Vizenor, Lawrence A. (1895‒1958)

Lawrence Alexious Vizenor (White Earth Ojibwe) left his home in Becker County, Minnesota, to enlist in the army and fight in World War I in 1918. Before mustering out the following year, he earned military honors and a promotion to corporal.

Lawrence Alexious Vizenor was born on the White Earth Indian Reservation on July 15, 1895, to Mitchell and Angeline Vizenor. He grew up in White Earth but later moved to the town of Richwood, just outside the reservation, and worked as a farmer. He married Elizabeth Trotterchaud on February 11, 1918, and entered military service two weeks later, on February 25. On his registration card, he reported his race to be “mixed blood American Indian.”

Private Vizenor was originally assigned to Company K of the 349 Infantry, 88th Division. He reported for training to Camp Dodge in Iowa before heading to Fort Logan in Texas. In Texas, the Army transferred him to Company I, 132nd Infantry, 33rd Division. He completed his training at Camp Upton, New York, before shipping out on the USS Mount Vernon on May 16, 1918. He arrived in Brest, France on May 24.

Vizenor first saw action in the Battle of Hamel on July 4. He then fought at Chateau-Thierry; the second battle of the Marne; Beaumont; Grande Pre; St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; and other locations throughout his service.

On October 8, 1918, in the fighting at Bois du Fays in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Vizenor’s actions earned him both the Silver Star and the Distinguished Service Cross, also known as the American War Cross. When heavy machine gun fire forced Vizenor's reconnaissance patrol backward, he continued forward with another soldier and an officer.

Enemy fire wounded the officer. Vizenor and the other soldier destroyed the machine gun nest and carried the officer to safety, where they delivered valuable information on the enemy's position. On the same day, Vizenor's brother, Ignatius, died in action at Montbrehain, France, less than 150 miles away.

Vizenor remained in Europe after the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918. He earned a promotion from private to corporal on April 10, 1919. He returned to New York on May 17, 1919, and mustered out at Camp Dodge on May 26. After leaving the service, he lived for four more decades and died on October 5, 1958, and was buried in the Catholic Cemetery in White Earth.