Rhonda L. Cornum was born in October 1954 in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up in New York. She came from a military background, as her grandfather served in the Marines during World War II. Cornum earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and genetics and then a doctorate in biochemistry from Cornell University in 1971. She also received a medical degree from the Uniformed Services University in 1986, which is where she met her future husband, Kory, an Air Force Veteran.
Cornum served as the first female flight surgeon with the 229th Attack Helicopter Regiment in the Persian Gulf. Flying on a search and rescue mission, her Black Hawk was shot down, leaving her with many injuries, including two broken arms, a broken finger and a gunshot wound.
After the crash, Cornum was held as a prisoner of war for seven days, and was sexually assaulted by one of her Iraqi captors. She later reflected on the assault, emphasizing the importance of resilience and perspective in the face of adversity. One thing that helped her get through it was thinking of the song, “Proud to be an American.”
After being released, Cornum returned to the U.S. and served as the staff urologist at Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon, Ga. She would soon take on new leadership challenges: She would go on to command the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and later become the command surgeon at FORSCOM. By the time she retired in 2012, Cornum had risen to the rank of brigadier general and served as the director of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness in Army Staff.
Cornum has received numerous awards, including an Army Distinguished Service Medal, a Legion of Merit, a Bronze Star Medal and a Purple Heart, and she stands as one of only seven women in history to receive a Distinguished Flying Cross.
We honor her service.