Native people have served in the United States military for more than 100 years.
According to the USO:
Aside from the code talkers of WWII, many other Native Americans contributed to the war effort. Of the 350,000 American Indians living in the country at the time, nearly 45,000 of them enlisted in the Armed Forces, making them the demographic with the highest rate of voluntary enlistment in the military throughout the entire war.
In certain Tribal Nations, 70% of the men of a single Nation enlisted.
Many of our Native people have earned the highest award for their service.
In honor of Memorial Day, here are the first 10 Native Americans to do so, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
1. Co-Rux-Te-Chod-Ish (Mad Bear)
Service: Army
Rank: Sergeant
Conflict: Indian Campaigns
Place of Action: Republican River, Kansas, USA
Date: 1869
Citation: Ran out from the command in pursuit of a dismounted Indian; was shot down and badly wounded by a bullet from his own command.
Notable: Mad Bear was the first American Indian enlisted in the U.S. Army to receive the Medal of Honor. Though, according to Jeff Broome's book Dog Soldier Justice: The Ordeal of Susanna Alderdice in the Kansas Indian War, Mad Bear may have been awarded the medal by mistake.
“On July 8, 1869, while chasing after a Dog Soldier near the Republican River in Kansas, Mad Bear was thrown from his horse and was badly injured when another member of his unit shot him by mistake. According to Frank North (an American interpreter, United States Army officer and politician), because of the language barrier between the Pawnee and the Army, the name of Mad Bear was confused with the name of another Pawnee Scout, Co-Tux-A-Kah-Wadde (Traveling Bear). Traveling Bear was commended for his actions during the Battle of Summit Springs on July 11, 1869, and was given a medal mistakenly engraved with Mad Bear's name. In fact, Mad Bear was not present in the fighting at the Battle of Summit Springs, as he was still recovering from his injury. Major Eugene Asa Carr's recommendation and the document acknowledging the receipt of the medal (bearing Mad Bear's English name and an “X” mark for his signature) both reference the actions of Mad Bear, not Traveling Bear. Due to the language barrier, the Pawnee Scout names were misinterpreted and so, the name on the medal was Mad Bear.” The error, while understandable, has never been corrected.
2. Chiquito
Service: Army
Rank: Scout
Conflict: Indian Campaigns
Place of Action: Arizona, USA
Date: 1869
Citation: Ran out from the command in pursuit of a dismounted Indian; was shot down and badly wounded by a bullet from his own command.
3. Blanquet
Service: Army
Rank: Indian Scout
Conflict: Indian Campaigns
Place of Action: Apache Campaigns, USA
Date: 1872 – 1873
Citation: Gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches.
4. “William” Alchesay
Service: Army
Rank: Sergeant
Conflict: Indian Campaigns
Place of Action: Apache Campaigns, USA
Date: 1872 – 1873
Citation: Gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches.
5. Elatsoosh
Service: Army
Rank: Corporal
Conflict: Indian Campaigns
Place of Action: Apache Campaigns, USA
Date: 1872
Citation: Gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches.
6. Jim
Service: Army
Rank: Sergeant
Conflict: Indian Campaigns
Place of Action: Arizona, USA
Date: 1872
Citation: Gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches.
7. Kelsay
Service: Army
Rank: Scout
Conflict: Indian Campaigns
Place of Action: Arizona Territory, USA
Date: 1872
Citation: Gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches.
7. Koshoa
Service: Army
Rank: Scout
Conflict: Indian Campaigns
Place of Action: Arizona Territory, USA
Date: 1872
Citation: Gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches.
8. Machol
Service: Army
Rank: Private
Conflict: Indian Campaigns
Place of Action: Arizona Territory, USA
Date: 1872
Citation: Gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches.
9. Nannasaddie
Service: Army
Rank: Scout
Conflict: Indian Campaigns
Place of Action: Arizona Territory, USA
Date: 1872
Citation: Gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches.
10. Nantaje
Service: Army
Rank: Scout
Conflict: Indian Campaigns
Place of Action: Arizona Territory, USA
Date: 1872
Citation: Gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches.
Notable: Nantaje was one of ten Apache Indian scouts hired by the U.S. Army for Lieutenant Colonel George Crook's expedition against renegades in Arizona following the surrender of Cochise in late 1872.
Running Doe
says:osiyo for sharing ,wado
John Jack
says:I WISH THERE WERE SEVERAL MORE GIVEN TO THEM.
Paul G
says:There are more, this is the first 10!
Joseph Reuben Ortiz/Silverbird
says:Joseph Ortiz (Tewa, Nedni Apache Spanish mixblood) Seerved with honors in 1950.
Indigenous people, (U.S. Indians), of this country fought in Wars Conflicts, divided by the French, Spanish, English & Colonist Powers, almost from the moment these four European powers landed in 1492. White kids don’t learn about this in school, like they are now, not being allowed to know about the “1619 black episode.” by White Suprmacy REPUBLICANS! – (After my Honoable Military Discharge, I change my name to Joseph Reuben Silverbird.)