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In 1919, Tinker began flying lessons. One of his assignments after the war was with the ROTC at
Riverside High School in California. When his father came to visit him at the school, they began a conversation in Osage in public. Using his native language was one way that Tinker expressed his identity
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in Hawaii to reorganize the air defenses of the islands. He believed that the Air Force was going to be critical to the entire war, and that Japan would eventually be defeated through a long-strike effort by air. In
January 1942, he was promoted to major general, the first Native American in U.S.
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against the retreating
Japanese naval forces. Near Midway Island, his plane was seen to go out of control and plunge into the sea. Tinker and ten other crewmen perished. The plane and bodies were never recovered. Tinker's son was also lost at sea while in a dogfight with German planes in 1944.
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A bust of the general is outside the Air Force
Sustainment Center headquarters at Tinker. Several paintings of him, and a display of his awards and medals are in the Tinker Club. His personal papers and original decorations were donated to the base by his widow, Madeline Tinker
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celebration. The veterans' songs celebrate the pride men took in their military service. A tribute song was written especially for Tinker, and men dance and sing to it. His is the only family song for which all the people
271:, public school. Tinker and his friends learned about and idolized the 19th-century Osage Indian scouts who served with the U.S. cavalry, and Bonnycastle, the Osage chief who, according to Dr. James Crowder in his book,
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infantry in March 1912. After infantry training, Tinker joined the Twenty-fifth
Infantry Regiment at Fort George Wright in
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James L. Crowder, Jr., "Osage
Aviator: The Life and Career of Major General Clarence L. Tinker,"
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Clarence L. Tinker was the first
American general killed in World War II. (Rear Admiral
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While growing up, Clarence worked in the print shop of his father's newspaper, the
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the first U.S. Army general officer to be killed during a battle in World War II
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Randy
Roughton, AF Heritage: "Gen. Tinker still honored by native Indian tribe"
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In 1927, he was named
Commandant of the Air Service Advanced Flying School at
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in June 1942; his plane went out of control and was lost in the ocean. He was
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The Osage honor Tinker and other veterans annually at their 4-day
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Tinker received his elementary education in
Catholic schools at
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United States Army Air Forces personnel killed in World War II
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487:, Air Force News Agency, 29 August 2013, accessed 3 April 2014
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On October 14, 1942, the Oklahoma City Air Depot was named
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Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
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United States Army Air Forces generals of World War II
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Tinker received his commission as a lieutenant in the
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Clarence Tinker was born on November 21, 1887, near
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467:"Major General Clarence L. Tinker"
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965:Names are in alphabetical order
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342:Army Command and Staff College
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207:Clarence Leonard Tinker
18:Clarence Leonard Tinker
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382:. In the midst of the
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154:27th Bombardment Group
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665:James Leroy Bondsteel
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775:Bob Hoover
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451:References
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333:as Osage.
279:in China.
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104:Allegiance
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59:1887-11-21
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