Obit for Tommy Blind - Kingfisher County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Barbara Clayton OklahomaClaytons@aol.com Return to Kingfisher County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/kingfisher/kingfisher.html ===================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ===================================================================== Source: KINGFISHER WEEKLY FREE PRESS, Thursday, June 3, 1926 INDIAN WAR HERO PASSES AWAY HERE Tommy BLIND, known by all as Tommy BLIND WOMAN, was given a military funeral by the American Legion post at the Kingfisher Cemetery on Decoration Day. Battery F 158th Field Artillery, fired the rifle salute after conveying the body to the cemetery on a caisson. Tommy won distinction during the World War, and was decorated by Uncle Sam and the French government for bravery. He received both the D.S.C. and Congressional Medal of Honor. He was the first Indian overseas, the first in the front line and the first in occupied territory. His rifle is on exhibition in the National Historical Museum at Washington D.C. In the early days Tommy played half-back on the Kingfisher College football team and distinguished himself for speed and cleaverness. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOMAGE TO DEAD SUNDAY MEMORIAL SERVICE HELD AT METHODIST CHURCH Military Funeral For Tommy BLIND WOMAN Held From Undertaking Parlor Sunday Kingfisher paid tribute to it's war dead. Memorial services were held at the Methodist Church in the afternoon. Rev. NUNN, post chaplain of the Kieth Lowry Post, delivered a short address which was followed at the cemetery by a ceremony over the grave of Wm. N. SMITH, who was killed in action in France. While the services were in progress at the church a military funeral was being held for the remains of Tommy BLINDWOMAN, an ex-service man; from the BRACKEN Funeral Home. Lieut. RUPE of the local artillery battery had charge of all military preparations. A firing squad fired a salute over the grave as the remains of Tommy were lowered and a salute of 21 guns were fired by the field pieces immediately following the ceremony over the SMITH grave. The graves of all ex-service men were marked by American flags.