Joseph M Sleeping Bear
MilitarySnetterton Falcons
Bear grew up in Running Bird township, an Indian reservation in South Dakota. He belonged to the Sioux tribe.
Bear began his service in 1943, joining the 96th Bomb Group at Snetterton Heath. In 1944 he served Thanksgiving dinner to school children with a colleague, it was common for American bases to host local children, especially orphans, during the holiday season. Rationing meant that items in the feast being enjoyed at this table were in short supply – the ordinary allowance of butter and cheese was just 2 oz (50g) each per person per week.
After the war, Bear returned to Mellette, South Dakota where he married Violet Landeaux in 1958.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Station 138
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Running Bird Township, South Dakota | ||
Died |
Revisions
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Snetterton Falcons, pg 206