Pascal Poolaw: Fought in WW2, Korean War, and Vietnam

Most decorated American Indian Soldier

After being awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart in 1944 for attacking a German machine gun nest with grenades and destroying it, Pascal’s next war was on the Korean peninsula. There he was awarded two more Silver Stars and Purple Hearts for hand to hand combat, and exposing himself to enemy fire to protect his men. After the Korean War he retired until he learned that his son was going to Vietnam. He immediately signed up, hoping that his son would not be put in combat if he volunteered for combat duty. In 1967 on a search and destroy patrol his unit was attacked by a superior force. He directed fire exposing himself to danger and ran among troops to collect the wounded. As he was pulling a wounded man to safety he was killed, posthumously earning his fourth Silver Star. He remains the most decorated American Indian soldier with 42 medals and citations in 3 wars.

4 Silver Stars, 5 Bronze Stars and 3 Purple Hearts for a man who ran into danger. Valor is in you. Set it free.