Dr. Mary Edwards Walker
“The Only Woman to Receive the Congressional Medal of Honor”
During the Civil War, thousands of soldiers marched into battle. Few expected that one of the most courageous among them would be a woman — and a surgeon.
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was born in 1832 and earned her medical degree at a time when female physicians were rare and often dismissed.
When the Civil War began, she volunteered her services to the Union Army. Initially, she was refused a commission because she was a woman. Undeterred, she served as a civilian surgeon, treating wounded soldiers near the front lines. Eventually, she was appointed as an acting assistant surgeon — the only female surgeon serving with the Union Army during the war.
Dr. Walker worked in field hospitals and on battlefields. She treated the wounded under fire.
In 1864, while crossing enemy lines to treat civilians, she was captured by Confederate forces and held as a prisoner of war for several months before being exchanged.
Her service was not symbolic. It was operational. It was dangerous. It was sustained.
In 1865, President Andrew Johnson awarded her the Medal of Honor for her devotion to wounded soldiers and her courage in captivity. She remains, to this day, the only woman ever to receive the Medal of Honor.
Years later, during a review of award standards, her medal was controversially rescinded — along with many others. Dr. Walker refused to surrender it. She wore it proudly for the rest of her life.
In 1977, more than a century after it was awarded, the Medal of Honor was officially restored.
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker did not ask for special recognition. She asked for the opportunity to serve. She stepped forward when her nation was divided. She treated soldiers regardless of politics or rank. And she endured criticism simply for wearing the uniform of her profession.
At the Armed Forces Heritage Museum, we preserve stories like hers because they remind us that service is measured by sacrifice and commitment — not by convention.
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker stood her ground. She healed the wounded. She endured captivity. And she wore her medal — not as a symbol of controversy — but as a symbol of service.
Service takes many forms. Honor endures.
