DAV Podcast's "Her Service - the Civil War", digs into the lives of two extraordinary Civil War figures: Dr. Mary Edwards Walker and Sarah Emma Edmonds.
🎧 Listen to the full episode ➡️ dav.la/4eXNlJ8.
Dr. Walker, the U.S. Army's first female surgeon, bravely challenged societal norms by insisting on wearing practical "bloomers" instead of skirts, enduring ostracization and even a four-month imprisonment as a spy at Castle Thunder for crossing battle lines to treat all wounded. Meanwhile, Sarah Emma Edmonds, escaping an abusive home, adopted the male identity of Franklin Thompson to enlist, serving as a soldier, nurse, and even a spy, with her true gender remaining a secret to her comrades until she contracted malaria and resumed her female identity as a nurse.
The episode highlights how both women defied the restrictive expectations of Victorian-era femininity, with Edmonds ultimately receiving a military pension and full honors after an eight-year battle, and Dr. Walker becoming the only woman in U.S. history to be awarded the Medal of Honor for her self-sacrificing service. We also look at the contributions to the war efforts of two madams and a runaway bride/spy all on this episode of Her Service - the Civil War.
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You don’t have to live near Cincinnati to participate in the 2025 DAV 5K! In addition to our in-person race on Nov. 8, the Virtual DAV 5K will take place over Veterans Day weekend (Nov. 8-11). This is the perfect way to engage your DAV chapter, friends, co-workers or other groups in a fun and positive way that supports America’s ill and injured veterans. No matter where you live, you can join the fun this November! Learn more and register today at dav5k.org. #DAV5K #DAV #veterans
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We are packing your convention bags! Volunteers at DAV National Headquarters spent the day filling backpacks that will be given to the attendees of DAV’s National Convention in Las Vegas from August 9-12. We hope to see you there! Check out the event schedule and register at www.dav.org/events/2025-national-convention/.
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Have you heard of the Bonus Army? In 1924, the U.S. government promised war veterans a bonus for their service in the First World War. The catch, however, was that they could not cash them for nearly two decades. As the Great Depression hit the country, a number of unemployed World War I veterans organized in May 1932 to march in Washington, D.C.
By June, thousands of veterans had set up camp in Washington within view of the Capitol. By July 28, 1932, the local police were ordered to remove the protesters. When police arrived to move them out, a riot erupted and police shot and killed two men. The Army—led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur—was called and forcibly evicted the Bonus Army. Soldiers, some who served in combat with the protesters, were ordered to violently disperse the veterans with tanks and tear gas.
Read more about this historic moment that paved the way for veteran advocacy as we know it today: dav.la/33v.
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