History Alive! Program
July 26, 2026 • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
The Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia will host presenter Becky Park’s portrayal of Ruby Bradley and her story. Bradley was a World War II Army nurse and Prisoner of War, born in Spencer, WV, she was serving in the Philippines when Japanese forces captured her in 1941. She continued caring for patients while imprisoned and remained a POW until 1945.
She later served during the Korean War and was named chief nurse for the 8th Army in 1951 where she supervised more than 500 nurses. Bradley reached the rank of colonel in 1958 and was then considered the most decorated woman in U.S. military history when she retired from the Army in 1963.
Join us July 26 at 2 p.m. in the museum amphitheater beside the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine. The free program is expected to last 60 to 90 minutes.