What is Mary Edwards Walker?
'''Mary Edwards Walker''' (November 26, 1832 &ndash; February 21, 1919) was an [[Americans|American]] [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist]], [[prohibition]]ist, [[prisoner of war]] and [[Surgery|surgeon]]. As of 2017, she is the only woman ever to receive the [[Medal of Honor]].<ref>{{cite news|title=The Case of Dr. Waler, Only Woman to Win (and Lose) the Medal of Honor|url=https://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=9902EFDE113FE334BC4C53DFB066838C669EDE|access-date=October 22, 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 4, 1977}}</ref> == Education and early life == She was born on November 26, 1832. Growing up, she lived in Oswego, New York with her parents, Alvah Walker and Vesta Whitcomb Walker. Her parents taught her to always be driven and stand up for what she believed in. Her parents supported abolitionist groups and women’s rights movements. They believed everyone deserved to be treated equally and with respect no matter their race or gender. She used what she learned from her parents to help her accomplish her goals in life. Her education was very important to her and her parents. She studied to become a [[surgeon]] at Syracuse Medical College and graduated in 1855 with a medical degree. After college she met Albert Miller, also a physician. They got married in 1856 but she kept her last name as Walker. After marriage, together they started a medical practice, but not many people wanted to go to a woman doctor as they did not trust she could do as good of a job as a man physician. The practice struggled and so did the young couples marriage. Thirteen years later Mary Walker and Albert Miller divorced and their practice failed. Although her marriage failed, she came back more confident than ever as the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] began. == Civil War == At the break of the [[Civil War]] and with high confidence, Walker tried to enlist in the [[Union Army]]. She was denied because of her gender but did not take no for an answer. Trying again, she enlisted as a surgeon in the war