Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 6, 1950, Sergeant John R. Rice was killed in action while serving in the Korean Conflict. A Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) man also known as “Walking in Blue Sky,” Rice’s death kicked off controversy when a Sioux City cemetery barred his body from burial due to his Native American ancestry.
Born in Winnebago, Nebraska, Rice enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. During the conflict, Rice won a Bronze Star for heroism during the New Guinea campaign. Recalled to service for the Korean Conflict, Rice again stepped up to serve in the Marine Corps. Rice made the ultimate sacrifice while leading a squad of riflemen near the village of Tabu-Dong in September of 1950. Nearly a year later, his body arrived back in the American Midwest.
Rice’s wife, Evelyn, purchased a plot at Memorial Park Cemetery in Sioux City before an August 1951 funeral. When a cemetery worker noticed a large number of Indigenous attendees at the war hero’s funeral, he noticed Evelyn of the cemetery’s “Caucasians only” policy. Forced to remove Rice’s body from the cemetery, the prejudice quickly gained national attention.
From the office of President Harry Truman down to the Sioux City Metropolitan Council, criticism rapidly rained down on the cemetery. Despite other offers to bury Rice locally, Evelyn opted to take up the American President on an opportunity to lay Sergeant John R. Rice to rest at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
Comments