First female doctor of the US military

Not only was the first female doctor in the US military, Mary Edwards Walker also became the only woman to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Unfortunately, the name Mary Edwards Walker is rarely mentioned in books. According to NPR, the US Congress once intended to regain her Medal of Honor.

Born on November 26, 1832, Walker never cared about normal life. From early childhood, she hated the rules of medical treatment and treatment for girls. Fortunately, Walker parents are both open-minded, supportive of gender equality and costume reform.

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker with the Medal of Honor on her chest.(Photo: APIC).

Enjoying a superior education compared to his peers, Walker decided to become a doctor. At that time, Americans had the first female doctor, but most medical schools still banned women. Walker attended the Syracuse Medical School and received his degree in 1855. At the age of 23, she became the second female doctor in American history, began practicing at a private clinic in New York with her husband Albert Miller.

In 1860 civil war broke out. Walker applied for a doctor's position for the Northern Union army. But although less than 100 surgeons were licensed at the beginning of the war, Walker was still denied. Undeterred, she accepted to work as a nurse at a field hospital. During the battle of Fredericksburg and Chattanooga, Walker acts as a unpaid battlefield surgeon.

In September 1863, Walker was finally contracted to the Ohio 52 infantry regiment, becoming the first female surgeon in the US military. The male colleagues for this move were "medical blasphemy," refusing to practice alongside Walker, even suggesting his superior to dismiss her.

Undeterred, Walker believed he was reserved for the battlefield. She dressed like a man, ready to go in the middle of a bombing place, often cross the route to treat both wounded soldiers and civilians. With talent and loyalty, Walker gradually gained the trust of the soldiers. However, she continued to work without pay until the war was almost over.

On April 10, 1864, the Confederate doctor was arrested and imprisoned at Castle Thunder, the brutal famous prison in Richmond. According to the records, the new female prisoner is over 30 years old, ugly and thin, dressed strangely and full of challenges. The time at Castle Thunder haunted Walker until the end of his life.

A few months later, according to the prisoner exchange program, Walker was released, returning as a medical officer. In 1865, President Andrew Johnson decided to give her the Medal of Honor. Mary Edwards Walker officially became the first woman to receive the highest military medal in America.

Not everyone is happy for Walker. In 1917, her name and 910 others were removed from the Honor Medal list due to changes in terms. With his tough nature, Walker refused to return the medal, continue to wear it on his daily clothes and a message to the government: "You will receive it as long as I die."

Mary Edwards Walker from 1911-1917.(Photo: Library of Congress).

After serving in the war, Walker was disabled. From June 13, 1865, she received a grant of $ 8.5 per month, and in 1899 this amount increased to $ 20. Besides the medical profession, the doctor writes and teaches health care, moderate eating, women's rights, costume reform. She was often arrested for dressing like a man. In response to criticism, Walker affirmed: "I am not wearing men's clothes, I wear my own clothes".

Walker died on February 21, 1919, at the age of 87 after a long illness. Simple funeral ceremony with an American flag hanging on the coffin. She rested in New York in a black suit instead of a skirt.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter restored the Medal of Honor to Mary Edwards Walker, praising her for "sacrifice, patriotism, fearless dedication to the nation despite discrimination due to discrimination. sex".