12 Native American Oklahomans eligible for Medal of Honor review

June 26, 2025

Twelve Native American soldiers from Oklahoma who served in World War I are eligible for the Valor Medals Review, a congressional act directing the Department of Defense to identify whether service members were overlooked for the Medal of Honor due to their race, according to News On 6.

Researchers at the Sequoyah National Research Center, led by Assistant Director Erin Fehr, identified the men after years of examining Indian boarding school records and other archives. Among them is Choctaw code talker Otis Leader, who received the Distinguished Service Cross and French Croix de Guerre with Palm. The Department of Defense has up to three years to decide if these soldiers merit the Medal of Honor.

1.News On 6.

1.News On 6.

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