| David Sheehan of CBS called “An intensely compelling drama”, I’d have to agree with that. A blend of action and drama which creates a war flick for times when you’re not quite in the mood for complete cuts and glory. This is probably the third time watching it, I was deciding on whether to keep it for my collection or put up for sale. I’ll be keeping it. The story line of the first woman to receive the Medal of Honor, got me wondering if there was any truth to the story. Well in a word - no. There already has been a woman recipient of the MOH in the Civil War to Dr. Mary E. Walker.
[Official record - Rank and organization: Contract Acting Assistant Surgeon (civilian), U. S. Army. Places and dates: Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861; Patent Office Hospital, Washington, D.C., October 1861; Chattanooga, Tenn., following Battle of Chickomauga, September 1863; Prisoner of War, April 10, 1864-August 12, 1864, Richmond, Va.; Battle of Atlanta, September 1864. Entered service at: Louisville, Ky. Born: 26 November 1832, Oswego County, N.Y. Citation: Whereas it appears from official reports that Dr. Mary E. Walker, a graduate of medicine, “has rendered valuable service to the Government, and her efforts have been earnest and untiring in a variety of ways,” and that she was assigned to duty and served as an assistant surgeon in charge of female prisoners at Louisville, Ky., upon the recommendation of Major-Generals Sherman and Thomas, and faithfully served as contract surgeon in the service of the United States, and has devoted herself with much patriotic zeal to the sick and wounded soldiers, both in the field and hospitals, to the detriment of her own health, and has also endured hardships as a prisoner of war four months in a Southern prison while acting as contract surgeon; and Whereas by reason of her not being a commissioned officer in the military service, a brevet or honorary rank cannot, under existing laws, be conferred upon her; and
Whereas in the opinion of the President an honorable recognition of her services and sufferings should be made:
It is ordered, That a testimonial thereof shall be hereby made and given to the said Dr. Mary E. Walker, and that the usual medal of honor for meritorious services be given her.
Given under my hand in the city of Washington, D.C., this 11th day of November, A.D. 1865.
Andrew Johnson,
President
(Medal rescinded 1917 along with 910 others, restored by President Carter 10 June 1977.) ]
In my short bit of research I found out that there are many a-holes posing as Medal of Honor recipients. Check out this web site for info about MOH impostors, especially if you run into someone that claims to be one. You can check their validity on that site as there are only a few hundred living recipients, and could be more than that number of impostors as the company that makes the medals illegally sold at least 300. |
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