by Andrea Yeager & Dana Sleger
When retired Col. Phyllis Luttman was only three years old, the dream of being a nurse was cultivated at a young age, especially since she was always the one bandaging her dog, sisters, brothers and neighbors. Little did she know that dream would eventually take her to Air Force bases from Texas to Turkey for special assignments few women were given.
When looking back at her military career in the Air Force, there are many significant moments she is proud of, and her list of accolades prove it was a job well done. Decorations awarded include the Legion of Merit, Air Force Meritorious Service with two oak leaf clusters, the Joint Services Commendation Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal. In addition, she also has received an Excellence in Medical Journalism award and was selected as a Fellow in the Aerospace Medical Association.
Luttman was commissioned as a first lieutenant in 1960 after receiving her basic nursing education in New Jersey, and served on active duty for 30 years and in the Reserves for two years before retiring in 1993 from Keesler Air Force Base. During those years she earned her BS and Masters in nursing.
Throughout her career, Luttman has been honored with many special assignments. She not only helped design the operating room portion of the air transportable hospitals now used worldwide, but in 1984, she was selected as a consultant and later as the chief consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General for Operating Room Nursing — a role she served in until retirement. As part of a two-person team, she also evaluated and medically accepted the new McDonald Douglas DC-9 flying hospital, the Nightingale, and flew as an advisor for Air Force Reserve aeromedical teams flying near offshore missions.
“The military affords everyone vast opportunities in so many career fields,” says Luttman, who fell in love with Biloxi on her first assignment at Keesler Air Force Base.
“When I was in Biloxi in 1970, my parents visited and were so impressed saying I should consider retiring here as they loved the area. Of course, I was far from retiring then,” she says.
In 1985, she returned to Keesler and bought a house. At retirement, she knew the Coast was her home and became very active with the Red Cross on local and national levels. The honors also kept on coming. In 2013, she served as the grand marshall for the Gulf Coast Veterans Day Parade and last year she was selected as the Retired Military Senior Volunteer of the Year.
At 82 years old, Luttman continues to serve on the board of directors for several organizations, including the Gulf Coast Veterans Day Parade and the Biloxi Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.