Dr Mary Edwards Walker was born in Oswego New York in 1832 with a strong desire to become a doctor. Graduating from Syracuse Medical College in 1855 when few women were allowed in medicine, she volunteered as a contract surgeon for the Union Army during the Civil War and was held prisoner by the Confederacy. In 1865 President Andrew Johnson awarded her the highest military decoration in the United States. Though her medal was withdrawn in 1917, she wore it daily until her death in 1919 and was p