Clarence L. Tinker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clarence L. Tinker
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Clarence L. Tinker as a Major General
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| Born | November 21, 1887 near Pawhuska, Indian Territory |
| Died | June 7, 1942 (aged 54) Near Midway Island, U.S. |
| Buried |
Died at sea
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| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/ |
 United States Army Air Forces |
| Years of service | 1912–1942 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Commands held | 17th Pursuit Group 7th Bombardment Group 27th Bombardment Group Seventh Air Force |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Soldier's Medal Distinguished Service Medal |
Major General Clarence Leonard Tinker (born November 21, 1887 – died June 7, 1942) was an important officer in the United States Army. He was the highest-ranking Native American officer in the U.S. Army, and the first to reach the rank of Major General. He was a member of the Osage Nation.
During World War II, General Tinker was put in charge of the Seventh Air Force in Hawaii. His job was to make the air defenses stronger. In June 1942, he flew a mission during the Battle of Midway. Sadly, his plane crashed into the ocean, and he was lost. He was the first U.S. Army general to die in battle during World War II. A military base, Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, is named in his honor.
Growing Up
Clarence Tinker was born on November 21, 1887, near Pawhuska, Oklahoma. This area was part of the Osage Nation at the time. He was the oldest son of George Edward Tinker and Sarah A. (Schwagerte) Tinker. Clarence grew up learning the Osage language and culture from his family. His grandmother was part Osage, and her parents were also mixed-race Osage with French fathers.
Clarence went to Catholic schools in Hominy and Pawhuska. He also attended public school in Elgin, Kansas. As a boy, Clarence looked up to the Osage Indian scouts who worked with the U.S. cavalry in the 1800s. He also admired Bonnycastle, an Osage chief.
While growing up, Clarence worked at his father's newspaper, the Wah-Sha-She News. His father started this newspaper, which was one of the first weekly papers in Pawhuska. In 1900, Tinker went to the Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kansas. This was a famous school for Native American students. He later left before finishing his studies.
In 1906, Tinker enrolled at Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Missouri. He graduated in 1908. After graduating, he became a third lieutenant in the Philippine Constabulary, serving there until 1912.
Military Career
In March 1912, Clarence Tinker became a lieutenant in the United States Army. After his training, he joined the Twenty-fifth Infantry Regiment in Spokane, Washington. In 1913, his unit moved to Hawaii. There, he met and married Madeline Doyle. During World War I, Tinker served in the southwestern U.S. and California. He was promoted to major during this time.
In 1919, Tinker started taking flying lessons. He later worked with the ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) at Riverside High School in California. When his father visited him there, they spoke in the Osage language in public. This was one way Tinker showed his pride in his Osage heritage.
In 1922, he joined the United States Army Air Service, which was the part of the army that flew planes. He officially started flight duty on July 1, 1922. For a while, Tinker worked as an air attache at the U.S. embassy in London. He also studied at the Army Command and Staff College. He was in the same class as Dwight D. Eisenhower, who later became a U.S. President.
In 1927, he became the leader of the Air Service Advanced Flying School in Texas. Throughout the 1930s, Tinker commanded different groups of fighter and bomber planes. He was promoted steadily, and on October 1, 1940, he became a brigadier general.
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Tinker was chosen to lead the Seventh Air Force in Hawaii. His mission was to make the islands' air defenses stronger. He believed that air power would be very important in winning the war. In January 1942, he was promoted to major general. This made him the first Native American in U.S. Army history to reach that high rank.
In June 1942, the Japanese military attacked Midway Island. During the Battle of Midway, on June 7, General Tinker decided to lead a group of LB-30 bomber planes. They were going to attack the Japanese ships that were leaving the area. Near Midway Island, his plane was seen crashing into the sea. General Tinker and the ten other crew members on board died. Their plane and bodies were never found. General Tinker's son also died at sea in 1944 during a plane fight with German planes.
His Legacy
- Clarence L. Tinker was the first American general to die in battle during World War II. (Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd of the U.S. Navy died earlier at Pearl Harbor in December 1941).
- He received the Soldier's Medal in 1931. After his death, he was given the Distinguished Service Medal.
- On October 14, 1942, the Oklahoma City Air Depot was named Tinker Field in his honor. Today, it is known as Tinker Air Force Base.
- A statue of General Tinker is outside the Air Force Sustainment Center headquarters at Tinker Air Force Base. There are also paintings of him and a display of his awards at the Tinker Club. His wife, Madeline Tinker McCormick, gave his personal papers and medals to the base.
- A school for students from kindergarten to eighth grade is named after him at MacDill Air Force Base.
- The Osage people honor Tinker and other veterans every year at their four-day In-lon-shka celebration. The songs sung by veterans celebrate the pride they felt in serving their country. A special tribute song was written just for Tinker. When this song is played, everyone stands to show their respect.
