After understanding the situation, he comforted her and taught her how to handle it. Her father rushed out to see what happened. She did the only thing she could, scream at the top of her lungs. The cow had other plans and began to move around before ultimately stepping in the bucket and spilling all the milk. She knew she couldn’t go inside empty handed, so she kept at it.

One day while she was milking the cow, she noticed it was skittish after being bit by a fly and was not producing the milk she needed. Her and her nine siblings would often work in the fields from dawn to dusk while also having chores to finish before the day was over. Growing up on a tobacco farm in North Carolina, there was no shortage of challenges. (Photo Credit: Courtesy photo by the Women Veterans Historical Project ) VIEW ORIGINAL She would go on to become the 18th Chief of the U.S. Army Medical Training Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, 1964. Clara Leach (left) instructs a student in intravenous therapy use during a medical-surgical nursing course at U.S. This wasn’t the first challenge Leach had to take on in her life, and as she learned earlier, the challenge was what drove her.ġst Lt. She went back to work and thought to herself, “Oh, Clara you won that round.” He quietly turned around and walked away. She explained she would gladly get up if he needed something, but if not, she wanted to remain seated organizing the inventory books, which would allow her the time to take care of patients that evening. She held her ground and calmy made her case. He looked down and said, 'You can help me, lieutenant, by getting out of that chair.” She remained seated as he walked to her desk and cleared his throat. She made up her mind that day, she would not stand up unless she was needed.Īs luck would have it, the next physician to walk into the room was the chief of the surgery department. She thought about that and realized it was slowing down her performance. One rule was nurses had to stand up whenever a physician entered the room, no matter what they were doing.

'I absolutely loved my work, but we had some rules in nursing at that time that were a little bit bothersome in terms of getting your job done well,' she said. She was struggling at the time to get her work done and didn't understand why. Clara Leach would go home each day and think about ways to improve her job performance. WASHINGTON - As a young Army nurse at her first duty station in the intensive care unit on Fort Dix, New Jersey, then 2nd Lt. (Photo Credit: Courtesy photo by Michael A. She spent 34 years as an Army nurse overcoming all the challenges that came her way. Clara Leach Adams-Ender poses for a photo at her home in Lake Ridge, Virginia, Oct.

What Is Life? by Paul Nurse