She is supremely thanked for her service!
The state of Maryland honored abolitionist Harriet Tubman this week. The first woman to oversee an American military operation during a time of war, Tubman was just posthumously awarded the rank of general on Veterans Day, NPR reports.
Crowds gathered at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park in Maryland on Veterans Day to honor the renowned freedom fighter. Tubman now holds the formal rank of a one-star brigadier general in the Maryland National Guard. Governor Wes Moore was on hand for the ceremony, saying that it was well-deserved.
“Today, we celebrate a soldier and a person who earned the title of veteran. Today, we celebrate one of the greatest authors of the American story,” said Moore.
Tubman was born enslaved in Dorchester County, Maryland, escaping to freedom in 1849. Settling in Philadelphia, she created the Underground Railroad to help lead other enslaved Black people to escape, using her skills to lead hundreds to freedom. Tubman also worked as a scout, spy, and nurse for the Union Army during the Civil War, where she helped lead a gunboat raid in South Carolina, leading 150 Black soldiers. Her heroic efforts have gained her international fame and made her a symbol of freedom for generations to come. With her new title, Tubman has become the most notable veteran in American history.
“She knew that in order to do the work, that meant that she had to go into the lion’s den. She knew that leadership means you have to be willing to do what you are asking others to do,” Moore told crowds during the event.
Tubman’s great-great-great-grandniece, Tina Wyatt, was also in attendance. Following the official order granting Tubman an official rank in the National Guard, there was a symbolic pinning ceremony for Wyatt. She echoed the day’s sentiments, agreeing that the title of Veteran was more than apt for Tubman, whose service can never be repaid.
“Aunt Harriet was one of those veterans informally, she gave up any rights that she had obtained for herself to be able to fight for others. She is a selfless person,” said Wyatt.
Cover photo: Abolitionist Harriet Tubman Receives Posthumous Rank of General on Veterans Day/Tina Wyatt, great-great-great-grandniece of Harriet Tubman, accepts Tubman’s commission into the Maryland National Guard on Veterans Day 2024/Photo credit: Petula Dvorak/The Washington Post