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 Force early in the war, spent nearly four years in a German prison camp before the advancing armies released him. Another Osage, Maj Edward E. Tinker, a nephew of Gen Clarence Tinker, was taken prisoner when he crashed in Bulgaria, and was freed by the Russian advance.
Among the American prisoners released by the 6th Ranger Battalion from Cabanatuan Prison in the Philippines on January 30, 1945, was Maj Caryl L. Picotte, Sioux-Omaha, formerly of Nebraska, but now stationed in Oakland (California). Maj Picotte was called to active duty with the Air Corps in September 1941, and sent to the Philippines. On his arrival in Manila he was assigned to duty as Associate Engineering Officer at the Philippine Air Depot, Nichols Field. After the Japanese air attack on Nichols Field, December 8, 1941, when most of the serviceable American aircraft were destroyed, Maj Picotte assisted in the organization of a provisional Air Corps regiment which fought as infantry from January 1, 1942, until the capitulation of Bataan on April 9 of that year. He was in the famous Death March from Bataan to the first American prisoner-of-war camp at O’Donnell, covering 80 miles in three days with one meal of rice. In June he was moved to Cabanatuan, where he remained until released by the Rangers two and a half years later. During the last days before the fall of Bataan, he was recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star. Maj Picotte comes of a distinguished Indian family. His grandfather was Joseph LaFlesche (Iron Eyes), the last chief of the Omaha tribe. His mother, Susan LaFlesche Picotte, was the first Indian woman physician and is remembered with veneration for her life of unselfish service to both Indians and Whites. The late Francis LaFlesche, distinguished ethnologist, was his uncle, and Suzette LaFlesche Tibbles (Bright Eyes), who lectured throughout the civilized world and was the most famous Indian woman of the 1880’s and 1890’s, was his aunt. Maj Picotte reported that there were more than 300 Indians on Bataan and Corregidor. While in the prison camps he met and talked with many from all sections of the country. He added, ‘their battle record, individually and as a whole, left nothing to be desired‘.
Not all the news of the prisoners of war is good. Some did not survive the rigors and the mistreatment in the camps, and some were lost in the torpedoing of several ships carrying prisoners of war from the Philippines to Japan. Others perished when another ship was bombed and sunk in Subic Bay. It is hoped that, as time goes on, more will be found alive and that the lists of released prisoners will grow.
(Doc Snafu added note) This archive, originally written in 1945, stands as a testament to its time, untouched by revision or reinterpretation. Preserved in its original form, it serves as a window into the thoughts, language, and context of its creation, remaining an unaltered relic of history. By resisting change, it retains its authenticity and offers an unfiltered perspective, allowing readers to engage with the document as it was first intended. This enduring constancy enhances its value as a historical artifact, maintaining its integrity across generations.
Archives on Native Americans are notoriously difficult to locate, particularly when the source originates from outside the United States, such as Belgium. The challenge lies not only in the scarcity of documents but also in the historical barriers to access and preservation across continents. This rarity extends to photographs, which are even more elusive due to the limited dissemination of visual records and the cultural and geographical distance of European observers. Such materials, when found, are invaluable for their insight into indigenous lives and histories, offering rare glimpses into a world that has often been misrepresented or overlooked.
I welcome and encourage readers to contribute to the enrichment of this archive. If you have any change requests, additional information, or insights to share, please feel free to leave your comments in the box below this publication. Your input is invaluable in ensuring the accuracy and completeness of this resource, and I greatly appreciate any contributions that help us preserve and expand our understanding of the history and context documented here.
A Family of Braves
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.
S/Sgt Francis E. Brave received the Silver Star for gallantry in action, evacuating 30 German prisoners to the rear under enemy fire on Anzio beachhead. ‘During the two hours required for the trip’, to quote the citation, ‘S/Sgt brave had to wade through waist-deep water and frequently had to take cover from enemy tank and mortar shells; however, he controlled his prisoners and brought them to the proper collecting point. S/Sgt Brave’s gallant conduct made possible the early gathering of important information from the prisoners and reflects much credit on the Army of the United States‘.
