Medal of Honor

November 9, 2009

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Profile America — Monday, November 9th. Among those who will be remembered at Veterans Day ceremonies later this week will be more than 3,400 who have received the nation’s highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor. One woman is on that list — Mary Walker, cited for heroism in the Civil War by generals William T. Sherman and George Thomas. As the first woman surgeon in the U.S. Army, she was often exposed to great danger, operating as battles raged. Walker not only tended Union troops but crossed lines to help wounded Confederates as well, and at one point was captured and made a prisoner of war. Today in the U.S. Army, there are 13,000 women officers — more than 15 percent of the service’s commissioned officers. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, t. 36
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2009edition.html
www.history.army.mil/moh.html