Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud Jr., A Soldier's Story
Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud Jr., A Soldier's Story
Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. was born on July 2, 1925, in Hatfield, Wisconsin, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation. He attended Neillsville High School but left at sixteen to enlist in the United States Marine Corps in August 1941, just months before America would formally enter World War II.
Initially assigned to the 9th Marines, he later volunteered for and was accepted into the elite Marine Raiders. During World War II, Corporal Red Cloud deployed to Guadalcanal and took part in Carlson’s Long Patrol, one of the most grueling and legendary operations in the Pacific Theater. The tropical climate and punishing conditions took their toll, and illness forced his return to the United States in 1942.
After recovering, he was assigned to the 29th Marines and later deployed to the Battle of Okinawa, where he sustained a shoulder wound. When World War II concluded in 1945, he was discharged as a Sergeant.
Between 1945 and 1948, Red Cloud returned to Wisconsin. During this period, he worked with anthropological researchers studying Native American child-rearing customs and contributed his own writing. He published an article in The Wisconsin Archaeologist concerning the 1832 Black Hawk War, a remarkable transition from battlefield Marine to cultural historian.
In 1948, he reenlisted, this time in the United States Army. Assigned to the 19th Infantry Regiment, he deployed to Japan as part of the postwar occupation force. When the Korean War erupted in June 1950, his unit was among the first American ground forces drawn into combat.
Corporal Red Cloud fought in the Battle of Taejon, endured the brutal defense of the Pusan Perimeter, and saw action during the Naktong Offensive. By November 1950, his regiment was operating in increasingly volatile conditions as Chinese forces entered the war.
On November 5, 1950, while manning a forward listening post near Chongju, Korea, Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. detected enemy movement advancing toward his company’s position. He immediately alerted his unit and opened fire. Despite being wounded multiple times, he refused to withdraw. Understanding the importance of holding the line, he continued firing to delay the enemy’s advance.
At one point, wounded and unable to stand unassisted, he reportedly requested to be tied upright so he could continue firing his weapon. Even as enemy forces closed in, he maintained his position until it was ultimately overrun. His actions gave his company critical time to evacuate casualties, reorganize, and repel the attack.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
He rests at Decorah Cemetery at Winnebago Mission, Wisconsin, and returned home once more to the land of his people.
Marine Raider. Army Infantryman. Scholar. Medal of Honor recipient.
Some lives defy easy categories. His life was one of them.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
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