Stealth, silent reconnaissance, bravery and devotion have long been hallmarks of Native Americans in service of the U.S. Armed Forces. From the loyal Apache Scouts of the Indian Wars, to the Navajo Codetalkers of the Second World War, to the modern Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets, Marine Force Recon, and Air Force Special Operations Forces, Native Americans have served valiantly at the tip of the spear of America’s elite in every conflict of the 20th Century. But it was with Sixth Army’s Alamo Scouts of World War II, that the inherent character of the silent warrior made a resounding contribution to the best record of any unit in the history of the United States military.

Formed in November 1943 by then Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, commander of the Sixth Army, to conduct raider and reconnaissance work throughout the islands, beaches and jungles of the Southwest Pacific, the Alamo Scouts, an ad hoc organization officially known as the Sixth Army Special Reconnaissance Unit, performed 108 known missions behind enemy lines without losing a single man killed or captured. The unit’s unmatched military record included two daring prisoner camp liberations and countless incursions behind enemy lines to gather information, capture prisoners, rescue civilians, and to organize, supply, equip, and train Filipino guerilla units in operations against the Japanese. The Alamo Scouts participated in the Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, Leyte and Luzon campaigns, and saw brief occupation duty in Japan following the war, but were unceremoniously disbanded in November 1945, never to be reconstituted.

Volunteers for the Alamo Scouts underwent a rigorous selection process at the division, regimental, battalion, and company levels before selection to one of the six Alamo Scouts Training Centers that were established throughout the war. Class size ranged from 80-100 candidates, with an attrition rate of over 40 percent, and as Sixth Army advanced, old training centers would close and new ones open. The intensive six-week training course featured instruction in rubber boat handling, survival, navigation, communications, intelligence collection, scouting & patrolling, physical conditioning, and hand-to-hand combat, and focused on teaching the skills necessary to survive in a jungle environment. Moreover, much of the training was conducted in enemy-held territory. At the end of each training class, remaining candidates voted by secret ballot for the four men they would most like to go on a dangerous mission with and for the officer they would like to lead them. In turn the officers voted for the men they would most like to serve on their team. Such a selection has not been used by the military since the Civil War, but unlike the mixed results of that time, the Alamo Scouts experienced resounding success. Retained graduates then were formed into elite 6-7 man teams led by a junior officer, with the team taking the last name of the officer.

Candidates for the nine Alamo Scouts training classes were drawn from highly qualified volunteers from various Sixth Army units, including men from the 158th Infantry Bushmasters, an Army National Guard unit Federalized into active service in September 1940. The unit was formed primarily from men from Arizona and New Mexico who had trained extensively in the jungles of Panama prior to deploying for the Pacific. The unit contained Native Americans from approximately 20 tribes, including the Cherokee, Navajo, Chippewa, Sauk, Choctaw, Seminole, Apache, Papago, Fox, Chitimacha, Sioux, Pawnee, and others, and brought a wealth of experience to the Southwest Pacific Theater. Of the initial Alamo Scouts training class of 38 enlisted men and six officers, eight were known to be Native Americans.

Native American participation in the military during World War II was 44,500 out of approximately 16 million troops, or roughly one quarter of one percent of the total number of people in uniform. That figure was much higher in the Alamo Scouts. Of the approximately 250 graduates and 138 retained operational Scouts, fourteen were known to be full or half Native American, accounting for almost six percent of the total force. However, given the unit’s top secret classification, paucity of contact between teams from one class to another, and absence of detailed records indicating race, it is likely that the actual number was much higher.

The first class graduated nine Native Americans, and out of the four operational teams that were formed, one contained four Native Americans, Private Joseph A. Johnson (Eagle Clan, White Mountain Apache, Cibecue, AZ), Sergeant Theodore T. Largo (Pima, Phoenix, AZ), and Privates First Class Anthony J. Ortiz (San Juan Pueblo, Chamita, NM), and Joshua Sunn (Maricopa, Laveen, AZ).

“All were exceptional scouts,” said George S. Thompson, leader of the THOMPSON TEAM. “But Joe Johnson was the best. We called him the Ghost. I never went anywhere without him beside me or in front of me. His eyesight was exceptional, the best I had ever seen on a human. He could distinguish the enemy in dense jungle from several feet and he was absolutely silent. In New Guinea he used to track the natives. He showed them a thing or two about scouting.”

Those graduates who were not retained, or who chose not be placed on a team, returned to their parent units and conducted similar scouting and patrolling work, normally with their unit’s Intelligence & Reconnaissance (I & R) platoons. Scouts placed on an operational team also had the right to return to their parent unit at any time for any reason. Since promotions were rare in the Alamo Scouts because the soldier was on temporary duty away from his unit, many elected to return.

“If selected, graduates had the choice of joining a team or returning to their units with their buddies,” said Colonel Robert Sumner, the late Director of the Alamo Scouts Association. “Often times a soldier felt a deep connection with their unit and wanted to take back what they learned in the Scouts. Many few did that, while others were ordered back because their units needed them. In fact, many units had no intention of letting them stay because they didn’t want their best men siphoned off. The needs of the Army were paramount and dictated how many teams were retained.”

