Grove City Army Nursing Corps veteran reflects on a lifetime of service and love at 98 years old

GROVE CITY, Ohio — At 98 years old, Rita Barnett still carries the same spark she had as a young Army nurse.

Her eyes light up when she flips through old photo albums, stopping at one picture in particular.

“I was 24,” she laughed.

With a quick wit and an easy smile, Barnett said she still enjoys walking, reading and reflecting on some of her fondest memories.

Barnett’s life of service began shortly after graduating from Syracuse University’s nursing program. In her early 20s, she enlisted in the U.S. Army and cared for soldiers wounded during the Korean War.

“We were young, enthusiastic and did whatever needed to be done,” she said. “Fortunately, love of country fell in there, too.”

She still remembers the young soldiers she treated.

“Those poor kids, they were younger than me and