ARIZONA NEWS

Army nurse remembers struggles of war, not knowing fate of soldiers helped

Nov 8, 2023, 4:05 AM | Updated: 7:52 am

Patricia Little-Upah found the most difficult thing as an Army nurse was never knowing the fate of ...

Patricia Little-Upah found the most difficult thing as an Army nurse was never knowing the fate of the soldiers she helped care for. (KTAR News Photo/Ben Brown)

(KTAR News Photo/Ben Brown)

This is the fifth of seven articles highlighting the grand marshals of the 2023 Phoenix Veterans Day Parade.

PHOENIX — Patricia Little-Upah comes from a military family.

“My mother was an Army nurse in New Guinea in WWII, my dad served in WWII in the Navy, both my brothers served in the Army,” Little-Upah said.

Little-Upah followed in her mother’s footsteps, becoming an Army nurse herself in 1966. She was deployed to Vietnam in 1968, and later served during Desert Storm in 1991 – a war she thinks doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.

“I think people sometimes discount what the troops went though and the psychological impact leading up to that war, where we thought, they were going to use chemical weapons, we thought they were going to use nerve gas, in fact, we were told it was 100% certain,” Little-Upah said.

She found the most difficult thing as an Army nurse was never knowing the fate of the soldiers she helped care for.

“You treat these veterans, you treat civilians, but you don’t know what happens to them once they leave your hospital,” Little-Upah said. “You don’t know if they go back into combat, what may have happened to them and that can really take a toll on you.”

But caring for veterans doesn’t stop in battle, it continues when they come back home. Little-Upah does just that, as she serves on several boards dedicated to the wellbeing of veterans.

“I think just connecting them with the community resources that are available … and getting those veterans together, because they tend to feel very isolated when they come back, very alone,” Little-Upah said.

“Sometimes they feel like there’s no one that understands that they can talk to,” she said.

Little-Upah was inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame in 2014 and will be one of seven grand marshals honored in the annual Phoenix Veterans Day Parade.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Two Arizona Department of Economic Security Employees were convicted of receiving bribes to approv...

David Veenstra

2 state employees convicted of receiving bribes

Two Arizona Department of Economic Security Employees were convicted of receiving bribes to approve unemployment insurance claims.

47 minutes ago

pay raise for troopers Arizona Department of Public Safety 2025...

Serena O'Sullivan

Katie Hobbs says DPS troopers, who seized 2,647 pounds of fentanyl pills last year, deserve 5% raise

Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs reiterated her desire to institute a pay raise for troopers with the Arizona Department of Public Safety on Tuesday.

2 hours ago

FILE - This undated booking photo provided by the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation...

David Veenstra

Arizona Supreme Court grants request to carry out state’s 1st execution since 2022

The Arizona Supreme Court granted a request to carry out the state's first execution since 2022, authorities announced on Tuesday.

4 hours ago

An Arizona woman pleaded guilty in a fraud scheme that generated millions of dollars for herself an...

David Veenstra

Arizona woman pleads guilty in fraud scheme that benefited North Korea

An Arizona woman pleaded guilty in a fraud scheme that generated millions of dollars for herself and for North Korea. 

5 hours ago

A retired deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was convicted of luring a minor i...

David Veenstra

Retired LA deputy convicted of luring a minor in Arizona

A retired deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was convicted of luring a minor in Arizona, authorities announced on Tuesday.

6 hours ago

Man shot in head in Tempe...

KTAR.com

Man shot in head in Tempe trying to drive himself to hospital crashes into vehicles

A man who was shot in the head and attempting to drive himself to the hospital crashed into two vehicles on Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

7 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Bright Wealth Management

How IRAs are a helpful tool in retirement planning

When it comes to retirement planning, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be a great tool for income growth.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How to start your retirement planning early and avoid costly mistakes

Retirement planning can feel overwhelming, but with the right guidance, you can avoid costly pitfalls.

...

The UPS Store

How The UPS Store is giving back to the community

PHOENIX -- As 2024 nears a close, The UPS Store is looking to give back to the Arizona community with the holiday season approaching.

Army nurse remembers struggles of war, not knowing fate of soldiers helped