Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

Minnie Spotted-Wolf

Native American marine (1923–1988) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Minnie Spotted-Wolf
Remove ads

Minnie Spotted-Wolf (19231987)[1] was one of the first Native American women to enlist in the United States Marine Corps.[2]

Quick Facts Born, Died ...
Remove ads

Biography

Minnie Spotted-Wolf enlisted in the Marine Corps Women's Reserve in July 1943.[3]

Spotted-Wolf, from Heart Butte, Montana, was a member of the Blackfoot tribe. Prior to joining the Marines, she had worked on her father's ranch doing such chores as cutting fence posts, driving a two-ton truck, and breaking horses.[4] Known for her skill for breaking horses, she described Marine boot camp as: "hard but not too hard."[5]

She served on military bases in California and Hawaii. She worked as a heavy equipment operator and a driver for general officers.[4]

Press coverage of her wartime service included headlines like Minnie, Pride of the Marines, Is Bronc-Busting Indian Queen.[6]

She was discharged in 1947.[2]

After her military service, she returned to Montana, married Robert England, earned a degree in Elementary Education, and spent 29 years as a teacher.[4]

According to her daughter, "she could outride guys into her early 50s."[6]

Remove ads

Tribute

In 2019, a section of US Highway 89 in Pondera County, MT was dedicated as "Minnie Spotted-Wolf Memorial Highway”.[2]

See also

References

Sources

Further reading

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads