Indians in the War Collections – Page 2 of 2

Indian Prisoners of War Released

Many Indians reported as prisoners of war have now been released and have come home again. Lt. Frank Paisano, Jr., a prisoner of the Germans, has returned to Laguna Pueblo. During his absence he was awarded the Air Medal, which his wife accepted in his name. Omar Schoenborn, Chippewa, once reported dead, was one of 83 men who escaped death when the prison ship carrying them to Japan was sunk off Leyte. He managed to swim ashore and to hide from the Japanese until the arrival of the American forces. Gilmore C. Daniels, Osage, who joined the Royal Canadian Air … Read more

Indian Honors in World War 2

Sgt. Jimmy Declay, Apache, stands guard in Rome

A soldier, who is cited for gallantry in action, when that gallantry does not warrant the award of a Medal of Honor or a Distinguished Service Cross, is given the Silver Star. This decoration was awarded posthumously to Ben Quintana, a Keres, from Cochiti Pueblo. According to the citation, Ben was “an ammunition carrier in a light machine gun squadron charged with protection of the right flank of his troop which was counterattacked by superior numbers.” The gunner was killed and the assistant gunner severely wounded. “Private Quintana,” the citation continues, “refused to retire from this hazardous position and gallantly … Read more

Honor of Indian Heroism

Error Bake, Jr., and Pfc. George I, Opetotfi a portfolio radio sell on Marine Corporal Photo

The war has ended in victory for the United Nations, and after a troubled period of readjustment and reorganization, peace will come at last. The story of the Indians’ contribution to the winning of the war has been told only in part; and new material will be coming in for many months. As one of the Sioux boys says, “As a rule nowadays the fellows don’t go in for heroics.” But already the Indian record is impressive. In the spring of 1945, there were 2 1,767 Indians in the Army, 191 in the Navy, 121 in the Coast Guard, and … Read more

Colorado, Idaho, Kansas and Minnesota Indian Honored War Dead

The following Honored War Dead, are listed by Name, Tribe and Location of death. The name under the photograph is the person shown. No additional information was provided in the book. Colorado Albert Bos, Ute, Leyte Wilbur Washington, Ute, Italy Elmer Lewis, Navajo Idaho James Burt, Shoshone, Luzon Howard Cutler, Shoshone, Atlantic Stanley George, Shoshone, Europe Matthew Honenah, Shoshone, Europe Nelson Ingawanup, Shoshone, Europe James Mosho, Jr., Shoshone, Europe Adolph Alexie, Coeur D’Alene, Okinawa Kansas William Lasley, Potawatomi, Italy Herbert H. DeRain, Iowa, France Paul G. Wamego, Potawatomi, Germany Edgar H. Goslin, Kickapoo, Pacific Minnesota Daniel McKenzie, Chippewa, Holland James … Read more

Colorado, Idaho, Kansas and Louisiana Indians Wounded in Action

The following Indians Wounded in Action, are listed by Name, Tribe and Location of death. The name under the photograph is the person shown. No additional information was provided in the book. Colorado Anthony Burch, Ute, Belgium Allen Carel, Ute, Holland John Werito, Navajo, Pacific Curtis Toledo, Navajo, Pacific Raymond Lopez, Navajo, Pacific Idaho Lawrence Bagley, Shoshone, Europe Eldon Blackhawk, Shoshone, Europe Waimmie Chedahap, Shoshone, Bannock, Europe Kenneth Cosgrove, Shoshone-Bannock, Europe Roger E. Gallaway, Shoshone, Europe Franklin Hootchew, Shoshone-Bannock, Europe Orlin Judson, Sioux, Europe Kenneth Kutch, Shoshone-Bannock, Europe Herbert LeClair, Shoshone, Europe Thomas LaVatta, Shoshone, Europe Layton Littlejohn, Bannock, Europe … Read more

Ceremonial Dances in the Pacific

Navajos dance on a beach in the Solomons

By Ernie Pyle One of the last stories written Fay Ernie Pyle before his tragic death on le Island was about the Indians of the First Marine Division on Okinawa. It is reprinted here by permission of Scripps-Howard Newspapers and United Feature Syndicate, Inc. The ceremonial dances, according to Marine Combat Correspondent Walter Wood, included the Apache Devil Dance, the Eagle Dance, the Hoop Dance, the War Dance, and the Navajo Mountain Chant. Besides the Navajos, Sioux, Comanche, Apache, Pima, Kiowa, Pueblo, and Crow Indians took part in the Ceremonies. Okinawa — (By Navy Radio); — Back nearly two years … Read more

California Indians Wounded in Action

The following Indians Wounded in Action, are listed by Name, Tribe and Location of death. The name under the photograph is the person shown. No additional information was provided in the book. Shuman Shaw, Paiute, Europe Benjamin D. Oscar, Yurok, Holland Walter Campbell, Pomo, France Samuel Powvall Mission, Germany William I. Reed, Yurok, Pacific Kenneth Frank, Yurok, Pacific Harvey McCardie, Hoopa Cornelius Morehead, Hoopa (Smith River) Eldred Norris, Yurok-Hoopa Albert Richards, Jr. Hoopa (Eel River), U.S.A. Fred W. Scott, Hoopa Albert Bartow, Klamath Clarence Bennett, Hoopa (Salmon River) Lean Chase, Klamath-Hoopa Shan Davis, Klamath, Italy Vernon Davis, Klamath-Hoopa Wilfred Ferris, … Read more

