Action Figures, Super Heroes: Women’s History
In 1973 Dale Pearl was just another miniskirt-sporting high school maiden, daydreaming about her yet-to-be-discovered Prince Charming, her Knight in shining armor, and wondering what adventures, what mysteries, lay in her future. In the distance, across the river, beyond the meadow and through the fog, the faint clatter of hooves and clinking of metal interrupted her reverie, perked her attention. The clatter grew closer, more distinct. A fluttering banner of the Round Table approached through the mist. The curtain of mystery was drawing back — her life of service dawning. The clatter stopped beside her. The banner fluttered still. The rider dismounted. Like a coach at a T-ball game he leaned across her shoulder extending his arm, pointing at a distant carriage and whispered: “Make thee yon, maiden. Make haste and tarry not. Fear not the dragons. Thence ye shall find great happiness. Thence ye shall bring healing to the lame and weary. Thence ye shall discover the meaning of life.” She tarried not but did fear the dragons just an itty bit. As she approached the carriage she began to cipher its meaning, for it bore a sign – HAMPTON/CHAPLIN AMBULANCE.
So began long dreamy nights of lying awake, staring at the fan. Visions of her prince in every shadow on the wall. His voice in every rustling branch outside her window. Butterflies floated and danced, cardio rhythms altered. The ticking clock mocking the slow passage of time. But time did pass. There was a great celebration. The people rejoiced. Church bells rang throughout the land. The maiden had cast off her Pearl and became Princess Dale, of the DeMontigny clan. A pile of dusty metal cluttered the mud room. A scraggly-looking donkey brayed in the meadow.
Some say it did not happen like that but after 45 years of marital bliss and dedicated service to community, what is to be gained by resurrecting old rumors of hidden misdemeanor or felony?
The details in the following account can be found in official records or have been verified by mostly reliable eye witnesses.
Dale Demontigny is a native Hamptonite. She graduated high school in 1974 and with support and encouragement from Prince Dave joined the Hampton/Chaplin Ambulance Corp, earning her EMT certification in 1975. She had found her calling and wasted no time enrolling in nursing school. By 1979 she had earned her nursing degree, and so began a life following in the footsteps and carrying on the work begun by such historical figures as Florence Nightingale and Clara Barton.
War has been the laboratory of emergency medical care since Barney first stepped out of his cave, whacked Fred over the head with a club, and made off with his prized Brontosaurus. When Wilma came racing from her cave and bandaged Fred’s cracked skull with some wooly mammoth gauze, she can safely be identified as the first first-responder. For centuries thereafter, emergency medical care made painfully slow advances — sometimes aided, often hindered by religion and superstition. But there were advances.
Aboriginal people, by both accident and experiment, developed many natural treatments for wounds, sickness and disease. Anything from spider webs to herbal remedies to feces to prayers, incantations and human sacrifice was included in their medical practices. Many of these treatments found to be effective are still practiced today. Others simply hastened the victim to the grave. Inter-clan, inter-tribal, inter-regional, international wars have continued unabated, providing a never-ending supply of victims on whom practitioners of medicine, religion and witchcraft could ply their trade. Inevitably, infection and disease sent more victims to their graves than death in actual combat did. This trend continued uninterrupted until the mid nineteenth century and the Crimean War (1853-1856). At the time, emergency medical treatment of war casualties amounted to little more than“Suck it up, Buttercup.”
Until Florence Nightingale entered upon the scene.
She was born in 1820 into a wealthy and connected British family of the Victorian Era. In opposition to family objection and cultural barriers, and determined on a life of service, she began her “nursing” education at the age of 24 (actual nursing education had not yet been formalized). When Britain entered the Crimean War in 1854, she and a staff of 38 nurses and 15 Catholic nuns were sent to the Ottoman Empire. There, Florence found the conditions of the hospitals and patient care disgraceful and appalling. Sanitation and hygiene were near nonexistent. Poor medical care was being provided to the patients by overworked medical staff in the face of official indifference. Medicine was in short supply, infection and disease rampant. The list goes on.
Her tireless and relentless work establishing needed improvements in every deficiency of care, supplies, hygiene and sanitation ultimately resulted in the death rate being reduced from 42 to 2 percent. To the sick and wounded she was known as a “ministering angel.” The nightly rounds she made when the other medical staff had retired for the day earned her the moniker “The Lady with the Lamp.” On returning to Britain after the war she continued her nursing career and campaigned for improved standards of sanitation and hygiene for both hospitals and communities. In 1860 she laid the foundation of her professional nursing school in London.
Her birthday, May 12th, is celebrated as International Nurses Day. The Nightingale Award, recognizing excellence in nursing, is named in her honor.
