In American history, there have been over 3,500 Medals of Honor awarded for bravery. However, there has only been one female recipient

In American history, there have been over 3,500 Medals of Honor awarded for bravery. However, there has only been one female recipient—Mary Edward Walker.

Mary Edward Walker worked as a nurse in the beginning of the American Civil War but became the army’s first female surgeon. She was captured by the Confederacy while tending to sick across enemy lines and was declared a spy. Walker was held as a prisoner of war for roughly four months before being released.

After the war ended, Walker was awarded the Medal of Honor by Andrew Johnson on November 11, 1865. In 1917, the Army changed the eligibility criteria to receive the Medal of Honor, and over nine hundred people lost their awards.

This included Walker, who refused to return her medal and continued to wear her medal until she died two years later. During her lifetime, she was an ardent abolitionist, prohibitionist, she was against tobacco use, and she was an early advocate of women’s rights. In 1977, the Army reversed their decision and returned the Medal of Honor to her.

Walker became president of the National Dress Reform Association in 1866. She often dressed as a man, including the then popular top hat. She toured the United States and Europe discussing women's rights, dress reform, health, and temperance issues. Mary Edward Walker was honored for her years of service with a stamp in 1982.

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