About the Book
Duty First
Duty First tells the true story of Lt. Col. Madeline M. Ullom, a nurse in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps who served in the Philippines during World War II. Against all expectations, Madeline endured the fall of Manila, the siege of Bataan and Corregidor, and nearly three years of brutal captivity at Santo Tomas Internment Camp.
Drawing from her secret diary — kept at risk of execution — as well as oral histories and personal correspondence, this book offers a rare first-person window into life as a female POW and the hidden history of American military nurses.
This is not just a war story. It is a story of:
Professional duty under fire
Survival under starvation
The quiet heroism of women in war
And the meaning of freedom after losing it
Themes of the Book
01
Duty
02
Survival
03
Women in War
04
Memory
05
Freedom
Frederick E. Ruccius
About The Author
Frederick E. Ruccius first met Madeline Ullom in 1997 while serving as Director of Trusts and Estates at Thomas Jefferson University. Over several years, he developed a close friendship with her and became one of the few people to hear her full story firsthand.
After Madeline’s death in 2001, previously unknown materials — including her secret diary — came to light. This book represents decades of research, interviews, archival work, and personal remembrance.
Duty First is not only a historical biography, but a tribute to a friend.
A Forgotten Chapter of World War II
Historical Context
During the early months of World War II, the Philippines fell to Japanese forces. Over 130,000 American and Filipino troops were captured, and thousands died in what became known as the Bataan Death March. Among them were 86 American nurses — the first women in U.S. history taken prisoner of war.
While much has been written about soldiers and generals, the stories of these nurses remained largely invisible. Duty First restores their voices and reveals:
Life in pre-war Manila
The chaos of medical care during invasion
The transformation of hospitals into prison camps
And the overlooked role of women in military survival
About the Main Character
Madeline Ullom
Born in 1911 in O’Neill, Nebraska, Madeline Ullom grew up during the Great Depression and trained as a nurse in Philadelphia. In 1940, she volunteered for service in the Philippines — one of the most coveted Army postings of the time.
When war came, Madeline refused evacuation. She continued working in field hospitals under bombing raids, caring for soldiers with dwindling supplies and no hope of rescue.
After the surrender, she became a prisoner of war — one of only 86 American nurses captured by Japan. Despite starvation, disease, and constant fear, she continued to serve as a nurse inside the camp hospital until liberation in 1945.
After the war, Madeline remained in the Army for decades, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel and dedicating her life to nursing education.
Testimonials
In Duty First, Frederick E. Ruccius recounts the remarkable story of Madeline M. Ullom, an Army nurse who served in the Philippines during World War II. Her courage, dedication, and wry humor carried her through harrowing experiences, from treating the wounded in Corregidor’s bombarded tunnel hospital to enduring nearly three years in a Japanese internment camp. Cut off from the outside world, Ullom and her fellow nurses faced exhaustion, starvation, and disease as they struggled to care for others and survive themselves. Drawing on Ullom’s wartime diary, extensive research, and his personal connection to her, Ruccius provides both a history lesson and moving account of Ullom’s selflessness, resilience, and quiet heroism.
Duty First is a elegantly written and superbly researched book that takes the reader back to a time in World War II when sheer willpower and sacrifice were common virtues. It is a testament to the soaring courage and indomitable spirit of the “Angles of Bataan and Corregidor”—the Army nurses—who gave so much and asked for so little. It rightfully honors the memory of one of those nurses, Madeline Ullom, someone whose poignant story should not be forgotten.
Madeline's story deserves to be remembered and shared. It honors not only her journey, but also the countless others who endured similar hardships with dignity and courage. I am incredibly proud to call her my great aunt, and grateful that her voice lives on through her dedication to her patients and country.
A Moment of Reflection
“I thought I knew what freedom was, but you don’t know what freedom is until you lose it.”
— Madeline Ullom
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