Matthew B. Juan
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Matthew B. Juan (1895? – May 28, 1918) was a Native American hero of World War I who died in the Battle of Cantigny. Juan was the first Native American as well as the first Arizonan to die in the war.
[edit] Biography
Juan was a Pima Indian from the Gila River Indian Community. While military records indicate 1895 as the year of Juan's birth, it is widely believed that these records are inaccurate and that Juan used false information including the name, Matthew B. Rivers because he was under the service age of 21 when wished to join the American Expeditionary Force. His official birth date is not known (the Arizona Territory did not keep such records). Juan grew up in the small agricultural town of Sacaton, Arizona (also the capital of the Gila River Indian Community). He stayed there until he reached high school and left for the Sherman Institute (an Indian boarding school) in Riverside, California. Upon graduation, he joined a travelling circus. While in San Antonio, Texas with the circus, he enlisted with the United States Army. After completing his basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Juan was attached to the 7th Cavalry Regiment and sent to France.
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Juan, Matthew B. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Rivers, Matthew B. (false name when enlisting) |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American soldier; first Native American and first Arizonan to die in World War I |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1895? (possibly later, may have faked an older age to serve in the army) |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Arizona, United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 28, 1918 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Cantigny, Somme, France |