S/Sgt Waldron A. Frazier, also a grandson of the Reverend Brave, served with the Second Troop Carrier Squadron for four years, during two of which he was stationed successively in China India Burma. As crew chief of the ‘Thunderbird’, one of the big transport planes, he had more than 125 hours of combat flying time, and he wore the Air Medal, the Pacific Theater Ribbon with two battle stars, and the American Defense Ribbon. His group won two Presidential Unit citations. Last December he was killed in a plane crash while being invalided home. Nearly four hundred of ‘The Chief’s’ friends decided to do something in his memory. Accordingly, they bought for his little girl, Ilona Joyce, $1025 worth of War Bonds, and sent a check for the $14.45 left over from the purchases. Among the donors were all ranks from majors to privates. ‘We hope that this little gift will help to give Ilona Joyce some of the things that Waldron would like her to have‘, they wrote.
The other four grandsons are doing well, and no doubt we shall hear brave stories of them. They are: Cpl Alexander A. Brave, Sgt Judson B. Brave, and Ronald H. and Donald H. Frasier, twins, who are in the Coast Guard and the Navy, respectively. The Reverend Brave’s son, Ben, was recently discharged from the Army for overage. A son-in-law, Lt Frank Fox, is in the Army, and another grandson, John W. Frazier Jr, has recently donned the uniform. Two grandsons-in-law, James Wilson and Russell DeCora, complete the family fighting group.
Indian Service Employees in the War
Twenty-one employees of the Indian Service gave their lives for the cause of freedom and justice, some of them in action against the enemy, some in training, some by accident, and some by illness. There will be more names to add to the list when the reckoning is completed. Capt Homer Claymore, pilot of a B-17 bomber in the 8-USAAF, has been missing for many months and must be presumed lost. He was employed as a baker at Pine Ridge before he entered the AAF. Lt Orian Wynn, of the Consolidated Ute Agency, was reported missing after a raid on enemy territory from his base in Italy.
The prisoners of war released by the victorious armies of the United Nations include Soldier Sanders, baker at the Sequoyah School, Wallace Tuner, clerk at Jicarilla, and Marion Chadacloi, assistant at Navajo. They were all prisoners of the Germans. Cornelius Gregory, teacher at Fort Sill, spent eleven months interned in Sweden, following a raid on Germany during which his plane was damaged and had to land in neutral territory. Mrs. Etta S. Jones, teacher, who was captured when the Japanese invaded the island of Attu in June 1942, was found in a camp near Tokyo and brought back to the United States. Her husband, who was a special assistant and operated the radio station on the island, was killed at the time of the invasion. Dr. Sidney E. Seid, formerly physician at the Chilocco School, survived more than three years’ imprisonment in Japan. Still to be heard from are Louis E. Williams, clerk at Pine Ridge, and Roy J. House, clerk at Jicarilla, who were made prisoners by the Japanese during the first campaigns in the Philippines.
Indian Service employees have won decorations for gallantry and courage. Lt William Sixkiller Jr, who died of wounds received in action on Saipan, received the posthumous award of the Silver Star. Another Indian Office employee, Sgt Robert Duffin, wears the same decoration, awarded for exploits in Germany, and Philip Kowice, of the United Pueblos Agency, earned his Silver Star in the Italian campaign. Bronze Star Medals were awarded to Lt James M. Ware, of the Osage Agency, who directed evacuation of the wounded in an Italian engagement, although seriously wounded himself; to Col E. Morgan Pryse, Director of Roads, for the construction of airfields in advance combat sectors; and to Maj Delmer F. Parker, Physician at the Pawnee Agency, for his work as surgeon in the Pacific Theatre. Capt Louis J. Feves, furloughed from his position as physician at the Umatilla Agency, Oregon, won the Soldier’s Medal when he went to the rescue of injured crew members of a bomber which had crashed on a heavily-mined reef in the Gilbert Islands.
