Khwe, The following bio of Chief Leaford Bearskin was written by a well respected historian of the Wyandot people, Aubrey Buser who currently resides on the east coast. It was approved at one time for circulation by Chief Bearskin.
Ish

CHIEF LEAFORD BEARSKIN

Shortly after graduating from high school in 1939 Leaford Bearskin set out on a career in the Army Air Corps, as it was called in those days. By the time of the attack on Pearl Har- bor, December 7, 1941, he was a sergeant serving in Alaska. Not long thereafter he was enrolled in pilot training and look- ing forward to his "wings". As with inany young men of the time, he had hoped to be assigned to a P-38 fighter squadron. In that he was disappointed. Instead, he went to the 90th Bombardment Group where he would soon be flying a B-24, one of the great heavy bombers of World War II.

The 90th soon became known as the "Jolly Rogers" Group and was destined to gain fame in the skies above New Guinea. (it was there that the young Wyandot warrior achieved, in a way, that earlier ambition. In the absence of fighter cover on one missior he volunteered to fly top cover. Once in position, and looking down on a perfectly spaced flight of two dozen bombers, the temp- tation was too great. He nosed his big bomber over and zoomed ir on the formation from the rear, no doubt voicing a war whoop at the same time. That perfectly spaced American formation scat- tered to the winds and the young Indian was grounded for three days.) Captain Bearskin flew a plane called "Big Chief" on 46 combat missions before he and this war party returned to the United States.

The young Wyandot was made squadron commander and his service to his country did not end when peace came. In 1948, he flew 29 missions during the Berlin Airlift. Later, while a deputy cornmander of a fighter base in Georgia, he participated in the first flight of jet fighters across the Pacific. Later still, he served as a squadron commander during the Korean War.

For his service to his country, Mr. Bearskin received numer- ous honors and citations including the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Medal for Humane Action. He retired from the military in 1960 but continued in Government service and worked on various missile systems at Vandenburg Air Force Base. Eventually he really did retire and headed home to Oklahoma.

Not content just to ride his horses and to catch an occa- sional fish, Mr. Bearskin took an active interest in his tribe. Since September, 1983, Mr. Bearskin has been Chief of the Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma. He has worked hard for his people and has brought to fruition a number of innovative and imagin- ative projects for the advancement of his tribe. Today he is recognized as one of the foremost leaders of Native Americans anywhere in the country. He received the 1986 Indian Achieve- ment Award presented by The Center for the History of the American Indian in Chicago.

Thank you for presented Chief bearskin's biography. One recent honor that >you should be aware of, is that the Chief was recently awarded the Medal of >Honor by the Daughters of the American Revolution for his service to his >country and his Tribe. Former winners of this award inlcude former President >Reagan, former First Lady Barbara Bush and Senator Nancy Kassenbaum-Baker.

Again, thank you for permitting the world to learn more about the Chief.

Khwe,

It is my sincere wish that we can learn to function as one Nation..One heart..One Mind...

Ish