GALION, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—Crawford County will celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary by honoring local aviation trailblazer Lauretta Schimmoler with a free public screening of the 1942 wartime film Parachute Nurse.

The event, scheduled for Monday, June 29, at the Galion Community Theatre, is part of the statewide “Ohio Goes to the Movies” initiative for America 250. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the one-hour-and-five-minute film starting at 6:30 p.m.

Born in Ohio and later making Bucyrus her home, Schimmoler was a visionary “mover and shaker” who pushed for the creation of Port Bucyrus Airport and became the first female airport manager in the United States. In the 1930s, after witnessing tornado damage in Northeast Ohio, she conceived the idea of using aircraft to transport medical personnel into disaster areas and evacuate the injured. Despite early resistance from the military, her persistence led to the creation of the Aerial Nurse Corps, the direct precursor to modern MedFlight emergency services.

Schimmoler served as a technical consultant and appeared on screen in Columbia Pictures’ Parachute Nurse, portraying flight nurse Captain Jane Morgan. Known on set as “One Take Schimmoler” for her professional delivery, the upcoming event offers locals a rare chance to see the county legend captured on film.

“To actually see her on this, not some actress playing her, it’s a little Loretta coming at you,” said Randy Fischer, a representative with the Bucyrus Historical Society. “Speaking and seeing her on the screen is just kind of freaky, actually.”

The evening will feature mini historical exhibits from the Bucyrus Historical Society and the Lauretta Schimmoler Museum, followed by a post-screening panel discussion. The panel will include representatives from local historical groups and a modern-day MedFlight nurse to discuss the evolution of aviation nursing.

The Crawford County History Alliance is co-hosting the free event, which will include complimentary popcorn. Local organizers also noted that the county’s America 250 celebrations will continue the following week on Monday, July 6, with a free performance by the 122nd Army Band at Schines Art Park in Bucyrus.

More information can be found at crawfordcountyhistoryalliance.org or ohiogoestothemovies.org.