role of a Military wife. Wherever her husband was stationed, throughout military bases in Europe and those in the Pacific, as well as in the United States, she hosted many officers and their wives. This was all expected of her as a Military wife while at the same time she was raising her 5 children. This expectation blossomed into her delighting in fashion and home design and learning the skills to become one of the glamorous and quintessential hostesses of her era.

As busy as she was, Eleanor was an avid reader. She kept her interest in reading alive by constantly having a few best sellers within reach at any one time, as well as enjoying her daily newspaper. Her life was full with hosting at home but she also found time to actively chair women’s groups, and participate in many church and social events. Yet all this did not take away from ensuring that her five children made it to dance, music, art lessons, sports practices, and school programs… whatever part of the world she happened to be in.