107 years later, Montana native honored for heroism while a WWI nurse in France

A Montana native who served as a nurse on the front lines of World War I has been posthumously honored thanks to the work of a Billings veteran.

Elizabeth Dorothy Sandelius Benbow was awarded the Silver Star Medal for heroism under fire during a ceremony on Sept. 24 in Los Angeles.

The award came thanks to the work of retired Army Lt. Col. Ed Saunders’ investigation into the “remarkable, unheralded, and compelling story of a courageous young Montana woman.” He learned of Elizabeth’s heroism about 10 years ago, during the centennial of the war , which started in 1914 and ended in 1918.

Searching through national and state records while researching his book, “Knapsacks and Roses: Montana Women Veterans of World War I,” Saunders began preparing the historical record necessary for the