Amna Nawaz
@PBSNewsHour·5.3M subscribers·62.2K videos
Who is the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor?
Posted
June 17, 2026
Views
5,766
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762
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June 17, 2026
5,766
762
13.22%
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8:50
2:13Now PlayingAs we approach the nation's 250th birthday, PBS News is looking at some notable, but lesser-known, people and moments in American military history.
The Medal of Honor is the highest military honor for valor that U.S. service members can receive, and, by law, it is awarded only to those who distinguish themselves "through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.”
But of the more than 3,500 Medals of Honor awarded, only one recipient has been a woman: Dr. Mary Edwards Walker.
PBS News' Cecilia Lallmann dives into Walker's time as a surgeon during the Civil War, which led to her historic achievement and fight for recognition.
This post was produced by Cecilia Lallmann, Shyla Duff, Julia Griffin, Travis Daub and Dan Cooney.
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