{"id":203332,"date":"2024-07-24T17:44:25","date_gmt":"2024-07-24T22:44:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=203332"},"modified":"2024-07-25T07:18:35","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T12:18:35","slug":"joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/","title":{"rendered":"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"716\" height=\"998\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.46.18\u202fPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.46.18\u202fPM.jpg 716w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.46.18\u202fPM-215x300.jpg 215w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.46.18\u202fPM-108x150.jpg 108w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 716px) 100vw, 716px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This is Joe Medicine Crow, the last genuine Indian war chief. He was a legendary American.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-estimated-reading-time yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-icon=\"clock\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" style=\"display:inline-block;vertical-align:-0.1em\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 8v4l3 3m6-3a9 9 0 11-18 0 9 9 0 0118 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:1em\"><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time: <\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">11<\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Joe Medicine Crow was born in October 1913 on the Crow Indian Reservation outside Lodge Grass, Montana, to Amy Yellowtail and Leo Medicine Crow. His name translated High Bird. Crow society was matrilinear. This meant that property and hereditary rank passed through your mom. Regardless, his father Leo Medicine Crow was a respected war chief himself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>Table of contents<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-hard-core-history\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\" title=\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\" data-level=\"2\">Hard Core History<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-education-of-medicine-crow\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\" title=\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\" data-level=\"2\">Education Of Medicine Crow<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-next-level-learning\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\" title=\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\" data-level=\"2\">Next-Level Learning<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-joe-medicine-crow-foundations\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\" title=\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\" data-level=\"2\">Joe Medicine Crow Foundations<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-communities\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\" title=\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\" data-level=\"2\">Communities<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-crow-tribal-allegiances\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\" title=\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\" data-level=\"2\">Crow Tribal Allegiances<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-tradition\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\" title=\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\" data-level=\"2\">Tradition<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-a-traditional-indian-fights-modern-war\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\" title=\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\" data-level=\"2\">A Traditional Indian Fights Modern War<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-horse-thievery\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\" title=\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\" data-level=\"2\">Horse Thievery<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-a-veteran-s-story\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\" title=\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\" data-level=\"2\">A Veteran\u2019s Story<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-rest-of-the-medicine-crow-story\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\" title=\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\" data-level=\"2\">The Rest of the Medicine Crow Story<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-hard-core-history\">Hard Core History<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"751\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.50.58\u202fPM-751x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.50.58\u202fPM-751x1024.jpg 751w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.50.58\u202fPM-220x300.jpg 220w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.50.58\u202fPM-110x150.jpg 110w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.50.58\u202fPM-768x1047.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.50.58\u202fPM.jpg 852w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 751px) 100vw, 751px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This is White Man Runs Him, Joe Medicine Crow&#8217;s step-grandfather. He was an eyewitness to the massacre at Little Big Horn.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Joe was raised, for the most part, by his maternal step-grandfather, a respected Indian warrior named White Man Runs Him or simply Yellowtail. In the early 1900s, the American West was still littered with veterans of the Indian Wars. White Man Runs Him had served as a scout for General George Armstrong Custer and his 7<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;Cavalry. He had been an eyewitness to the bloody 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Joe was coming of age, he was mesmerized by war stories from his step-grandfather. Joe\u2019s son later said of his father, \u201cHis Grandfather Yellowtail trained him in the old warrior ways. In wintertime, they chopped a hole in the ice and took a refreshing morning plunge. Then Yellowtail told him to run a hundred yards in the snow barefoot. In summer and fall, Dad learned hunting and tracking skills. My father was raised as a farm boy, rancher, outdoorsman, hunter, cowboy, jockey, and exercise boy \u2014 he was an all-round man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-education-of-medicine-crow\">Education Of Medicine Crow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"892\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.23.13\u202fPM-1024x892.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.23.13\u202fPM-1024x892.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.23.13\u202fPM-344x300.jpg 344w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.23.13\u202fPM-150x131.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.23.13\u202fPM-768x669.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.23.13\u202fPM.jpg 1086w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Despite struggling early on, Joe Medicine Crow was a powerful advocate of education for his people.