Pascal Poolaw: Difference between revisions

|width_style = person

|name = Pascal Poolaw

|image image_upright = Pascal C Poolaw Sr1.jpg2

|captionimage = Poolaw during the Korean War = Pascal C Poolaw Sr.jpg

|birth_namecaption = Pascal Cleatus = Poolaw during the Korean War

|death_datebirth_date = {{deathbirth date and age|1967|11|7|1922|01|2229|mf=y}}

|death_placebirth_place = {{nowrap|near = [[LocApache, NinhOklahoma]], South Vietnam}}U.S.

|branchallegiance = {{flagi|Flag of the United States Army.svg|size=23px}} [[United States Army]]

|unit_labelserviceyears = Units1942–1967

|unitrank = {{plainlist|[[First Sergeant]]

|battles_label = Wars

|battles = {{ubl|[[World War II]]|[[Korean War]]|[[Vietnam War]]{{KIA|alt=yes}}}}

'''Pascal Cleatus Poolaw Sr.''' (January 2229, 1922&nbsp;– November 7, 1967) was a [[Kiowa]] who served with the [[United States Army]] in [[World War II]], the [[Korean War]], and the [[Vietnam War]]. He is the United States' most decorated [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], with 42&nbsp;medals and citations, including the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]], four [[Silver Star]]s, five [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Stars]], as well as three [[Purple Heart]]s&nbsp;– one for each war.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pascal C. Poolaw Sr.|url=https://www.army.mil/americanindians/poolaw.html|website=army.mil|series=American Indians in the U.S. Army|accessdateaccess-date=2018-12-08|df=mdy-all|quote=Most decorated American Indian Soldier}}</ref>

== BiographyEarly life ==

=== Military career ===

In 1942, Poolaw joined his father and two brothers in [[World War II]]. He earned his first [[Purple Heart]] when he was wounded in September&nbsp;1944.{{sfn|Meadows|2012|p=74}} He earned his first [[Silver Star]] for his actions [[Bastogne|near Recogne]], Belgium, while serving in theCompany M, [[8th Infantry Regiment (United States)|8th &nbsp;Infantry Regiment]]'s M Company, when he pushed his unit forward under heavy fire and hurled hand grenades at enemy machine guns until the enemy dispersed.{{sfn|Hall of Valor|2010}}

He continued to serve in the [[Korean War]], where he earned two more Silver Stars, and in July&nbsp;1950, another Purple Heart,{{sfn|Meadows|2012|p=74}} before his return to the United States in 1952.{{sfn|Hall of Valor|2010}} He retired from the Army in 1962.

HisPoolaw's son, Pascal Jr., had also joined the army and was serving in the [[Vietnam War]] in February&nbsp;1967, when he gotwas wounded in both legs by a landmine, and had to have his right leg [[below-the-knee amputation|amputated below the knee]]. HisPoolaw's youngest son Lindy was also drafted and set to deploy to Vietnam shortly. Poolaw rejoined the Army to prevent Lindy from having to serve by taking his place. Lindy had already shipped out and Poolaw had hoped to catch up with him in time, but when he arrived on the West Coast he discovered his son had already left the day beforethereafter.

Poolaw rejoined the Army to prevent Lindy from having to serve, by taking his place. Lindy had already shipped out and Poolaw had hoped to catch up with him in time, but when he arrived on the West Coast, he discovered his son had already left the day before. He decided to follow his son to Vietnam and.

Poolaw was deployed on May 31, 1967, as the first sergeant of the [[26th Infantry Regiment (United States)|26th &nbsp;Infantry Regiment]]'s C &nbsp;Company. On November&nbsp;7, while on a search and destroy mission during the [[Firstfirst Battlebattle of LộcLoc Ninh]], Poolaw and his unit were ambushed by the [[Viet Cong]]. He was killed while attempting to pull a unit casualty to safety, and posthumously awarded a fourth Silver Star.{{sfn|Hall of Valor|2010}}

At his funeral, his wife stated: "He has followed the trail of the great chiefs."{{sfn|Ward|Burns|2017|p=244}} A building at the U.S. Army base in [[Fort Sill]] in [[Lawton, Oklahoma]], where—where he was stationed prior to his deployment to Vietnam, isVietnam—is named in his honor.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kiowa citizen Pascal Cleatus Poolaw considered most decorated Indian soldier|url=https://www.indianz.com/News/2017/11/07/kiowa-citizen-pascal-cleatus-poolaw-cons.asp|newspaper=Indianz.Com|date=2017-11-07|accessdateaccess-date=2018-02-02|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

