Vietnam-era flight nurse champions veteran health advocacy Published Feb. 4, 2026 By Maristela Romero Air Force Surgeon General Public Affairs FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- Nearly six decades after joining the Air Force, Dr. Linda Spoonster Schwartz, a retired flight nurse and Vietnam veteran, continues to devote her life to veterans’ health advocacy. Her perseverance to champion this cause is shaped by family history, her wartime efforts as a nurse, and her personal struggles accessing care as a medically retired veteran during a time when women in the military had less representation. Schwartz’s dedication to the veteran community has influenced national policy, advanced recognition of women veterans, and strengthened care for the next generations who will serve. Since medically retiring in 1986, she has advocated for improving veteran access to mental health care, employment after service, housing, and financial assistance. She has received accolades from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Vietnam Veterans of America, and other veteran health advocacy organizations for her work. U.S. Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Linda Spoonster Schwartz takes her oath upon joining the service at a recruitment center in Idaho, 1967. (Photo courtesy of Connecticut Veterans Affairs) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res The beginning of her flight nurse career Growing up with a father who served in the Navy during World War II, Schwartz felt called to military service. While in nursing school, she read a Reader's Digest article about Air Force flight nurses, which compelled her to join. In 1967, she joined the U.S. Air Force, setting her sights on the frontlines of patient care. Among her early assignments, Schwartz was assigned to Tachikawa Air Base in Japan - a critical casualty staging area for service members wounded in Vietnam. She said this assignment had a profound impact on her future. As U.S. Army Soldiers and Army of the Republic of Vietnam forces fought a ground battle against the People’s Army of Vietnam in the A Shau Valley in 1969 - better known as the Battle of Hamburger Hill, Schwartz and her colleagues were tasked with treating treated waves of battlefield casualties from the conflict. Schwartz said she and the available medical staff triaged and stabilized about 400 casualties overnight. The experience tested the staff’s resilience as they cared for the influx of patients with limited resources. Despite the challenges, overcoming the obstacles and saving lives was what mattered. Medics and patients did what was needed to help one another survive. "Two casualties were helping each other carry another one who couldn't walk," she said, explaining that there were not enough litters and medical personnel to go around. "One had a sucking chest wound - it was so moving to see them help each other." These displays of strength in unity stayed with her years after the conflict, fueling her commitment to ensuring that veterans - from nurses to combat soldiers - receive the recognition and care they need after service. Vietnam-era flight nurse champions veteran health advocacy Center for Women Veterans Executive Director Jacquelyn Hayes-Byrd, left, presents retired U.S. Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Linda Spoonster Schwartz with a memento during the Department of Veterans Affairs CWV Trailblazers ceremony at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., Sept. 25, 2025. (U.S. Air Force photo by Josh Mahler) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Vietnam-era flight nurse champions veteran health advocacy Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Linda Spoonster Schwartz attends the Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Women Veterans Trailblazers ceremony at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., Sept. 25, 2025. A flight nurse by trade, Schwartz served during the Vietnam War and as a reservist before medically retiring in 1986. (U.S. Air Force photo by Josh Mahler) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Vietnam-era flight nurse champions veteran health advocacy Military Women’s Memorial President Phyllis Wilson speaks with retired U.S. Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Linda Spoonster Schwartz during the Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Women Veterans Trailblazers ceremony at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., Sept. 25, 2025. (U.S. Air Force photo by Josh Mahler) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Decisiveness in critical care After Japan, Schwartz was assigned to Frankfurt, Germany, where she served with her husband, who was also an Airman. She provided aerial medical support on flights while traveling to strategic outposts including Iran and Turkey. "When you are 30,000 feet above the ocean, you can't call a doctor,” she said, noting that nurses provided invaluable clinical leadership on flights across oceans and into conflict. “We were educated and trained to be able to do those things," she said, underscoring the autonomy and expertise required in the air. For Schwartz, these were among the richest experiences of her life. "It really gave me a great deal of pride in the mission of the Air Force, and the way in which nurses and people who fly can accommodate and