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Joe was a smart kid, but he had not been raised speaking English. On his first day in formal school, he developed a bad case of hiccups and was unable to pronounce \u201cexcuse me\u201d to the teacher\u2019s satisfaction. This bought him a timeout in the sandbox playing with blocks while wearing a dunce cap. However, once he mastered the language, Joe thrived academically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Joe pitched for the school baseball team and excelled in throwing the javelin. By the time he finished high school, he had mastered six musical instruments\u2014the clarinet, saxophone, flute, accordion, piano, and Indian hand drum. In short order, Joe had absorbed all his high school had to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-next-level-learning\">Next-Level Learning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"699\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.33\u202fPM-699x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.33\u202fPM-699x1024.jpg 699w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.33\u202fPM-205x300.jpg 205w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.33\u202fPM-102x150.jpg 102w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.33\u202fPM.jpg 706w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 699px) 100vw, 699px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In addition to some serious warrior skills, Joe Medicine Crow was also an exceptional scholar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1929, while in the 8<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;grade, Joe began taking classes at the Bacone College of Muskogee, Oklahoma. He earned his Associate of Arts degree in 1936 and his bachelor\u2019s two years later. The following year, Joe earned his master\u2019s degree in anthropology from USC in Los Angeles. As I said, Joe was a pretty quick kid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Joe was the second member of his extended tribe to go to college and the first to earn a post-graduate degree. His Master\u2019s thesis,&nbsp;The Effects of European Culture Contact upon the Economic, Social, and Religious Life of the Crow Indians,&nbsp;was widely read. By 1941 he had completed the coursework for his PhD but had not had an opportunity to defend his thesis. It turned out Adolph Hitler had other plans. Now, hold that thought&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-joe-medicine-crow-foundations\">Joe Medicine Crow Foundations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"709\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-9.44.39\u202fPM-1024x709.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-9.44.39\u202fPM-1024x709.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-9.44.39\u202fPM-400x277.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-9.44.39\u202fPM-150x104.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-9.44.39\u202fPM-768x531.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-9.44.39\u202fPM-1536x1063.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-9.44.39\u202fPM.jpg 1688w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Plains Indians were fierce mounted warriors.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Crow tribe of Plains Indians historically lived in the Yellowstone River valley. They allied with the United States against the Cheyenne and the Sioux. The Crow enjoyed a distinctively unique language.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like all of humanity, the history of the American Indians is characterized and punctuated by war, domination, and wanton slaughter. The earliest origins of the Crow people can be traced back to an area around Lake Erie in modern-day Ohio. Organized attacks by their neighbors pushed the Crow into Manitoba and then North Dakota.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Allegiances came and went. The Crow allied with the Kiowa and Plains Apache as it suited them, driving the Shoshone westward to seize their territory by force. Once settled into the Yellowstone River valley, the Crow fractionated into four distinct entities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-communities\">Communities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Crow adapted well to the hunter\/gatherer lifestyle. Their four groups included the Mountain Crow, the River Crow, Kicked in the Bellies, and Beaver Dries Its Fur. I have no idea the significance of those terms, but I find them fascinating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beginning around 1730, the Crow, along with most all Plains Indians, organized their culture around the horse and buffalo hunting. Buffalo provided sustenance, clothing, and shelter. The Indians burned their dried excrement for heat. As did they all, the Crow stole horses and raided their neighbors to attain local advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-crow-tribal-allegiances\">Crow Tribal Allegiances<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"622\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-9.49.14\u202fPM-1024x622.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203351\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-9.49.14\u202fPM-1024x622.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-9.49.14\u202fPM-400x243.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-9.49.14\u202fPM-150x91.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-9.49.14\u202fPM-768x467.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-9.49.14\u202fPM-1536x933.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-9.49.14\u202fPM-2048x1245.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Battle of the Little Big Horn saw the deaths of General George Armstrong Custer along with 267 of his men.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 1850s, a young man named Plenty Coups had a vision wherein he predicted that the incoming white men would eventually become the dominant force in their world. Plenty Coups later grew up to become the greatest Crow chief in the tribe\u2019s history. He espoused that, were the Crow to retain any of their lands, they would have to remain on good terms with the encroaching white men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Battle of the Little Big Horn and the defeat of General George Armstrong Custer in 1876 by the Cheyenne and Sioux took place on the Crow Indian Reservation. However, this sparked the subsequent Great Sioux War that saw the defeat of the Lakota Sioux and their Cheyenne allies. Crow warriors actively served with US Army forces during this war. Joe Medicine Crow came from a people of warriors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tradition\">Tradition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Plains Indians had a highly refined hierarchy. According to the Crow tradition, there were four requirements for a warrior to be designated a war chief. One must lead a successful war party, touch an enemy soldier without actually killing him (called counting coup in the vernacular), disarm an enemy soldier, and capture an enemy\u2019s horse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"581\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM-1024x581.