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During World War II, Blatchford's plane was shot down and exploded midair over enemy lines. Thrown from the plane, he was able to pull the ripcord on his parachute before losing consciousness. Thereon in, he fought with the French before being captured and spending 18 months as a
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In between wars, Blatchford earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and a master's degree in business administration. In addition to his native Navajo and second language of
English, he also learned to speak
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Blatchford was also a
Headman for the Memphis TiaPiah Society, holding the title of Grandfather Rabbit. The Memphis TiaPiah is a branch of the TiaPiah Society of Carnegie, now known as the Kiowa TiaPiah Society
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427:. At the age of 17, standing 5'9" and weighing 130 pounds, it seemed unlikely that Samuel would make much of a name for himself as a warrior. His military service included:
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397:(1925–2005) was an American soldier and civil engineer. He is the most decorated Native American soldier to date.
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Serving as a radio operator and gunner on a B17 Flying
Fortress in Europe and getting shot down four times.
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and named it the
Blatchford-Preston Complex, so that Sergeant Samuel Blatchford and General
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Blatchford's mother, Pauline
Manuelito was the great-granddaughter of the great war chief
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Over his military career, Blatchford earned a total of 28 medals including; the
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Combat service as a ground forward air controller with an Army unit in
Vietnam.
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In 1941, Blatchford began his own journey as a warrior, enlisting into the
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Blatchford died at the age of 81 on
December 23, 2005. He is buried at
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Working with the French
Resistance until his capture by the Gestapo.
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Burial Detail: Blatchford, Samuel N (Section 66, Grave 1029)
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In 2008, the US opened a $ 106 million military complex at
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Military history of the United States during World War II
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412:(1869–63) and led his people in exile to the current
185:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
514:– the highest honor a Lakota warrior can receive.
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16:United States Army Air Corps soldier (1925–2005)
604:, ArlingtonCemetery.net, an unofficial website
1111:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
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92:introducing citations to additional sources
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586:SECAF declares new complex officially open
437:Numerous escape attempts from Stalag 17-B.
1091:American prisoners of war in World War II
263:Learn how and when to remove this message
245:Learn how and when to remove this message
82:Relevant discussion may be found on the
1126:20th-century Native American scientists
1106:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
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588:", February 7, 2008, U.S. Air Force
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1086:Recipients of the Silver Star
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279:Samuel Nathan Blatchford
773:Willard Varnell Oliver
495:for his work with the
291:Fort Defiance, Arizona
788:Frank Tsosie Thompson
485:Prisoner of War Medal
387:Prisoner of War Medal
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728:Joe Hosteen Kellwood
512:Yellow Eagle Feather
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88:improve this article
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1020:Code talkers
768:Lloyd Oliver
698:Edmond Harjo
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508:Lakota Sioux
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425:World War II
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347:World War II
343:Battles/wars
302:(2005-12-25)
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235:January 2018
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177:Please help
172:verification
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144:January 2018
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1076:2005 deaths
1071:1925 births
927:Engagements
763:Chester Nez
688:Thomas Claw
461:Silver Star
410:Navajo Wars
365:Silver Star
355:Vietnam War
1060:Categories
944:New Guinea
908:Potawatomi
833:Chitimacha
560:References
481:Air Medals
406:Kit Carson
351:Korean War
205:newspapers
114:newspapers
39:improve it
974:The Bulge
863:Menominee
823:Blackfeet
738:Jeff King
708:Ira Hayes
471:with one
454:Stalag 17
402:Manuelito
382:Air Medal
84:talk page
45:talk page
993:See also
984:Nagasaki
964:Normandy
918:Shoshone
913:Seminole
873:Muscogee
868:Meskwaki
853:Iroquois
843:Comanche
828:Cherokee
536:Japanese
483:and the
321:Service/
838:Choctaw
524:Turkish
475:, four
423:before
408:in the
219:scholar
128:scholar
903:Pawnee
883:Ojibwe
878:Navajo
858:Lakota
818:Apache
811:Tribes
646:People
532:German
528:French
489:French
487:. The
479:, six
361:Awards
323:branch
309:Buried
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226:JSTOR
212:books
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121:books
848:Hopi
534:and
333:Rank
297:Died
285:Born
198:news
107:news
452:in
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181:by
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