Earlyn Marie “Blackie” Black Harding was born on September 8, 1918 in Fort Parker, Limestone County, Texas. He was the daughter of Americus Sneed Black and Ruby Susanna Nevills Black. Earlyn was one of the "Angels of Bataan and Corregidor” – the US Army and Navy Nurse Corps women who served in the Battle of the Philippines in 1941-42. When Bataan and Corregidor fell, 11 Navy nurses, 66 army nurses, and 1 nurse-anesthetist were captured and imprisoned in and around Manila. They continued to serve as nurses in various POW camps until they were finally liberated in February 1945. She died on August 16, 2007 at the age of 88 in Kerrville, Texas and is now buried in the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, USA. She attained the rank of Captain during her service.