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203342\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM-1024x581.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM-400x227.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM-150x85.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM-768x436.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM-1536x872.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM.jpg 1804w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Native Americans played a significant role in the planetary fight against tyranny during WW2.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As did so many of his generation, when the United States went to war, Joe Medicine Crow answered the call. The small-statured Native American soon found himself serving as a scout with the 103d Infantry Division during the assault across France in 1944. In this capacity, Medicine Crow once led a seven-man team through withering artillery fire to breach German defensive positions on the Siegfried Line with explosives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-traditional-indian-fights-modern-war\">A Traditional Indian Fights Modern War<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"688\" height=\"956\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.18.01\u202fPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203349\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.18.01\u202fPM.jpg 688w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.18.01\u202fPM-216x300.jpg 216w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.18.01\u202fPM-108x150.jpg 108w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 688px) 100vw, 688px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Medicine Crow brought his people&#8217;s ancient warrior traditions to a modern battlefield.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Whenever he went into battle, Medicine Crow wore his war paint. This consisted of two red stripes down his arms that were not visible underneath his uniform. He also kept a sacred yellow-painted eagle feather tucked inside his helmet. The feather had been a formal gift from a \u201cSun Dance\u201d medical man prior to his deployment overseas. It was in this configuration while covertly creeping through a contested French village that Medicine Crow rounded a corner and came face-to-face with a strapping German Landser much larger than he.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both men were surprised. However, for reasons lost to history, Medicine Crow did not shoot the man. Perhaps he was trying to remain stealthy in an enemy-held area. Instead, he reflexively kicked the big German in the balls, causing him to drop his rifle. Joe then dove on the enemy soldier, wrapping his fingers vise-like around the man\u2019s throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the German soldier\u2019s eyes rolled back in his head he called out, \u201cMama, Mama!\u201d This touched something primal in Medicine Crow\u2019s heart. He later told his son Ronald, \u201cI let go of him and got my rifle back and he became my prisoner. We sat down, away from all the shouting and fighting, and I shared a cigarette with him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-horse-thievery\">Horse Thievery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.10.15\u202fPM-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203341\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.10.15\u202fPM-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.10.15\u202fPM-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.10.15\u202fPM-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.10.15\u202fPM-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.10.15\u202fPM-1536x1027.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.10.15\u202fPM.jpg 1550w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Germans made extensive use of horse-drawn transport right up until the end of the war.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Another time, Medicine Crow infiltrated a Waffen SS encampment. Despite fighting a mechanized war, much of the German military machine remained dependent upon horses until the armistice. Before his commander could launch an assault against the SS position, Joe volunteered to liberate their horses. Improvising a bridle just as his ancestors might, Joe mounted one of the animals bareback and then herded a further fifty to freedom. Once he was clear, his commander launched an artillery barrage that caused the German troops to surrender. As he rode into the distance, the short Indian warrior sang a traditional Crow honor song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"694\" height=\"1002\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.46.28\u202fPM.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203339\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.46.28\u202fPM.jpg 694w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.46.28\u202fPM-208x300.jpg 208w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.46.28\u202fPM-104x150.jpg 104w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 694px) 100vw, 694px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Medicine Crow was a steely-eyed soldier who was stone-cold in a fight.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re keeping track, that operation checked the last of the four boxes. Joe Medicine Crow led a war party, counted coup, disarmed an enemy soldier, and took an opponent\u2019s horses. By the time Joe came home from Europe, he was a full-fledged Crow war chief, the last of his breed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-veteran-s-story\">A Veteran\u2019s Story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Upon his return from Europe, Medicine Crow took a job as tribal historian and anthropologist. Beginning in 1951, he began working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. His historical scholarship and advocacy for Native Americans was widely respected. In 1999 he addressed the United Nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Medicine Crow became a regular speaker at the Little Big Horn College as well as the Little Big Horn Battlefield Museum. Having put his oral history to paper, his script of the Little Big Horn fight guided the reenactment on the battlefield every year beginning in 1965. He was also a widely published author.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Medicine Crow\u2019s works included&nbsp;<em>Crow Migration Story<\/em>,&nbsp;<em>Medicine Crow<\/em>, the&nbsp;<em>Handbook of the Crow Indians Law and Treaties<\/em>,&nbsp;<em>Crow Indian Buffalo Jump Techniques<\/em>, and&nbsp;<em>From the Heart of Crow Country<\/em>. He also penned a children\u2019s book called&nbsp;<em>Brave Wolf and the Thunderbird.