Brig. Gen. Hazel Johnson-Brown did not just lead in being the first Black female general in the Army and the first Black chief of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps – she also led in her incredible accomplishments and skills in her roles in the Army.
Johnson-Brown graduated from the Harlem Hospital School of Nursing in 1950 and enlisted in the Army five years later. She was stationed all across the country and throughout Asia, earning recognition for her superior skills in the operating room as she advanced in her career.
Then, in 1979, Johnson-Brown made history when she was promoted to brigadier general and simultaneously was given command of the 7,000 nurses in the Army Nurse Corps. Throughout her career, she also received the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal; she was also named Army Nurse of the Year twice.
