Early in her career , Meirs worked in hospitals in Illinois , Colorado , Minnesota , and Mexico . During World War I , Meirs went to Kiev with the American Red Cross in 1914 , but joined the United States Army Nurse Corps in 1916 . She worked in field hospitals near the battlefront , as head of nurses at Jouy-sur-Morin , Château-Thierry , Toul , and Fleury-sur-Aire . In 1917 , she was part of an American Red Cross mission to Romania . In 1918 she was relieved from active duty in the Army Nurse Corps , and assigned to be Chief Nurse at a Boston hospital by the U. S. Public Health Service . While waiting in Paris for transport home , she baked 176 apple pies for her patients to enjoy on Christmas Eve after the Armistice . A 1921 report commented on her war years , " She was the kind of person to inspire soldier patients with awe , admiration , and affection . " In 1920 she was one of the first six American nurses to receive the Florence Nightingale Medal from the International Committee of the Red Cross . She also received honors from the French ( the Croix de Guerre ) , Romania ( the Queen Marie Cross ) , Germany ( the German Red Cross Medal ) , and Victory Medals from the United States and New Jersey . She retired from nursing in 1942 , and lived with her sister Anna in New Jersey . During World War II , she baked cookies for local men in the service
Victory Medals
World War I Victory Medal (United States)
Linda K. Meirs