THE AMBULANCE DRIVER Maud Fitch

20th century / Europe / France / Medicine / North America / United States / War
A white woman in a military-style coat, skirt and hat stares to the right of the viewer with a pleasant, confident expression. She wears a Croix de Guerre medal on her jacket,a French military honor. She has short dark hair and light eyes.
Maud Fitch in uniform
Used by permission, Utah State Historical Society

November 11, 2018 is the 100th Anniversary of the end of World War I.  To mark this day, we bring you the story of one fearless woman and her ambulance.  Maud Fitch, a cowgirl from the desert between Nevada and Utah, wanted to join up when America entered WWI. Unable to enlist as a soldier (she was a woman, after all!) she purchased an ambulance and shipped it at her own expense to France, where she reassembled it and drove it through the heart of the war zone. Cars had only recently been invented, but Maud Fitch drove and maintained the truck by herself, delivering the wounded to hospitals. For her courage and gallantry during one harrowing event, she was awarded the French Cross.

Our guest is Valerie Jacobson, Project Manager for the Utah Centennial World War I Commission. Her lesson plan on “World War I: Utahns at the Front” featuring Maud Fitch’s story is available from the Department of Heritage and Arts, and more lesson plans for teaching WWI can be found at the National History Day website.

Here you can find a national list of all the ways to participate in WWI armistice events and the app to download to ring the bells of peace with people around the world. And you can also join in the national fundraiser to build a WWI memorial in D.C.

 

Valerie Jacobson is Project Manager for the Utah Centennial World War I Commission. She earned her BA/BS in History/Geography from Weber State University and her MA in History from Utah State University.

Music featured in this episode included

The Antique Phonograph Collection
Ars Sonor
 Parvus Decree

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2 Comments

  1. Such a great story! Where can I find the lesson plan you mentioned at the end? Maud is my husbands great great aunt, I’d love to teach the unit to our kids.

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