In 1863, Alexander T. Augusta became the first African-American commissioned as a medical officer in the Union Army and was awarded the rank of major. He was eventually put in charge of his own hospital during the Civil War. He was 1 of 13 African American doctors to serve.

#Histmed #HistSci #TIL #History #DYK #Histodons #Histodon #MedMastodon #CivilWar #Victorian #19thCentury #CivilWarHistory #Frontliners

This week, I'll be sharing stories of #frontliners from history. From world wars to past pandemics, these are the unsung heroes who worked tirelessly to keep others safe during troubling times.

Let's start with the 9 firefighters of the Honolulu Fire Department who were killed at Pearl Harbor after rushing to Hickam Field Air Force Base during the attack. In 1944, they were awarded the Purple Heart, becoming the only civilian firefighters to receive this award. #histodon #mastodon #histmed