Clara Barton came to prominence during the American Civil War. When war broke out she was working in the US Patent office and living in the unfinished Capitol Building – the location to which the first casualties of the war were transported. She immediately assumed the task of caring for the injured and wounded in whatever way by whatever means necessary — launching a career in which she would become known as the “Florence Nightingale of America.” There are few battles in that war that do not have her name in some way attached. She could be found distributing supplies, cleaning field hospitals, applying dressings, serving meals to wounded soldiers, reading or writing letters for them. Her letters to Northern newspapers generated influxes of much needed supplies – supplies she would often personally deliver to the battlefield earning her the title of the “Angel of the Battlefield.” She made no distinction between Northern and Southern soldiers in providing care.
After the war she traveled to Europe. In Geneva she was introduced to the Red Cross. On returning to America and some relentless campaigning she was able to establish the American Chapter of the International Red Cross. American Red Cross Motor Corp (ambulance) was established in 1917. Initially and predominantly staffed by women and deployed to serve in WWI.
Dale DeMontigny: Completing nursing school is no walk in the park. Combining classes and late night studies with continued service with the H/C Ambulance Corps made it that much more challenging. Continued service on the Ambulance Corps was a double-edged sword. On one edge was the real-world experience of dealing with medical emergencies while maintaining a calm and comforting demeanor. It also helped maintain her motivation to become a nurse. On the other edge was the time consumed and the added pressure of dealing with real-world medical emergencies.
She reflects on a time when she was home upstairs, near tears, grinding away on her studies, with growing doubts about her ability to achieve her goal. Downstairs in the kitchen, Dave was busy canning tomatoes. She appreciated his diligence and support, yet envied his activity. Nevertheless, her prince would always step up with encouragement and take on whatever tasks necessary to relieve some of her stress, allowing her to complete her education. She completed her initial nursing certification in 1979.
Little did she realize at the time, “completing her education” would continue for another 45 years as she rose through the ranks of Windham Hospital. Medical knowledge and protocols evolved. Technology advanced. Epidemics and pandemics needed to be adjusted to and dealt with. Ambulance calls responded to. A Masters degree to be acquired.
She has memories of delivering patients to the hospital in the ambulance, then being uniquely positioned to care for them as a nurse the following day. Of getting off her shift only to respond to an ambulance call before arriving home. She has many good memories of positive outcomes – including delivering the babies of the babies she had delivered years before. And sad memories – particularly of accidents involving fatalities. There is at least one comical memory she shared: Arriving at the scene, she found an overturned sports car. She fully expected another fatality. Then a foot pushed out of the driver’s window. Another foot. A leg. A butt. A head. The driver strolled over to the ambulance, not a scratch on him, sat down on the stretcher, looked around at the equipment and said: “Is that oxygen? Can I get a hit?” It is indeed a world full of mysteries.
In 1982 she was named Hampton’s Citizen of the Year. In 1985 she added “MOM” to her title. With “MOM” added to her title…and additional responsibilities, she necessarily had to dial back some of her Ambulance Corps activities, but continued as a member, serving the needs of her community both in and out of the hospital. Through it all she stayed on top of her game, ultimately rising to the pinnacle of her chosen line of Nursing: Operating Room Charge Nurse.
In 2001 she joined the Hampton Fire Company, initially serving as Secretary. Responding to dispatches she, as she says, served mostly as a “gofer” and as traffic control. This did not prevent her from dragging hoses, or operating or servicing equipment if the situation called for it. In 2002 she was named Windham Hospital Caregiver of the Year, nominated by her doctor and voted by hospital staff. In 2015 Dale was the recipient of the Nightingale Award.
Dale DeMontigny, RN, CNOR…(MOM)
“From knowing equipment, questions about procedures, to safety training, Dale DeMontigny is known as the go-to person in the Windham Hospital operating room. Dale DeMontigny, who has been a nurse for more than 35 years, is known as a valuable resource for urology, eye procedures and laser safety. She leads by example, assisting staff in choosing and organizing when they are faced with difficult procedures. DeMontigny says “nursing is about helping people through difficult situations and helping patients understand their illness after the doctors leave.”
For the past 10 years Dale has served as Treasurer for Hampton Fire Company. She retired from nursing last year but continues to respond to emergency dispatches and serve as Treasurer. Dave has been a member for 55 years and has served as President for the past 15 years. As the sand continues to slide through the hourglass, both are looking forward to dialing back external commitments and having more quality us-time. This time Dale would like to do some of the tomato canning while her prince, having mastered origami, is upstairs struggling with his night courses on the art of folding fitted sheets.
Dale Florence Clara DeMontigny, Nightingale, RN, CNOR, MOM — Thank you for your service.
During the month of February members of Hampton Fire Company logged 85 man hours responding to 14 emergency dispatches and another 40 plus man hours on Training, admin meetings and other unrecorded services. Be Safe. Be Kind. Stay alert. Fear thee not the dragons. The life it saves could be yours.
Fire House Dog