THE HO-CHUNK WARRIOR
Heritage of the Ho-Chunk People
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

It is customary among the Ho-Chunk to give high honors to their warriors. Each spring they celebrate their tribal warriors with an "Honor the Warrior" pow-wow over the Memorial Day weekend. At the flag raising ceremony, Ho-Chunk people are invited to bring flags from military funerals of loved ones. These proudly and gracefully wave for the duration of the pow-wow. 
Some people bring photographs to place at the foot of the flagpole under their loved one's flag. Occasionally you might notice a tobacco offering left near a flagpole. These are meant to honor the dead warrior.
 
Ho-Chunk warriors are honored whether they died in action or returned home from their war. The honor is their decision to fight, not in their death by another warrior's hand. 
A PROUD WARRIOR TRADITION

Oral tradition and documented sources show that Ho-Chunk warriors have fought in major wars and minor skirmishes since 1650 and before. Before the coming of the white man and during the colonial period, intertribal warfare was common. During the American Revolution, Ho-Chunk warriors fought on the side of the British. With the opening of the Northwest Territory , westward encroachment began and the Ho-Chunk remained loyal to the British and fought with them during the War of 1812.
 
The treaty process ushered in a period of land loss and removal. In spite of this, many Ho-Chunk enlisted during the Civil War, joining regiments from Nebraska and Minnesota as well as Wisconsin . Following the Civil War, Ho-Chunk joined the "regular army" and under Col. Carrington aided in the establishment of forts in the Powder River country along the Bozeman Trail.
 
The 20th Century brought with it two world wars and numerous other international crises and conflicts. Ho-Chunk warriors served proudly and gave their lives during World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, and Vietnam.

MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER
Most Congressional Medals of Honor have been give posthumously to a soldier, sailor, or airman who gave his or her life on a battlefield. The medal is the highest United States military decoration awarded by Congress to military personnel for gallantry and bravery beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy.
 
Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr. enlisted in the Marines in 1942 when he was seventeen years old. Following his World War II service, Red Cloud enlisted in the Army. By 1950, the Korean conflict had begun and Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr., then a Corporal, was sent to Korea . On November 5, 1950 Corporal Red Cloud met his death. Prior to that time, Red Cloud had received three Purple Hearts.
 
Corporal Red Cloud posthumously received the Medal of Honor on April 4, 1951 with his mother Nellie Winneshiek Red Cloud accepting the award from General Omar Bradley. 
Red Cloud is remembered for his valor with a Wisconsin Historical Marker, located on Highway 54, a few miles east of Black River Falls, with a large monument at the Decorah Cemetery located at the Indian Mission nearby, and through the christening of a naval transport ship in 1999, the Red Cloud. 
TODAY

Ho-Chunk today still encourage their children, both boys and girls, to enter the military. Many Ho-Chunk youth served in Desert Storm and other recent military engagements and many others have joined peacetime forces or the reserves. It is considered to be one of the most honorable professions for a young person as the warrior tradition continues into the 21st century.



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