Dr Mary Edwards Walker was born in Oswego New York in 1832 with a strong desire to become a doctor. Graduating from Syracuse Medical College in 1855 when few women were allowed in medicine, she volunteered as a contract surgeon for the Union Army during the Civil War and was held prisoner by the Confederacy. In 1865 President Andrew Johnson awarded her the highest military decoration in the United States. Though her medal was withdrawn in 1917, she wore it daily until her death in 1919 and was p

A Female Civil War Surgeon: "How Dr. Mary is Remarkable”

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was the first U.S. Army surgeon and the first and only woman to receive a Medal of Honor. For more stories this #VeteransDay, visit moretohistory.com | HISTORY

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 26, 1832, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was born. The first and only female recipient of the Medal of Honor during the Civil War, the barrier-breaking medical professional briefly attended Bowen Collegiate Institute in Hopkinton, Iowa. Raised in New York, Mary Edwards Walker taught at a school in Minetto, New York, eventually earning enough money to pay her way through Syracuse Medical College, where she graduated with honors as a medical doctor in 1855, the only woman