Nurse recounts the makeshift hospital where she treated injured soldiers on the frontlines of the Falklands War
When I returned from the Falklands War, I put all those experiences in a box and closed it tight for a long time. Years later, I stood at an event giving a talk when a man approached me. He looked deeply into my eyes. “I still have the nightgown,” he said. This man remembered. He hugged me and as we embraced, he cried uncontrollably. All the while, he thanked me over and over for taking care of him. My heart stirred as I heard his words.
- 2 years ago
May 10, 2023
Alicia Mabel Reynoso was one of the 14 nurses in Comodoro Rivadavia during the Malvinas War. To this day, she still carries the painful memories of her time as a nurse there. | Photo courtesy of Alicia Mabel Reynoso's Nursing Team
ENTRE RÍOS, Argentina — At 23 years old, I joined the armed forces. I went into my role with little knowledge about politics or war. I could not have anticipated the traumatic experiences awaiting me as a nurse serving during the Falklands War.
My fellow nurses and I cared for the wounded, and we carried their pain with us every step of the way. When the war ended, we never fully recovered from the trauma we endured. Yet, our efforts went unnoticed. Today, I fight for recognition for the nurses who gave so much of themselves in service of our country.
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Traumatic memories haunt me from my time in the Falklands War
One night, after joining the military, I arrived in Comodoro Rivadavia along with the other nurses. This would become our station from which to support the war effort. We worked hard to set up our medical space inside a hanger that still stands today. Soon, the wounded began to arrive, often in the middle of the night or early in the morning. So often, sleep alluded us.
As the soldiers arrived, I could see their trauma. They appeared to have emerged from hell, arriving dirty, disoriented, and hungry. We provided medical assistance and mended their bodies. The nurses gave them baths, food, and clean nightgowns. We also talked with them. The emotional support we offered gave them a sense a relief during a terrible time, but we lived in a vacuum. The nurses received little news from the frontlines. When they arrived, dirty and broken, these soldiers shared with us a bitter truth: we were losing the war.
When I returned from the Malvinas War, I put all those experiences in a box and closed it tight for a long time. Years later, I stood at an event giving a talk when a man approached me. He looked deeply into my eyes. “I still have the nightgown,” he said. This man remembered. He hugged me tightly, and as we embraced, he cried uncontrollably. All the while, he thanked me over and over for taking care of him. My heart stirred as I heard his words.
They could not erase our efforts, but war remains shrouded in darkness
I became a nurse in the war at the young age of 23. Most of the soldiers I treated were young; drafted into compulsory service at just 18-years-old. As they laid in their beds, they cried out for their mothers. Their screams still haunt me. We did everything we could for them, even performing surgery when necessary. For so long, we remained at our station, enduring the cold temperatures and our own loneliness, as we battled fear. We took on the relational roles of their mothers, sisters, and girlfriends, helping them recover physically and mentally. At times, we even played mail carrier, sending letters out on their behalf. We took on their suffering as our own.
When the war ended, I continued to work in the armed forces, joining teams working in temporary hospitals in Haiti and Panama. Then, a personal situation happened in my life which led me to attempt suicide. When I started therapy, I was surprised to discover, my journey through the Falklands War left me traumatized. I needed to share my story.
As nurses who tended to the wounded, we felt forgotten. While I knew that after the war, people needed to move on and start over, our work became instantly invisible. To this day, I still feel afraid to talk about it, but I cannot allow my memories to die with me. To make matters worse, it seemed as though the authorities intentionally hid our contributions, so I began to fight.
I took action to ensure the nurses of the Falklands War were recognized as war heroines and veterans. We needed our efforts to come to light to help us process it. Finally, on May 7, 2021, the Chamber ruled in our favor. Despite this victory, much of the written history continues to overlook the significant contributions of women during the Falklands War. I remain incredibly proud to have fought for the visibility of the women who, in 1982, answered the call of duty for our country. The truth about the conflict remains shrouded in darkness. I will continue to fight for visibility, and for all the soldiers, nurses, and helpers who continue to live in the past, waiting to be seen.