California Indian Honored War Dead

The following Honored War Dead, are listed by Name, Tribe and Location of death. The name under the photograph is the person shown. No additional information was provided in the book. Reginaldo Helms, Mission, (Soboba) Belgium John P. Emeterio, Sacramento, Belgium Otto Hodge, Yurok, Italy Baron D. Risling, Hoopa, U. S. A. Romaldo Natt, Yurok, Germany Joe Blacktooth, Mission (Palo), Japan Augustine Quevas, Mission (Santa Ysabel), Japan Lee M. Angel, Mission (Mesa Grande), Germany Gilbert Cleland, Mission (Mesa Grande), Germany George Estrada, Mission (Mesa Grande), Germany Steve Levi, Mission (Torres-Martinez), Saipan France Gene Pablo, Mission (Santa Ysabel), Pacific Philip Peters, … Read more

Awards for Valor to WW2 Native Americans

Name appears under photograph Congressional Medal Of Honor Lt. Jack C. Montgomery,…………………………….. Cherokee, Oklahoma Lt. Ernest Childers,…………………………………….. Creek, Oklahoma Silver Star S/Sgt. Francis B. Brave, Sioux, Oklahoma Lt. William Sixkiller, Jr., Cherokee, Oklahoma Pfc. Warren Gullickson., Sioux, South Dakota Pfc., James R. Alexander, Lummi, Washington Cpl. Leonard Webber, Shoshone, Idaho Lt. James Sulphur, Creek, Oklahoma Sgt. Knowlton Merritt, Klamath-Modoc, Oregon T/4 Roger K. Paul, Blackfoot, Montana Sgt Perry Skenandore, Oneida, Wisconsin Pfc. Ben Quintana, Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico Cpl. Vincent Village Center, Sioux, South Dakota T/Sgt. Joseph Lawrence, Sioux, South Dakota Pfc. Francis Shaw, Pointe, Nevada Pfc. Philip Kowice, Laguna … Read more

Arizona Indians Wounded in Action

The following Indians Wounded in Action, are listed by Name, Tribe and Location of death. The name under the photograph is the person shown. No additional information was provided in the book. Paul Hendricks, Papago, Germany Manuel Kisto, Papago, Germany Fernando Lopez, Papago, Europe Nelson Lopez, Papago, Belgium Nalia Lopez, Papago, Belgium Hanson Norris, Papago, France Raymond Norris, Papago, Germany Louis Ortegas, Papago, France Ralph Patricia, Papago, Holland Ignacio B. Santos, Papago, France Rovelto Siquieros, Papago, Germany Victor B. Stevens, Papago, Germany Jose V. Wilson, Papago, Italy Patrick J. Franko, Papago, France Joseph R. Johnson, Papago, Iwo Jima Burton A. … Read more

Arizona Indian Honored War Dead

The following Honored War Dead, are listed by Name, Tribe and Location of death. The name under the photograph is the person shown. No additional information was provided in the book. Lonnie Allen, Apache, (San Carlos) Pacific Adam Harney, Apache, (San Carlos) France Ernest Stanley, Apache (San Carlos) Luxembourg Johnnie Goodluck, Navajo, France Haskell A. Osife, Pima Anthony Jose, Pima Joe Terry, Pima Willacot Anton, Pima Robert E. Allison, Pima Joshua Morris, Pima Leander Shelde, Pima Joseph Thomas, Pima Percy Osife, Pima Fred Washington, Pima Phillip Largo, Pima Thomas Throssell, Papago, U. S, A. Alfred Perkins, Pima, Leyte Alfred Ferguson, … Read more

An Empty Saddle – Pvt. Clarence Spotted Wolf

“If I should be killed, I want you to bury me cession. It is pleasing to fancy the spirits of One of the hills east of the place where my brave warriors long departed watching benign grandparents and brothers and sisters only from the Happy Hunting Grounds, Other relatives are buried. As for the empty saddle — who knows? “If you have a memorial service, I want the soldiers to go ahead with the American flog. I want cowboys to follow, all on horseback. I want one of the cowboys to lend one of the wildest of the T over … Read more

A Family of Braves

Six grandsons of the Reverend Ben Brave, Sioux Indian

Six grandsons of the Reverend Ben Brave, retired Sioux minister, have shown their patriotism by donning uniforms. Four went into the Army, one into the Navy, and one into the Coast Guard.

A Choctaw Leads the Guerrillas

In April 1945, after mare than three years as a guerrilla leader in the Philippines, Lt. Col. Edward Ernest McClish came home to Okmulgee, Oklahoma, where his family, who had refused to believe him dead, waited for him. Ira Wolfert has told some of his story in American Guerrilla in the Philippines, and other details have been added in a report given to the Public Relations Bureau of the War Department by Col. McClish. It is an extraordinary tale of accomplishment against great odds. Lt. Col. McClish, a Choctaw, who graduated from Haskell Institute in 1929 and from Bacone College … Read more