Lt. Doris W. Armenaki

Doris Wofford Armenaki was among the courageous women who answered the call to serve their country through nursing during the Second World War. Born in Cornelia, Georgia, in 1923. Drawn to nursing by both skill and compassion, she joined the United States Cadet Nurse Corps, a wartime program that trained nurses to meet the urgent medical needs of the armed forces and home front hospitals.

Upon completing her training, Doris entered active duty in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, earning the rank of Second Lieutenant. Her military service placed her at several key Army medical facilities where she provided care to soldiers wounded in combat and returning from overseas. She served at Kennedy General Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, one of the nation’s largest wartime military hospitals, known for treating soldiers with severe injuries and long-term rehabilitation needs.

Lieutenant Armenaki was later assigned to Camp Rucker, Alabama, Lawson General Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, and Fort Dix, New Jersey, all of which were major centers for troop training, recovery, and repatriation. Across these postings, she treated both physical wounds and emotional trauma—bearing witness to the human cost of war and exemplifying the courage and compassion for which Army nurses became renowned.

Doris was honorably discharged in November 1946, following the conclusion of World War II. Her service earned her the deep gratitude of those she cared for, and she was recognized with standard campaign and service medals awarded to members of the Nurse Corps who served honorably during the war years.
After her military career, Doris married Thomas T. Armenaki, a fellow veteran. The couple lived in several states before settling in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she continued her lifelong devotion to nursing and education. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) in 1974 and a Master’s in Clinical Oncology Nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1975. She later joined the UNCG School of Nursing faculty, where she taught and mentored future nurses until her retirement in 1992.

In recognition of her military and professional legacy, UNCG’s Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives established the Doris Wofford Armenaki Collection. The collection preserves her Army Nurse Corps uniform items, insignia, photographs, and oral history—ensuring that her story continues to inspire future generations. She is also featured in the UNCG Women Veterans Historical Project, honoring women whose service shaped both military and nursing history.

Doris passed away on February 5, 2013, at the age of 89. Her life’s work stands as a lasting tribute to courage, compassion, and service to others.