Cadet Nursing Corps, World War II Pictures To commemorate National Nurses Week in May, Ancestry.com just launched a collection of more than 300,000 records of women who were in the Cadet Nursing Corps during World War II. The Corps was established by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1943 to increase the number of nurses available for war efforts. The Corps was non-discriminatory, training nurses from backgrounds including Native Americans, African Americans and displaced Japanese Americans. The monthly stipend and scholarship these women received offered for many women an education they otherwise could not have afforded. "As a former member of the Corps, I am excited to have this important part of our history not only acknowledged, but made available for more people to learn about this unique wartime effort," said Thelma Morey Robinson, a senior cadet who served with the Corps, who enrolled in 1943. The nurses did more than assist in the war effort - they promoted the profession of nursing. Ancestry.com's collection contains stories on more than 124,000 young women between the ages of 17 and 35 who served the nursing profession during World War II. With help from Ancestry.com, keep clicking to see pictures from the Cadet Nurses, courtesy of Thelma Robinson's collection... Credit: Ancestry.com