There are 61 living Medal of Honor Recipients. March 25th is Medal of Honor Day.

Click on the link to learn more about their heroic stories. Medal of Honor Day | Congressional Medal of Honor Society

I am grateful this Ramadan, to have had the opportunity to meet, and talk to, and have dinner, with some of the recipients. This is a true honor for me as they recognized me for who I am in uniform and taught me more history in our short time together, than I ever learned in school!

“Let the generations know that women in uniform also guaranteed their freedom.”

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a Civil War surgeon, is the only woman to ever receive the Medal of Honor, a distinction she earned for her service to the Union Army and her later advocacy for women’s rights. 

• Early Life and Career: Born in 1832, Mary Edwards Walker became one of the first women physicians in the United States in 1855. 
• Civil War Service: At the outbreak of the Civil War, she was denied a commission as an Army surgeon due to her gender, but she served as a volunteer, eventually becoming an assistant surgeon and treating soldiers from both sides of the conflict. 
• Medal of Honor: In 1865, President Andrew Johnson awarded her the Medal of Honor, recognizing her “valuable service” and “earnest and untiring efforts”. 
• Prisoner of War: During the war, she was captured and held as a prisoner of war for four months before being freed in a prisoner exchange. 
• Advocacy for Women’s Rights: Beyond her military service, Walker was a staunch advocate for women’s rights, even attempting to register to vote in 1871. 
• Rescinded and Restored: Although she was awarded the Medal of Honor, it was later rescinded in 1917, but it was restored in 1977. 
• Legacy: Dr. Mary Edwards Walker’s legacy continues to inspire, and she is recognized as a trailblazer for women in medicine and a symbol of courage and perseverance. 

My call to action is for you to take the time to look at the history of your country. Make an effort to understand how your country came to be and let us do everything we can to not repeat it.

#adventureswithnursejamla