=== Awards and decorations ===

Poolaw was the recipient of the following military decorations and service medals:{{sfn|Struzinski|2012|p=9}}<center>

|colspan=4 align=center|[[File:CIB3.gif|206px|alt=]]

|colspan=4 align=center|{{ribbon devices|width=106|number=0|ribbon=Distinguished Service Cross ribbon.svg{{!}}border}} {{ribbon devices|width=106|number=30|ribbon=Silver Star Medal ribbon.svg{{!}}border|type=oak}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -85px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg|22px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -64px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg|22px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -43px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg|22px]]</span> {{ribbon devices|width=106|number=4|ribbon=Bronze Star ribbon.svg{{!}}border|type=oak|other_device=v}}

|{{ribbon devices|width=106|number=20|ribbon=Purple Heart ribbon.svg{{!}}border|type=oak}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -75px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg|22px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -53px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg|22px]]</span>

|{{ribbon devices|width=106|number=0|ribbon=Army Good Conduct Medal ribbon.svg{{!}}border}}<span style="display:inline-block; position:relative; left:-100px; top:0px; width:0;">[[File:gcl-08.png|92px90px|alt=Ribbon clasp|link=]]</span>

|{{ribbon devices|width=106|number=50|ribbon=European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon.svg{{!}}border|type=service-star|other_device=arrowhead}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -71px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Arrowhead device.svg|21px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -52px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Silver-service-star-3d.svg|18px]]</span>

|{{ribbon devices|width=106|number=01|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg{{!}}border|type=service-star}}

|{{ribbon devices|width=106|number=20|ribbon=Vietnam Service Medal ribbon.svg{{!}}border|type=service-star}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -52px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg|18px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -71px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg|18px]]</span>

|colspan=4 align=center|{{ribbon devices|width=106|number=0|ribbon=U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg{{!}}border}} {{ribbon devices|width=106|number=0|ribbon=Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg{{!}}border}}

|colspan=4 align=center|{{ribbon devices|width=106|number=0|ribbon=Korean Presidential Unit Citation.png{{!}}border}} {{ribbon devices|width=106|number=0|ribbon=Presidential Unit Citation Vietnam (Army sized).png{{!}}border}} {{ribbon devices|width=106|number=0|ribbon=Gallantry Cross Unit Citation.png{{!}}border}}

{|class=wikitable style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

|colspan=12 align=center|[[Combat Infantryman Badge]]<br w/>with two stars

|colspan=4 align=center|[[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]]

|colspan=4 align=center|[[Silver Star Medal]]<br />w/with [[oak leaf cluster]]s{{sfn|Hall of Valor|2010}}

|colspan=4 align=center|[[Bronze Star Medal]]<br />w/with [["V" device]] and [[oak leaf clusters]]

|colspan=3 align=center|[[Purple Heart]]<br />w/with oak leaf clusters

|colspan=3 align=center|[[Air Medal]]

|colspan=3 align=center|[[Army Commendation Medal]]<br />w/with [["V" device]] and [[oak leaf clusters]]

|colspan=3 align=center|[[Army Good Conduct Medal|Good Conduct Medal]]<br />{{nowr|w/with [[good conduct loop]]s}}

|colspan=3 align=center|[[American Campaign Medal]]

|colspan=3 align=center|[[European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal|EAME Campaign Medal]]<br />w/with [[arrowhead device|arrowhead]] and [[service star]]

|colspan=3 align=center|[[World War II Victory Medal]]

|colspan=3 align=center|[[Army of Occupation Medal]]

|colspan=3 align=center class=nowrap|[[National Defense Service Medal]]<br />with [[service star]]

|colspan=3 align=center|[[Korean Service Medal]]<br />w/with [[service starsstar]]s

|colspan=3 align=center|[[Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal]]

|colspan=3 align=center|[[Vietnam Service Medal]]<br />w/with [[service starsstar]]s

|colspan=3 align=center|[[Korea Defense Service Medal]]

|colspan=3 align=center|[[United Nations Korea Medal|United Nations Service Medal]]

|colspan=3 align=center|[[Vietnam Campaign Medal]]<br />w/with "''60''–" clasp

|colspan=3 align=center|[[Republic of Korea War Service Medal|Korean War Service Medal]]

|colspan=6 align=center|[[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Unit Citation]]

|colspan=6 align=center|[[Meritorious Unit Commendation]]

|colspan=4 align=center|[[Korea Presidential Unit Citation]]

|colspan=4 align=center|[[Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation]]

|colspan=4 align=center|[[Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation]]

|accessdateaccess-date = 2018-12-09

|accessdateaccess-date = 2018-12-08|df=mdy-all

|last = Struzinski

|first = F.

|date = 2012

|title = The Soldiers of Srok Rung

|url = https://legacy.1stid.org/bhs/2012Fall.pdf

|journal = Bridgehead Sentinel

|location = Trenton

|publisher = Society of the First Infantry Division

|oclc = 11274165

[[Category:AmericanUnited armyStates Army personnel of the Korean War]]

[[Category:AmericanUnited armyStates Army personnel of the VietnamWorld War II]]