Mary edwards walker
- Meet Mary Edwards Walker, Medal of Honor Recipient
Mary Edwards Walker, one of the nation's 1.8 million women veterans, was the only woman to earn the Medal of Honor, for her service during the Civil War.
TAMMY DUCKWORTH
- Meet Tammy Duckworth, OIF Veteran
As Battle Captain and Assistant Operations Officer, Tammy Duckworth helped with planning, assigning and tracking combat missions of a 500-soldier aviation taskforce in Iraq, and flew over 200 combat hours as a Blackhawk pilot. In November 2004, she was flying a mission when a rocket-propelled grenade struck the cockpit of her helicopter and exploded. She suffered grave injuries, losing both legs.
Since coming home from Iraq, Tammy has remained active in the public arena, regularly speaking to veterans’ groups, testifying before Congress on issues of medical care for returning veterans and running for a U.S. Congressional seat. She also continues to serve her country as a Major in the Illinois National Guard.
From 2006-2008, she served as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs. In March 2009, her leadership on veterans’ issues reached national attention. Tammy Duckworth was recently nominated by President Obama to serve as the Undersecretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs at the VA, and eagerly awaits her confirmation hearing next month. She is a proud IAVA Member Veteran.
Leigh Ann Hester
- Meet Leigh Ann Hester, Silver Star Recipient
When the attack was over, 27 insurgents were dead, six were wounded, and one was captured. In June 2005, Hester was the first woman soldier since World War II to be awarded the Silver Star Medal.
MONICA BROWN
- Meet Monica Brown, Silver Star Recipient
While attached to Charlie Troop, 4/73 Cavalry, 18-year-old Monica Brown found herself under fire outside a remote village in Afghanistan. The rear Humvee in her convoy had rolled over an Improvised Explosive Device and was now in flames. Bullets ricocheting off her vehicle signaled the start of an ambush.
Instead of taking cover, however, Monica grabbed her medic bag and ran through gunfire to help her fellow soldiers. As mortars and small arms fire continued to rain in, and the ammunition in the burning Humvee started to explode, Monica tended to one of the injured soldiers, shielding him from harm.
Because of her actions, and the courage of the rest of her unit, the two injured soldiers in the Humvee survived their wounds that day. For her extraordinary bravery, Monica was awarded the Silver Star. She is only the second female since World War II to receive the nation’s third-highest combat honor.