Letter 82 - The Sky Is The Limit!

Hello Bregdan Woman,

You have Suess today.

America lost a national treasure on January 15, 2025. I read just a little about this woman when I saw the obituary notice. I immediately knew I needed to dig deeper, so I could share her with you.

I’m so glad I did. Let me tell you about this remarkable Bregdan Woman…

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Memories danced as she remembered her life. Her first memories remained deeply etched even if dull. She remembers wondering what her parents said when she was born. She wondered if it went something like this:

1920: “James! James! Our first baby… It’s a girl. A girl. Can you believe it? Our family will live free, James. Our parents gave us a legacy, and now we give her a legacy. A legacy of Freedom. It continues. Our grandparents were slaves, our parents were born free and now the bloodlines of freed slaves run directly thru our girl’s veins. I wonder what she will grow up to be. What can she become? Oh, James…it’s a girl. I wonder how high and how far she might fly?”

1923: Eunice and James Leftenant moved from the Jim Crow mentality of South Carolina to build their own home from salvaged lumber in Amityville, Long Island, New York. With her parents in the early 1900’s impressively obtaining six grade educations themselves, Nancy, along with her eleven brothers and sisters, recalls busy years with a fierce focus on education.

As a true Bregdan Woman, Nancy determined to create a life of decisions that fueled her dreams. Because of those decisions, she lived a life of firsts!

1939: Graduated Amityville High School – Nancy became the first in her family, but not the last, to graduate. All twelve children of Eunice and James --grandchildren of freed slaves -- graduated Amityville High School.

1940: Attended Lincoln School of Nursing

Nancy never gave up. She refused to let the color of her skin determine her destiny. During nursing school, she happened upon a picture of a nurse in a military uniform caring for a soldier. A recruitment flyer intended for white nurses serendipitously gave wings to Nancy’s dream. ” I saw a picture of an Army nurse with her cape. She looked so good --straight and I tall. I wanted to do my part."

She wanted more. Nancy dreamed of way, way more.

1941: Graduated New York’s Lincoln School of Nursing: the first school in the country to train Black women to become nurses. She was the first in her family, but not the last, to pursue higher education.

1941: No. We do not accept black nurses into the military.

1942: No. We do not accept black nurses into the military.

1943: No. We do not accept black nurses into the military.

1944: No. We do not accept black nurses into the military.

1945: Yes, you can serve. And yes, you are the first Black nurse to serve in the US Army Reserve.

1946: You are promoted – you are now Major Nancy “Lefty” Leftenant-Colon.

1946: Yes, you are assigned to: the 332nd Station Medical Group at Lockbourne Army Air Base, Ohio

Despite being in Ohio and not the US South, she poignantly remembers a vivid experience when the prejudice of the local medical world almost caused the death of a pregnant mom and child.

“She’s in labor. It’s too early. It’s too early. She’s not due to give birth for weeks. The hospital won’t take her…they said they don’t see black women. They won’t take her. They won’t even look at her because we’re black. Please. Can you help us? It’s too early. Please…”

Nancy understood the desperation and fear of a looming premature birth alone in the late 1940’s. Swallowing, she made her voice strong, confident and hopefully reassuring. “Yes, I’ll help. Can you come to the medical clinic at the air base? I’ll meet you there.”

I know you want to know what happened, but you’re going to have to wait until tomorrow. I don’t want you to miss any of Nancy’s story because you don’t have time to read it all now.

To find out what happened with the pregnant mom, make sure you read tomorrow’s letter!

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What will you do to be a Bregdan Woman?

What will you do today to impact history??

We’re on this journey with you… (and have 2 FREE Gifts for you below…)

Ginny & Suess

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