Corporal David M. Milda, also a graduate of the first Alamo Scouts class, performed four missions in New Guinea as a member of SOMBAR TEAM, but returned to his unit before the Allied advance into the Philippines. Unfortunately, Milda, then a staff sergeant, was killed in action on Luzon in 1945.

Sergeant Byron L. Tsingine, a Navajo from the Deer Water People Clan from Coppermine, Arizona, and SSG Alvin J. Vilcan, a Chitimacha from Louisiana, graduated from the first training class but returned to their units despite being selected to operational teams. Tsingine served another year as a scout in the 158th and was wounded on Luzon in early 1945. While with the 158th, Tsingine spoke with Navajo scouts from other units and passed on vital combat information just as the more renowned Navajo Codetalkers of Marine Corps fame had done.

“Tsingine and other Indians were invaluable,” said, Earl Newman of the Service Company of the 158th. “They would speak Navajo and confuse the Japanese. A Navajo was placed in each company and Tsingine communicated using the Navajo language when he did reconnaissance work. The Japanese never knew what we were doing and we were always a step ahead of them.”

“I knew Tsingine well from our time in the 158th,” said Thompson. “He was an excellent fellow and a fine soldier. I voted for him to be on my team.”

Other Alamo Scout graduates also served as codetalkers. Sergeant Guy F. Rondell, a Lakota from the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, was a graduate of the second Alamo Scouts training class and returned to the 302nd Recon Squadron of the 1st Cavalry Division. He was one of only eleven Lakota Sioux B3 Codetalkers that served during the war. Six served in the Pacific and five in Europe.

“PFC Francis H. LaQuier of my team was a Chippewa from the White Earth Reservation in Early, Minnesota,” added team leader Tom Rounsaville. “He could draw a map that looked like an engineer production. His maps were so detailed and exact that they were part of our mission reports. He was an integral part of the team and was one of the finest soldiers I’ve ever served with.”

During the New Guinea Campaign, Alamo Scout missions normally lasted from one to three days and were mostly reconnaissance and intelligence gathering in nature, but as the Allies advanced into the Philippines the unit’s mission expanded dramatically, with some missions lasting two months or longer. Furthermore, the unit assumed a central role in organizing large-scale guerrilla operations, establishing road watch stations, attempting to locate and capture or kill Japanese flag officers, and performing direct action missions, such as the Cabanatuan POW Camp liberation where they teamed with elements of the 6th Ranger Battalion and Filipino guerrilla units to liberate 513 POWs in a daring night attack. While not on missions, Alamo Scout teams provided bodyguard duty for Krueger and had specific instructions to kill the general if capture was imminent.

Near the end of the war Alamo Scout teams were preparing for the invasion of Japan, where they were slated to conduct pre-invasion reconnaissance of Kyushu as part of Operation Downfall, but fortunately the war ended.

“Our perfect record wouldn’t have lasted if we would have had to go to Japan,” said Chief Zeke McConnell, a Cherokee from Bunch, Oklahoma, who performed 13 operational missions in New Guinea and the Philippines as part of LITTLEFIELD TEAM. “We would have lost a lot of men. It would have been near suicide.”

After the war those Scouts with enough service points went home, while others returned to their parent units or accompanied Sixth Army to Kyoto, Japan, and joined the 6th Ranger Battalion for rations and quarters. Many former Scouts remained in the military and saw service in Korea and Vietnam, and four went on to attain general officer rank. Until the mid 1980s most of the Alamo Scout missions were classified Top Secret, with the most recent being declassified in 1993.

The contributions of Native Americans to the Alamo Scouts and their warrior spirit were further evidenced by the unit’s distinctive insignia. In late 1944 a contest was held at the Alamo Scout Training Center on Leyte to design a unique shoulder patch. Krueger approved the patch for wear in theater, but it was not approved by the Institute of Heraldry and had to be purchased independently. The final design featured a fully embroidered blue background with a red outer border and a wide white inner circle. Within the upper half of the circle appeared “Alamo Scouts” and the bottom half “Sixth Army.” The letters were fashioned in green, log-type script and symbolized the trailblazing nature of the unit. A depiction of the Alamo centered inside a white inner circle symbolized the bravery of the Alamo’s original defenders, and an Indian head superimposed upon the Alamo represented silent reconnaissance.

Although the true extent of Native American participation in the Alamo Scouts likely will never be known, their legacy of outstanding service, quiet professionalism and toughness is secure. Their contribution to victory in the Southwest Pacific, and in other theaters during World War II, has forever cemented their place among America’s elite warriors and set a high standard for future generations to meet.

“I’m proud to be a Native American and an Alamo Scout,” said McConnell. “But in the Alamo Scouts it didn’t matter if you were Indian, Caucasian, Hispanic or Filipino. Our mission was to accomplish the mission and we all did our part just like every other soldier. The men were tough, the training was tough, and the missions were tough. But I think our record speaks for itself.”

At 108-0, that it does.