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-rest-of-the-medicine-crow-story\">The Rest of the Medicine Crow Story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"762\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.50.42\u202fPM-762x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.50.42\u202fPM-762x1024.jpg 762w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.50.42\u202fPM-223x300.jpg 223w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.50.42\u202fPM-112x150.jpg 112w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.50.42\u202fPM-768x1032.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-6.50.42\u202fPM.jpg 972w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 762px) 100vw, 762px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Medicine Crow was eventually decorated by the President.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Joe Medicine Crow was eventually granted three different honorary doctorates. His military decorations included the Bronze Star, the French Legion of Honor Chevalier Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. In 2009, President Obama awarded Medicine Crow with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. At the awards ceremony, the President referred to Medicine Crow as&nbsp;<em>bacheitche,<\/em>&nbsp;or a \u201cgood man,\u201d in his native Crow language. There\u2019s a lot about which Obama and I disagreed, but that was pretty classy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/human-nature-assault-weapons-and-the-massacre-at-wounded-knee\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\" title=\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Human Nature, Assault Weapons, and the Massacre at Wounded Knee<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.08.51\u202fPM-1024x750.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203343\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.08.51\u202fPM-1024x750.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.08.51\u202fPM-400x293.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.08.51\u202fPM-150x110.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.08.51\u202fPM-768x563.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.08.51\u202fPM.jpg 1204w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Over the course of a long life spanning more than a century, Joe Medicine Crow served as an ambassador and advocate for his people.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Joe Medicine Crow continued to write and deliver historical lectures, usually in native regalia, all the way up to his death in 2016 at the ripe age of 102. He left behind a son, two daughters, and a stepdaughter. Joe Medicine Crow, the last of the Crow war chiefs, indeed lived a warrior\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong><em>*** <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\" title=\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a> ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Joe was raised, for the most part, by his maternal step-grandfather, a respected Indian warrior named White Man Runs Him or simply Yellowtail.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":203342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,772],"tags":[102,2760,2836],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-203332","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gunsamerica-authors","8":"category-will-dabbs","9":"tag-feature-articles","10":"tag-war-hero","11":"tag-will-dabbs"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dr Dabbs: Joe Medicine Crow - Last American Indian War Chief<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Joe Medicine Crow was a smart kid who grew up in what we would consider an unorthodox setting but achieved great things.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Joe was raised, for the most part, by his maternal step-grandfather, a respected Indian warrior named White Man Runs Him or simply Yellowtail.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/will.dabbs.9\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-07-24T22:44:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-07-25T12:18:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1804\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Will Dabbs\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Will Dabbs\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Will Dabbs\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4b818f415191c071a88bdc0d8cb33eca\"},\"headline\":\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-07-24T22:44:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-07-25T12:18:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1887,\"commentCount\":9,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Feature Articles\",\"War Hero\",\"Will Dabbs\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Authors\",\"Will Dabbs\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\\\/#respond\"]}],\"accessibilityFeature\":[\"tableOfContents\"]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\\\/\",\"name\":\"Dr Dabbs: Joe Medicine Crow - Last American Indian War Chief\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-07-24T22:44:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-07-25T12:18:35+00:00\",\"description\":\"Joe Medicine Crow was a smart kid who grew up in what we would consider an unorthodox setting but achieved great things.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM.jpg\",\"width\":1804,\"height\":1024},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/\",\"name\":\"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\\\/Digest\",\"description\":\"Gun Reviews, Industry News, and Product Reviews for Rifles, Pistols, Revolvers, Shotguns, Optics, and Ammunition. Looking to purchase a firearm online? Look no further than GunsAmerica.com, America&#039;s premier destination for buying and selling firearms.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"GunsAmerica\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/image-3.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/image-3.png\",\"width\":286,\"height\":156,\"caption\":\"GunsAmerica\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/gunsamerica\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/gunsamerica\",\"https:\\\/\\\/instagram.com\\\/gunsamerica_official\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/GunsAmerica\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4b818f415191c071a88bdc0d8cb33eca\",\"name\":\"Will Dabbs\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3f92754a3ed333ac83169c15688576870270fedca39840d42964bdc8aba0f8bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3f92754a3ed333ac83169c15688576870270fedca39840d42964bdc8aba0f8bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3f92754a3ed333ac83169c15688576870270fedca39840d42964bdc8aba0f8bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Will Dabbs\"},\"description\":\"Will is still trying to figure out what he really wants to be when he grows up. However, shooting guns and claiming it was work seemed like a pretty sweet hustle. As a result, Will serendipitously transformed an avocation into a vocation. Raised in the Mississippi Delta, Will flew UH1H, OH58A\\\/C, CH47D and AH1S helicopters operationally as an Army Aviator. He is SCUBA-qualified and has parachuted out of perfectly good airplanes at 3 o'clock in the morning. Will has summited Mount McKinley, Alaska, six times\u2026always at the controls of an Army helicopter, which is the only way sensible folk climb mountains. Will has delivered sixty babies and occasionally wrung human blood out of his socks. He is married to his high school sweetheart and has three awesome adult children. Turn-ons include vintage German machineguns, flying his sexy-cool RV6A airplane, Count Chocula cereal and the movie \u201cAliens.