Champion’s Spotlight: Celebrating Medical Champions of Military History
The United States of America (U.S.) has amassed an illustrious military history dating back to its revolutionary origins that includes pioneering achievements in healthcare among its active-duty military and Veteran personnel. Throughout U.S. history, Black/African Americans have fought alongside other races at the forefront of defending our great nation and its allies; many of whom went above and beyond to redefine justice and equality. This Black History Month, Visionary Consulting Partners is
remembering and recognizing a few notable African Americans who have made a significant impact on the health and well-being of our armed forces. The following military and medical powerhouses have each imprinted a momentous stamp on U.S. history and healthcare:
Dr. Alexander T. Augusta: March 8, 1825 – December 21, 1890
Well-known as the first African American to be commissioned as a medical officer in the Union Army, Dr. Alexander T. Augusta was a proud patriot who wrote President Abraham Lincoln requesting permission to doctor the “colored regiments” active in the American Civil War. While he was one of Howard University’s first medical school professors, Dr. Augusta himself was forced to study medicine in Canada given the racial discrimination present in the U.S. Dr. Augusta later became the surgeon-in-charge of the Contraband Hospital before being appointed the regimental surgeon for the 7 th Infantry of the United States Colored Troops in Maryland.
Did You Know: On his way to meet with Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts in February 1864, Dr. Augusta arrived late and rain-soaked after being kicked off of a streetcar for trying to enter the covered area reserved for white passengers. Refusing to let this discrimination towards someone wearing the Army uniform stand, Senator Sumner addressed Congress on the unfair railroad privileges and within the year, streetcars in our nation’s capital were integrated.
Brigadier General Hazel Johnson-Brown: October 10, 1927 – August 5, 2011
Every person in the medical field knows the impact nurses have on public health, healthcare, and medical aid and recovery. As its first Black Chief, Brigadier General Hazel Johnson-Brown championed for education and diversification throughout the Army Nurse Corps. While she was a pioneer in and for the Army, including acting as director and assistant dean of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Nursing, she improved the nursing profession as a whole by teaching at several university nursing programs, developing scholarships, and helping stand up the Center for Health Policy, Research, and Ethics.
Did You Know: Brig. Gen. Johnson was the third female general and first Black female general in the Army. She fluctuated between a nurse educator and education promotor, seeking her own higher education, and multiple tours around the world during active duty.
Colonel Dr. Vance H. Marchbanks Jr.: January 12, 1905 – October 21, 1988
Son of U.S. Army Calvary Captain Vance Marchbanks Sr., one of the infamous Buffalo Soldiers, many know Colonel Dr. Vance Marchbanks Jr. as Flight Doctor (Surgeon) to the Tuskegee Airmen – making him a “documented original Tuskegee Airman.” As one of the first in his field, Col. Dr. Marchbanks was also one of the 2 African American doctors to graduate the Army Air Corps School in Aerospace Medicine at the start of World War II. Throughout his military career, Dr. Marchbanks saw several military assignments abroad including Italy, Nagoya & Okinawa, Japan, and with NASA monitoring the medical status of Astronaut John Glenn during the Project Mercury Space Program in 1960. Marchbanks was present for the inception of the Air Force as a group surgeon then later as hospital commander, division surgeon, and director of Air Force and Army Base hospitals.
Did You Know: Col. Dr. Marchbanks won several awards including 2 Air Force Commendation medals for his research. One was for his research helping the military cease discharging anyone with the genetic trait for sickle cell anemia, a disease mostly affecting African and Mediterranean descendants. To prove to the military that people who carried the trait did not necessarily develop the deadly anemia, Col. Dr. Marchbanks worked with the blood of fellow Tuskegee Airmen friends and 3 years of research, culminating in his published essay “Sickle Cell Trait and the Black Airman.”
Lieutenant General Nadja West: Born March 20, 1961
44th Army Surgeon General
Retired Lieutenant General Nadja West is most commonly known as the first African American to be appointed surgeon general of the U.S. Army. However, she is also the first Black female major general of the Army Active Component (AC) and first Black female two-star general of Army Medicine. As the first Black female lieutenant general and the Army’s 44 th Surgeon General, she became the highest-ranking woman graduate of the U.S. Military Academy West Point. Now retired, Lt. Gen. West’s legacy includes a number of awards and accolades given her success as the commanding general of Medical Command (MEDCOM) and instrumental leadership in the Department of Defense’s (DOD) response to the Ebola crisis of 2014.
Did You Know: Lt. Gen. West currently serves on several boards including Johnson & Johnson, is the Official Healthcare Partner of the USO, and is the Official Healthcare Partner of the USO, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Academy of Family Practice.