Honor
by Kathy K McClellan
Title
Honor
Artist
Kathy K McClellan
Medium
Digital Art - Photographs
Description
Honor by Kathy K. McClellan is an image created for Day 84 of the Journal 2022 Challenge.
My journal entries for March make up a series titled "From Letters to Words" using the letters that were created for the February entries. As March is Women's History Month (since 1987), several of my posts this month will be celebrating women in history.
Today, March 25, is National Medal Of Honor Day and there is only one woman that has ever received that honor.
Dr. Mary Walker graduated Syracuse Medical College as a doctor in 1855. She went into private practice for several years until Civil War broke out in 1861. She wanted to join the Army as a surgeon but couldn't do that because she was a woman. Because of her credentials she chose to volunteer for the Union Army instead of becoming an Army nurse.
Until 1863 she worked for free in field hospitals in Washington DC and then Virginia. When her credentials were finally accepted she was appointed as War Department Surgeon and moved to Tennessee. There she was paid the equivalent of a lieutenant or captain.
She was captured and a prisoner of war for about four months. After she and other doctors were freed by a medical prisoner swap she was sent to Kentucky as a medical director at a hospital for women prisoners.
Walker, after having left government work, was awarded the Medal Of Honor in 1865 by President Andrew Johnson (even though she was a civilian who had never been a commissioned officer in military service). But because of that civilian status the Medal was revoked in 1917, two years before she died. Dr. Walker refused to return the medal and wore it until she died.
In 1977 efforts were made by her family to have the Medal status restored. President Jimmy Carter restored the Honor in her name.
Dr. Mary Walker: the only woman to ever be awarded the United States Medal Of Honor.
Uploaded
March 25th, 2022
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Viewed 91 Times - Last Visitor from Mount Laurel, NJ on 04/13/2024 at 3:15 AM
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Comments (10)
Roberta Byram
Love the colors!
Kathy K McClellan replied:
Thanks Roberta. The ribbon from which the real medal hangs is a medium blue and the medal itself is a dark gold.
Mary Bedy
Very interesting, Kathy!
Kathy K McClellan replied:
I was surprised that Dr. Walker was the only one! Thanks Mary for visiting, reading and commenting.
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