fortsill

Many people who are Natie American consider the word "Squaw" racist and do not like it.

Thanks for your comment. Our cataloging style is to transcribe period handwriting, when it is available, as the title. If no title is available, we use square brackets and create the title. Certainly, we would never create a title using a term that could be deemed offensive! We appreciate your taking the time to share this information.

Back then, when this was written, little thought was given as to what was offensive or racist; it was what it was. Nowadays, it's a whole different situation with everyone trying to be PC.

Squaw sounds like an Indian word to me. Did some white guy sit down and say to himself "Hmmm, now what word can I dream up that sounds Indian for the word "woman" so that a hundred years from now I can tick off some Native American Indian?" I don't think so. We latinos used to have a slang word for the word "girl"; it was "rooka" and for guy it was "bato". I guess some PC latino out there will someday be offended by it. Good grief people let's grow up a litte.

You Deserve:
The Apache Gold Award

Thanks for Sharing

I don't want to seem ignorant, however I have my thought's of what it is exactly but what in the word is a "Nurse Balloon" ? o.O

Hi wolla1984, It is an interesting name, isn't it? I'm not an expert in World War I aircraft, but I did a little research, and I believe "nurse balloons" were hydrogen filled balloons that were tethered to the ground for observation purposes. I've been asking a few experts around here at the National Archives, and when I have more information I'll let you know. In the meantime, does anyone else out there know what exactly nurse balloons were used for in World War I? Let us know! Mary U.S. National Archives

Here's an update! I heard from Mitch Yockelson, an investigative archivist here at the National Archives, and he pointed me to a source about balloons in World War I. According to Eileen LeBow in A Grandstand Seat: The American Balloon Service in World War I, nurse balloons were used to carry extra gas for inflating other balloons. In a sense, they acted as a "nurse" to help other balloons (presumably the patients). Thanks Mitch for clarifying that for us! Mary U.S. National Archives

Great info, thanks to all.

thanks