\u201d www.word-monkey.com Experience: -Professional Writer-thousands of publishing credits for dozens of titles -Mechanical Engineer\\\/Practicing Physician -Instrument-rated Commercial Pilot -Sunday School Teacher\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.word-monkey.com\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/will.dabbs.9\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/drwildmanmd\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/author\\\/willdabbs\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Dr Dabbs: Joe Medicine Crow - Last American Indian War Chief","description":"Joe Medicine Crow was a smart kid who grew up in what we would consider an unorthodox setting but achieved great things.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief","og_description":"Joe was raised, for the most part, by his maternal step-grandfather, a respected Indian warrior named White Man Runs Him or simply Yellowtail.","og_url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/","og_site_name":"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/will.dabbs.9","article_published_time":"2024-07-24T22:44:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-07-25T12:18:35+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1804,"height":1024,"url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Will Dabbs","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@gunsamerica","twitter_site":"@gunsamerica","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Will Dabbs","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/"},"author":{"name":"Will Dabbs","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/person\/4b818f415191c071a88bdc0d8cb33eca"},"headline":"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief","datePublished":"2024-07-24T22:44:25+00:00","dateModified":"2024-07-25T12:18:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/"},"wordCount":1887,"commentCount":9,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM.jpg","keywords":["Feature Articles","War Hero","Will Dabbs"],"articleSection":["Authors","Will Dabbs"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/#respond"]}],"accessibilityFeature":["tableOfContents"]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/","name":"Dr Dabbs: Joe Medicine Crow - Last American Indian War Chief","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM.jpg","datePublished":"2024-07-24T22:44:25+00:00","dateModified":"2024-07-25T12:18:35+00:00","description":"Joe Medicine Crow was a smart kid who grew up in what we would consider an unorthodox setting but achieved great things.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM.jpg","width":1804,"height":1024},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/joe-medicine-crow-the-last-american-indian-war-chief\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Joe Medicine Crow: The Last American Indian War Chief"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#website","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/","name":"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest","description":"Gun Reviews, Industry News, and Product Reviews for Rifles, Pistols, Revolvers, Shotguns, Optics, and Ammunition. Looking to purchase a firearm online? Look no further than GunsAmerica.com, America&#039;s premier destination for buying and selling firearms.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#organization","name":"GunsAmerica","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-3.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-3.png","width":286,"height":156,"caption":"GunsAmerica"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica","https:\/\/x.com\/gunsamerica","https:\/\/instagram.com\/gunsamerica_official\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/GunsAmerica"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/person\/4b818f415191c071a88bdc0d8cb33eca","name":"Will Dabbs","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3f92754a3ed333ac83169c15688576870270fedca39840d42964bdc8aba0f8bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3f92754a3ed333ac83169c15688576870270fedca39840d42964bdc8aba0f8bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3f92754a3ed333ac83169c15688576870270fedca39840d42964bdc8aba0f8bc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Will Dabbs"},"description":"Will is still trying to figure out what he really wants to be when he grows up. However, shooting guns and claiming it was work seemed like a pretty sweet hustle. As a result, Will serendipitously transformed an avocation into a vocation. Raised in the Mississippi Delta, Will flew UH1H, OH58A\/C, CH47D and AH1S helicopters operationally as an Army Aviator. He is SCUBA-qualified and has parachuted out of perfectly good airplanes at 3 o'clock in the morning. Will has summited Mount McKinley, Alaska, six times\u2026always at the controls of an Army helicopter, which is the only way sensible folk climb mountains. Will has delivered sixty babies and occasionally wrung human blood out of his socks. He is married to his high school sweetheart and has three awesome adult children. Turn-ons include vintage German machineguns, flying his sexy-cool RV6A airplane, Count Chocula cereal and the movie \u201cAliens.\u201d www.word-monkey.com Experience: -Professional Writer-thousands of publishing credits for dozens of titles -Mechanical Engineer\/Practicing Physician -Instrument-rated Commercial Pilot -Sunday School Teacher","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.word-monkey.com","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/will.dabbs.9","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/drwildmanmd\/"],"url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/author\/willdabbs\/"}]}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-09-at-8.09.57\u202fPM-150x85.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203332"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203332\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":204666,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203332\/revisions\/204666"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/203342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203332"},{"taxonomy":"featured","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured?post=203332"},{"taxonomy":"hunt365","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hunt365?post=203332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}