challenge their ingenuity to be sure that the patient had the very best care," she reflected. From medical retirement to veteran advocacy Schwartz’s military career came to an unexpected halt in 1983, when, as a Reservist on a C-141 mission, the aircraft’s hatch blew off, and she suffered traumatic brain injury and spinal damage from rapid decompression. She medically retired due to her injuries but struggled to access the Veterans Affairs system for care. "They really were not prepared for women,” she said, adding that it took more than three years to access veteran benefits. “In a way, some of what I was seeing … I was looking at it with a nurse's eye and saying, 'this isn't good enough.’” The experience reframed her perspective and ignited in her a passion to advocate for women veterans. Schwartz testified before Congress in 1987 on the status and concerns of women veterans alongside several female senior generals. She felt conflicted when they indicated that women veterans support was sufficient due to provision of beauty products and women’s clothing. Schwartz challenged that narrative, "I'm saying to myself, 'I can't be here because they're not gonna like what I'm gonna say.'" All-female veteran honor flight visits Arlington National Cemetery and Women in Military Service for America Memorial Assistant Secretary, VA Office of Policy and Planning Linda Spoonster Schwartz gives remarks during a ceremony in the Women for Military Service for America Memorial Sept. 22, 2015, in Arlington, Va. In attendance was the first all-female honor flight in the United States. The honor flight was comprised of 75 female veterans from World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War, as well as 75 escorts, who were also female veterans or active-duty military. (U.S. Army photo by Rachel Larue) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Vietnam-era flight nurse champions veteran health advocacy Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Linda Spoonster Schwartz smiles with then-Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama at the White House on Memorial Day, before going to Arlington National Cemetery to place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, May 30, 2016. (Photo courtesy of Yale School of Nursing) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Encouraged by the Vietnam Veterans of America director at the time, Schwartz delivered her first testimony recounting challenges accessing veteran benefits after medical retirement, and the lack of recognition and specialized care needed for women veterans who equally served their country. In her written testimonial, Schwartz said, “This is not a mere question of money, cosmetics in the canteen, or the availability of services. Before us is a question of honor. How does a nation honor, how does a state honor, how does an individual honor the achievements, sacrifices, contributions of … its citizens who are women veterans?” Through the years, she continued to testify as a woman veteran, helping to initiate lasting reforms, including the removal of quotas that restricted women's roles in the military and the dedication of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. "It's a legacy of a generation. The women before us didn't use the VA because they didn't think they were veterans," she said. Impact of veteran advocacy through the years Now, with nearly two decades of veteran advocacy, Schwartz reflects the same dedication she brought during her service. And her efforts to break down barriers continue to be acknowledged. In September 2025, the VA’s Center for Women Veterans honored more than 30 veterans, including Schwartz, during its Women Veterans Trailblazers ceremony at the Library of Congress. The event celebrated women who served with distinction and who continue to shape the lives of veterans, their families, and caregivers after military service. Within her role as the Connecticut Commissioner of Veterans Affairs from 2003 to 2014, she helped pioneer the “Have You Ever Served?” campaign. The VVA, AAN, and the National Association of State Directors of Veteran Affairs supported the effort, which was designed to inform service members and their families of the most common health concerns linked to military service. In 2013, President Barack Obama nominated her to serve as the Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Policy and Planning to lead veteran health efforts. Now, Schwartz continues advocating for the veteran and military nurse community as an active member of VVA and the American Academy of Nursing. Fifty-eight years after starting her journey as a nurse in the Air Force, she said she’s witnessed a dramatic change. "All nurses are educated on prioritizing the health of the patient,” she said, explaining that that has not changed. However, “Back in the day, we didn't talk too much about death or transition. It was just what you did, and it was common among the nurses … now we talk about it." Schwartz said a significant improvement is the growing emphasis on mental health and holistic care. Schwartz's journey exhibits the resilience and devotion of an Air Force veteran who continues to advocate for the military community beyond service. Her recent Trailblazer recognition underscores a lifetime committed to advancing military nurses and strengthening support for those who served.