Honoring Veterans: Army Veteran Mary Edwards Walker

Mary Edwards Walker was born in November 1832 in Oswego, New York. Walker grew up wanting to help people, as her parents were abolitionists who valued knowledge and freedom. So much so that her parents created the first free school in Oswego so their daughter would have the same chance at an education as boys. Walker not only attended school as a young lady, but she also went on to pursue higher education to help people. She first attended seminary school and became a teacher; then, in 1855, she earned her medical degree at Syracuse Medical College in New York and became a surgeon.

After earning her degree, Walker tried to pursue a career in the Union Army when the Civil War began but was promptly denied because she was a woman. For this reason, she worked as a surgeon at a hospital in Washington, D.C., until she was commissioned by Union Forces, specifically the Army of Cumberland, to aid the soldiers in 1863. She became the U.S. Army’s first female surgeon. 

Walker served many soldiers and civilians alike, often crossing enemy lines. A consequence of her courage was that Confederate soldiers took her as a prisoner of war because she was thought to be a spy for the Union. During this time, Walker was sent to Richmond, Virginia, where she refused to wear any clothing provided to her that was designed for women. Walker believed pants were more comfortable and hygienic in her profession and much easier when performing gruesome surgeries. In 1864, she was released as part of a prisoner exchange, and later, in September of that year, she was contracted as the assistant surgeon of the Ohio 52nd Infantry. 

At the war’s end in 1865, Walker became the first and only woman ever to receive a Medal of Honor. She became an avid prohibitionist and women’s rights activist, where she played a role in the suffrage movement. In 1916, her Medal of Honor was revoked, but that did not stop her from wearing it with pride until she died in 1919, where she was buried in her black suit. Ultimately, Jimmy Carter restored her Medal of Honor in 1977.

We honor her service.

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s Honoring Veterans social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Writer: Mariah Bailey

Editors: Lillian Williams, Tayler Rairigh

Researcher: Raphael Romea

Graphic Designer: William Vega