Sgt. Tommy Prince - Brookside Cemetery - Winnipeg MB - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

The grave is the Field of Honour Section, Lot 7927 which is 150 metres south of the Last Post Fund Columbaria in the northwest corner of the cemetery. His grave is four metres east of an Historical Plaque on the edge of the road.

~ text from 'Brookside Cemetery celebrating 125 years' plaque ~
Sgt. Tommy Prince
One of the Most Decorated Aboriginal War Veterans

Thomas George Prince was born in 1915 at the Brokenhead First Nation and he was the great-great-grandson of Chief Peguis, who played a prominent role in the early history of the Red River Settlement.

As a young man, Prince earned a reputation as "a good, honest hard worker," who helped support his family as a hunter, trapper, and farm labourer. With the onset of the Second World War, Prince voluntarily embarked upon what would become a distinguished military career. In 1940 he served in the Royal Canadian Engineers, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and the 1st Canadian Special Service Battalion - part of the "Devil's Brigade." Prince's courage and disregard for his own personal safety inspired his comrades and earned him the Military Medal for "exceptional bravery" as well as the Silver Star (United States) for "gallantry in action." King George VI awarded these medals to Prince at Buckingham Palace on London, England in 1945.

Prince also served with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry during the Korean War, for which he received the Korea Medal, United Nations Medal, and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal.

Tommy Prince has become an outstanding role model for the Aboriginal community. He demonstrated that opportunity and good training can lead to success, and he did, so in an exemplary manner. He was a natural leader, educator, entrepreneur, lobbyist, politician, visionary, and statesman.

Before Prince passed away in 1977, he receive two more honours. And in 1975, the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry gave him a special salute and citation on the Brokenhead Reserve, and in October 1976, the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood awarded Prince with a Certificate of merit "for his years of dedicated service to the Indian people of Manitoba."

Field of Honour Section, Lot 7927
Dedicated June 15, 2003

More info at Wikipedia: (visit link)

Description: Prince, Tommy b. October 25, 1915 d. November 25, 1977 Canadian War Hero. Born of Aboriginal descent to Henry and Arabella Prince of the Brokenhead Ojibwa Nation in Scanterbury, Manitoba, Thomas 'Tommy' Prince was one of Canada's most decorated War heroes of both the Second World War and the Korean War. As a young boy growing up in Manitoba he attended the Elkhorn Residential School, and also became a superb marksman and tracker. After completing grade eight he took several jobs including one as a lumberjack. He later decided that military life was where he wanted to be. He volunteered with the Canadian Army and served from June 3, 1940 to August 3, 1945. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Engineers, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, and the First Special Service Force. The unit that trained for battle at Fort harrison in Helena, Montana, was made up of both American and Canadian servicemen, and became known as the 'Devil's Brigade.' After the war in 1946, he became Chairman of the Manitoba Indian Association. In 1950 he re-enlisted in the Canadian Army and served in the Korean War, where he again became a hero. He was awarded the Military Medal, United States Silver Star, United States Presidential Unit Citation, the Korea Medal, and the United Nations Service Medal. After the Korean War he returned to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he became an instructor for new recruits. In 1955, he saved a man from drowning at Alexander Docks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and again was cited for heroism. In his later years he soon became forgotten. He suffered from native discrimination, alcoholism, and painful arthritis in his knees. He lived as a vagrant in hostels, and passed away in a hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1977, at the age of 62. After his death, the Tommy Prince Award, and the Tommy Prince Scholarship, was established posthumously in his memory. Several streets and buildings was also named for him. The 1968 film, "The Devil's Brigade" was based on his units exploits. Source: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11860394 Date of birth: 11/25/1915 Date of death: 11/25/1977 Area of notoriety: Military Marker Type: Headstone Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: 8 am until dusk Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log   11/15/2013 PeterNoG visited it