Chief Joe Medicine Crow was the last Plains Chief, who earned the right to be a War Chief in battle. He was born in 1913 on a Crow Reservation in Montana, and he came from a long line of Crow Warriors. He was the first Crow man to receive a Masters degree, and was working on his PhD when WWII began. He enlisted as a scout, and went to Normandy. During the war he completed the four requirements to be a Crow War Chief.
- Touching an enemy without killing him.
- Taking an enemies weapon.
- Lead a successful war party.
- Stealing an enemy's horse.
One day he came face to face with a Nazi soldier. First he disarmed the man, and fights him in hand to hand combat. After he grabbed the man, the soldier screamed out mama, and he let his enemy go free. Later Chief Medicine Crow leads 7 U.S. soldiers to retrieve dynamite from a lost Allied position.
He completed the mission without losing a single man. In early 1945, Nazi soldiers took over a Thoroughbred farm. He sneaks past the sleeping guards and finds the best horse.
Using a rope, he mounts the horse bareback.
With a Crow war cry, he herds the other 50 horses out of the corral and into the night.
As WWII ends, he helped to liberate a concentration camp in Germany. After he went back home to Montana, he was given the great honor of Crow War Chief. He also received 3 honorary PhDs and the Presidential Metal of Freedom.
He stayed with the love of his life for over 60 years. Chief Joe Medicine Crow crossed over in 2016,
The Last Great Plains War Chief !