Whereas the personnel requirements of World War II created a shortage of nurses and, by 1942, it was evident that the pace of training for new nurses could not keep up with the demands of the military and civilian populations of the United States; Whereas, as nurses vacated positions in hospitals, schools, and welfare agencies to meet the needs of the Armed Forces, an influx of millions of new workers to industrial areas created unprecedented public health challenges, and such challenges were exacerbated by a nursing capacity that was not sufficient to meet the demands of both the Armed Forces and essential civilian services; Whereas the Act of June 15, 1943 (57 Stat. 153, chapter 126; commonly known as the Bolton Act ), unanimously passed both houses of Congress; Whereas the Bolton Act resulted in the establishment of the United States Cadet Nurse Corps, which was a uniformed service under the direction of the United States Public Health Service and operated from 1943 to 1948; Whereas the United States Cadet Nurse Corps was open to minorities, including African Americans and Native Americans, because the Bolton Act included a provision restricting discrimination in the administration of the Act on account of race, creed, or color; Whereas enrollment in the United States Cadet Nurse Corps required a commitment to serve for the duration of World War II, with each cadet taking the following pledge: I will dedicate myself now and forever to the triumph of life over death; As a Cadet nurse, I pledge to my country my service in essential nursing for the duration of the war. ; Whereas an April 1944 memorandum from the Federal Security Agency identified national recognition for rendering a vital war service as a privilege of service in the United States Cadet Nurse Corps