It is a weird, stubborn fact of American history. If you look at the roll of honor for the United States military, there are nearly 3,600 names. These are the people who went way beyond the call of duty. They ran into fire when everyone else ran away. But among those thousands of names, there is only one woman. Just one. Dr. Mary Edwards Walker.
Honestly, it’s a bit baffling when you think about the millions of women who have served in or alongside the armed forces since the Revolutionary War. You’d think there would be more, right? But the story of the women medal of honor legacy—or the lack thereof—isn't just about a medal. It’s about a woman who was so incredibly stubborn that she forced the U.S. government to recognize her, even when they tried to take it back decades later.
The Surgeon in a Skirt (Well, Not Really)
Mary Walker wasn't your typical 19th-century lady. Not even close. Born in 1832 in Oswego, New York, she was raised by parents who were, frankly, way ahead of their time. They didn't believe in corsets. They thought women should be educated. So, Mary went to Syracuse Medical College and became one of the first female physicians in the country.
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, she didn't just sit home and knit socks. She went straight to Washington D.C. to join the Union Army as a surgeon. The Army basically laughed at her. They told her she could be a nurse, but a doctor? No way.
She did it anyway.
For two years, she worked as a volunteer. No pay. No rank. Just a woman in a modified uniform—she wore trousers under a short skirt because she thought long dresses were unhygienic in a surgical tent—treating the wounded at the Battle of Bull Run and Fredericksburg. Eventually, the Army finally gave in and made her a "Contract Acting Assistant Surgeon (civilian)." It wasn't a commission, but it was a start.
Captured and Accused of Spying
Here is where the story gets intense. Mary wasn't just staying in the back lines. She was crossing enemy lines regularly to treat civilians. In April 1864, she bumped into a group of Confederate sentries. They captured her, and she spent four months in Castle Thunder, a notorious prison in Richmond, Virginia.
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The Confederates thought she was a spy. Why? Because she was a woman in a weird uniform who knew too much about medicine. She was eventually traded in a prisoner exchange for a Confederate major. Think about that for a second. The Union Army traded a male officer to get their female doctor back. That’s how much they valued her.
After the war, Major General William Sherman and others recommended her for the Medal of Honor. President Andrew Johnson signed off on it in 1865. The citation specifically mentioned her "distinguished services" and the fact that she had "devoted herself with much patriotic zeal to the sick and wounded soldiers."
The Day They Tried to Take It Back
If you think the story ends with a happy ceremony, you don't know the U.S. government very well. In 1916, Congress decided to clean up the Medal of Honor rolls. They created a board to review every single award given out. They wanted to make sure the medal was only for "actual combat with an enemy."
In 1917, they struck 911 names from the list. Mary Edwards Walker was one of them.
The board’s reasoning? She was a civilian. At the time she served, women couldn't be commissioned officers. Therefore, she wasn't technically "in" the military, so she couldn't have the medal.
They told her to give it back.
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Mary, being Mary, basically told them to pound sand. She wore that medal every single day until she died in 1919. She knew what she had done, and she didn't care what a board of bureaucrats in D.C. had to say about it. It took until 1977—nearly 60 years after her death—for her grandniece and a few dedicated researchers to lobby President Jimmy Carter to officially restore her medal.
Why Aren't There More?
You might be wondering why she’s still the only one. It’s a valid question. The "combat" requirement is the biggest hurdle. For most of American history, women were officially barred from direct ground combat roles. That only changed in 2013, and the first women graduated from Army Ranger school in 2015.
That doesn't mean women haven't been in the thick of it. Look at Leigh Ann Hester, a Silver Star recipient. In 2005, her convoy was ambushed in Iraq. She led a counterattack, cleared a trench line, and killed several insurgents. She’s a total badass. But the Silver Star is the third-highest award. To get the Medal of Honor, the standard of proof is so incredibly high that even many legendary male soldiers never receive it.
Modern Candidates and the Future
There is a lot of talk in veteran circles about whether other women should be considered retroactively. Some point to women like:
- Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe (who finally received his posthumously in 2021) as proof that the process is slow but can be corrected.
- Monica Lin Brown, a medic who shielded wounded soldiers with her own body under mortar fire in Afghanistan. She got the Silver Star.
The reality is that the women medal of honor history is currently a list of one. But as more women serve in infantry, armor, and special operations roles, that list is almost certainly going to grow. It’s not a matter of "if," it’s "when."
How to Honor This Legacy Today
If you’re interested in this side of history, you don't have to just read about it. You can actually see the effects of Mary Walker's work. She was a pioneer for "dress reform" and female surgeons everywhere.
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1. Visit the Sites: If you're ever in Oswego, New York, go see the Mary Walker statue. It’s one of the few monuments dedicated to a female Civil War hero.
2. Support Female Vets: Organizations like the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation (WIMSA) at the gates of Arlington National Cemetery are doing the heavy lifting to document these stories. They have a massive database of women's service records that is way more thorough than anything you'll find on a standard Wikipedia search.
3. Check the Records: You can actually read the original 1917 purge documents through the National Archives. It’s fascinating and infuriating to see how they dismissed the service of people like Walker just because of their civilian status.
4. Educate Others: Most people think the Medal of Honor is only for people who shoot guns. Mary Walker proves it’s for anyone who shows "gallantry and intrepidity" at the risk of their life. She did it with a scalpel instead of a rifle.
The story of women in the military is still being written. We’re in a transition period where the "firsts" are happening every year—first female four-star general, first female Green Beret. It's only a matter of time before another name joins Mary Walker’s on that very short, very prestigious list.
Next time you hear someone talking about military heroes, bring up the doctor who wore pants, survived a Confederate prison, and refused to give back her medal even when the Army demanded it. She's earned that much.
Actionable Next Steps
- Read the Citation: Search the Congressional Medal of Honor Society database for "Mary Walker" to read the exact text of her 1865 award.
- Explore the Memorial: Visit the Military Women's Memorial website to see the "Color of Freedom" exhibit, which highlights the specific contributions of women of color in the military who are also often overlooked in award discussions.
- Check Local History: Many towns have "Woman's Relief Corps" records from the post-Civil War era. These groups were instrumental in getting Mary Walker's story back into the public eye in the early 20th century.