The list of those wounded in action includes Henry McEwin (Engineer, Chilocco School), Walter W. Nations (Agricultural Extension Agent, United Pueblos), Nelson Thomson (Assistant, Navajo), Walter Campbell (Barber, Sherman institute), Franklin Gritts (Teacher, Haskell Institute), Michael Bordeaux (Clerk, Rosebud), James M. Ware (Clerk, Osage), Henry Garcia (Orderly, Navajo), and Morris James (Mechanic, Pine Ridge).
IN MEMORIAM
Joe Singer – Assistant, Navajo Agency – May 10, 1942
C. Foster Jones – Assistant, Alaska Service – June 8, 1942
Percy Archdale – Clerk, Truxton Canyon Agency – February 7, 1943
Irwin G. Price – Forest Ranger, Fort Apache Agency – November 23, 1943
Alfred Begay – Farmer, Navajo Agency – October 26, 1943
Cruz McDaniels – Clerk, Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency – May 18, 1944
Richard Monte Strong – Engineering Aide, United Pueblos Agency – June 1, 1944
William Sixkiller Jr – Clerk, Chicago Office – July 13, 1944
Harold A. Wood – Engineer, United Pueblos Agency – July 17, 1944
Esther F. Henry – Field Nurse, Osage Agency – August 18, 1944
Susan Motylewski – Teacher, Navajo Agency – October 29, 1944
James F. Klock – Physician, Consolidated Chippewa Agency – December 12, 1944
Winfield Robinson – Forester, Colville Agency – December 15, 1944
Velma Miller – Nurse, Navajo Agency – December 19, 1944
Allen E. Lovine – Boys’ Adviser, Carson Agency – March 27, 1945
Joe Gonzales – Pump Operator, Sells Agency – March 31, 1945
Ted Bird – Truck Driver, United Pueblos Agency – April 1, 1945
Vicenti Mirabal – Teacher, United Pueblos Agency – April 7, 1945
William Silas Coons – Farm Agent, Shawnee Agency – April 14, 1945
Fred James – Bus Driver, Pima Agency – May 7, 1945
Wilson Tso – General Mechanic, Navajo Agency – May 13, 1945
Note: The entry for Robert Custer Jordan was added on 11 March 2009 at the request of a family member.
Additional Researches & Image Sources
https://www.britannica.com/topic/code-talker
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/air-medal-effort-bolster-morale
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/native-americans-45th-infantry-division
https://dcist.com/story/17/02/03/national-museum-of-the-american-ind/
https://lowvarates.com/va-loan-blog/a-historical-overview-of-native-americans-in-the-us-military/
https://www.atxfinearts.com/blogs/news/famous-native-american-paintings
https://www.ima-usa.com/products/original-u-s-wwii-navy-usmc-navajo-code-talker
https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/navajo-code-talkers-and-the-unbreakable-code/
https://www.reddit.com/filipino_guerrillas_during_the_battle_of_leyte/
https://www.grunge.com/220988/what-these-native-american-tribes-believed-about-death/
https://www.funeralguide.co.uk/blog/death-around-world-native-american-beliefs
https://legacy-blog.billiongraves.com/native-american-burial-rituals/
https://myend.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/native-american-pow-wow-usa-02-1024×576.jpg
https://www.travelsouthdakota.com/culture-history/native-american
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/13/us/native-american-veterans-memorial-dedication
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/05/27/soldier-grave-france-world-war-i-buried/
https://baskets.nhmu.utah.edu/collections/baskets/navajo-code-talkers-basket-2002
https://www.dvidshub.net/image/483970/americas-secret-weapon-navajo-code-talkers
https://www.destination-ameriques.fr
https://exhibits.weber.edu/s/SC50/page/naval_supply
https://www.facebook.com/nativeamericanveteran?locale=nl_NL
https://www.defense.gov/News//Story/native-american-women-take-pride-in-their-military-service/
https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/women-in-americas-world-war-ii-workforce/
https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/wwii-pow-flag
