Tommy Prince, Ojibway, 1915-1977
He is Canada’s most-decorated Aboriginal war veteran
and was a brave and remarkable man. Prince had a strong sense
of civic duty and a fierce pride in his people. He said “All
my life I had wanted to do something to help my people recover
their good name.” A descendant of Peguis, the Saulteaux
Chief, he dedicated himself to attaining increased educational
and economic opportunities for Aboriginal peoples. In 1940 he
enlisted in the Canadian Army first as a Field Engineer and then
with the Canadian Parachute Battalion. He trained with a specialized
assault team, the 1st Special Service Force, which became known
to the enemy as the Devil’s Brigade. When the fighting ended,
King George VI decorated Prince with both the Military Medal and
the Silver Star, an American decoration for gallantry in action.
Prince re-enlisted and served with the Princess Patricia’s
Canadian Light Infantry. During two tours of duty during the Korean
War he won the Korean, Canadian Volunteer Service and United Nations
Service medals. He was wounded in the knee, and was honourably
discharged in 1953. A longer biography appears in Native Leaders
of Canada.
