FAQ About Mary Edwards Walker
Why is Mary Edwards Walker the only woman to have received the Medal of Honor?
Mary Edwards Walker received the Medal of Honor in 1865 for her exceptional services as a surgeon during the American Civil War. She remains the only woman to have received the award because it was later rescinded in 1917, along with many others, when the criteria for the Medal were revised. However, she continued to wear the medal until her death, and it was posthumously reinstated in 1977.
