Dedicated to Care: LTC Hortense McKay

“Dedicated to Care: LTC Hortense McKay” is an intimate and compelling documentary that delves into the extraordinary life of Brainerd hero, Lieutenant Colonel Hortense McKay, a dedicated nurse whose courage and commitment shaped her legacy and paved the way for women in the military. Through the heartfelt narratives of her niece, Patricia McKay Broback, and Hillary Swanson, the Executive Director of the Crow Wing County Historical Society, viewers are invited to explore the many facets of Hortense’s life, from her inspired beginnings to her remarkable service in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during World War II. The story concludes with the honoring of her extraordinary contributions at her Congressional Gold Medal ceremony on March 25th, 2023, in Brainerd, MN.

Learn more about LTC Hortense McKay in this article from Lakeland PBS CAB Member, Sue Sterling. Originally published in the Brainerd Dispatch on March 25, 2023:

Hortense McKay, a Brainerd graduate, a female soldier, and a woman who forged a place in US History.

The moment you approached Brainerd High School you knew that this was a special woman. The Patriot’s Guard, many military personnel, and the Brainerd Honor Guard were at every entrance. Hortense would have been proud, if her humility allowed her to be.

Once inside the auditorium the aisle was lined with the Honor Guard and the seats were crammed with people. Many members of the 194th Tank Division were in attendance to honor this terrific lady, the Angel of Bataan.

Hortense McKay, graduated from Brainerd High School in 1927, and served in WWII in the Bataan and the Corregidor Battle fields. She functioned in many other roles as the years progressed, and after 25 years in the Army returned to her family in the Brainerd area as a decorated Lieutenant Colonel.

Where do I start writing my impressions of her? She was a woman ahead of her time in a man’s world. She was a nurse in a horrific war facing challenges everyday as she struggled to keep soldiers alive in the jungles of Bataan. McKay flew over with the Army Nurses Corp in 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Weeks in the jungle with supplies and medicine cut off, she and everyone suffered starvation and deprivations we will never experience. The day before Bataan surrendered, she and other nurses were evacuated to Corregidor. Those weeks of starvation rations took her body weight down to 88 pounds from her normal 150 pound frame. But she survived to thrive!

This female soldier was an inspiration for all women who aspired to doing their part for their country. The military did not want women in there ranks and only allowed a very small percentage of women officers. Hortense proved to the army and to those who followed, that women were capable soldiers and able to hold their own in the combat arena.

During McKay’s years of service, women were not allowed to become Generals. They are now. Women were not allowed to fight in combat-related functions. They are now. Women were given very little authority. They are now. Even the featured speaker at this tribute was a woman: Major General Johanna P. Clyborne, Deputy Adjutant General, Minnesota Army National Guard. She is a Middle East combat veteran who holds the Bronze Star, as well as many other medals of achievements.

A Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to Lt. Col. McKay posthumously in 2018, along with five other Brainerd members of the 194th Battalion. Major General Clyborne had the honor of presenting members of the McKay family with that medal at this tribute. Only 173 Congressional Gold Medals have been awarded since 1776, and having a woman recipient in the 150th year of Brainerd Public Schools receiving this prestigious award during America’s National Women’s History Month, is extraordinary.

I always have been a very patriotic person, which is why I am serving as the Auxiliary President at the Brainerd VFW. Brainerd citizens are very supportive of our veterans and military members, and I am proud to serve this community. Learn of Hortense McKay, and how she served her country with integrity, intelligence, and determination, has made a lasting impression on me. As I sit here writing this article, I ask myself, “what can I do to make a difference in this world, in this community?” It is my hope that many other women, young and old, will also ask themselves this same question, and reach out to find an answer.

– Sue Sterling, Brainerd MN