Gilbert Horn Sr. facts for kids
Gilbert Horn Sr. (born May 12, 1923 – died March 27, 2016) was a brave American soldier. He was a special "code talker" during World War II. Gilbert used his native Assiniboine language to send secret messages for the U.S. military. This helped keep important information safe from the enemy. He was also part of a famous group called Merrill's Marauders. Later, his tribe honored him as a chief.
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Early Life and Family
Gilbert Horn Sr. was born on May 12, 1923. His home was the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana. His parents were Melvina (Tall Youth) and Jesse Iron Horn Sr. He grew up on the reservation. Gilbert went to school in Dodson, Montana, until he finished 8th grade. He later had many children, helping to build a large family.
Serving His Country: A Code Talker
In 1940, when he was 17, Gilbert joined the United States Army. He learned about army communications. He also learned about encryption, which is a way to make messages secret. Gilbert was an Assiniboine code talker. He used his language skills to create codes. These codes helped the U.S. military send messages that the Japanese could not understand during World War II.
Merrill's Marauders: A Tough Mission
Gilbert volunteered for a special group called Merrill's Marauders. This was a U.S. Army special operations unit. It was led by General Frank Merrill. In 1943, Gilbert and the Marauders went on a very difficult mission. They marched 800 miles across mountains in Burma and China. Their goal was to cut off Japanese supply lines.
The mission was very dangerous. Fewer than 1,200 soldiers survived the campaign. Gilbert Horn and the other survivors were recognized for their bravery. They received a special award called the Distinguished Unit Citation. This award was for their "gallantry" and "determination." Gilbert also received a Bronze Star Medal and a Purple Heart.
Life After the War and Community Work
After the war, Gilbert was honorably discharged from the Army. He returned to his grandparents' farm. This farm was on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. Gilbert became very involved in his tribe's government. He served on the Fort Belknap Community Council for 19 years.
He also helped create the first rules for the Fort Belknap Tribal Juvenile Court. He served as a judge for eight years. Gilbert also worked to get a new health clinic for his reservation. He was the former chairman of the National Congress of American Indians' Rocky Mountain Region.
Honors and Legacy
In 2013, Montana State University–Northern gave Gilbert Horn an honorary doctorate degree. This was for his work helping people. In 2014, the Fort Belknap Assiniboine Tribe gave him a great honor. They named him an honorary chief. He was the first person to get this title since the 1890s. A new learning center on the Fort Belknap Reservation is also named after him.
Later Life and Passing
Gilbert Horn passed away on March 27, 2016. He was 92 years old. He died at the Northern Montana Care Center in Havre, Montana. He was survived by many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He was buried in a family cemetery on the reservation. The cemetery is east of Fort Belknap Agency.
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