Oldest living WWII nurse passes away at 108
DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The oldest living WWII nurse has passed away, the Dublin VA medical center wrote on the loss, saying that she was a treasured part of the Dublin VA community.
Meta Monteleon was her name, and the 108-year-old veteran served as a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during WWII. She also served as a nurse an additional 50 years after discharging in 1944. Monteleon was born in 1914, and lived through 2 pandemics– the Spanish Flu in 1918 and COVID-19– she attended countless ceremonies and celebrations at the Dublin VA over the years, including Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and the Dublin VA Medical Center’s 75th anniversary on April 22nd.
Monteleon’s daughter, Martha Duke, had this to say concerning her passing and her legacy:
“My mother loved serving in the Army, Red Cross, and as a nurse, but she was also a superior Scrabble player and continued driving herself to games until she was 94 years old,”… “Her laughter could light up a room and she will be deeply missed.”
A memorial brick with Monteleon’s name inscribed will be added to the Dublin VA’s Avenue of Flags for Deceased Veterans at the base of the main flagpole later this year.
