[Ina Robbins oral history interview]

Ina Robbins, wife of fighter ace Jay T. Robbins, is interviewed about her husband and her service with the United States Army Nurse Corps during World War II. She describes her wartime experiences as an Army nurse, including her time stationed in Australia and New Guinea. Topics discussed include her personal background, her courtship and marriage to Jay, and stories about other service members.

The interview is conducted by John Florea, a former war correspondent for Life Magazine; by fighter ace Eugene A. Valencia; and by an unidentified man. Another man, referred to as Jay and Ina’s son, also participates in the interview. Speakers not identifiable as Robbins, Valencia, or Florea are labeled as “Unidentified Man (UM).” Audio may be difficult to hear in some spots due to conversations taking place in the background.

Ina Louise Robbins (née Priest) was born in West Hartford, Vermont on September 16, 1918 or 1919. She received her nursing credentials from Keene Teachers College in New Hampshire and joined the United States Army Nurse Corps shortly afterward. After the Pearl Harbor attack, Robbins was deployed to Australia, where she met fighter pilot Jay T. Robbins. The two began a courtship and were secretly married while they were both serving overseas. After her service in Australia and New Guinea, Robbins returned to the U.S. and left the Army Nurse Corps. She passed away in 2003.