Facebook Twitter Email
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2003

Percy John Blatchford, an Inupiaq veteran with 30 years of military service, died on Sunday from complications from diabetes. He was 82.

One of 17 siblings, Blatchford was raised by his grandmother in a traditional Inupiaq village. He never made it past third grade, instead learning about hunting, fishing and subsistence from village life.

He left Alaska for the first time to serve in World War II. That was the start of his long military service.

Blatchford was married six times and has four children.

Get the Story:
Respected Native, veteran Percy Blatchford, 82, dies (The Anchorage Daily News 1/17)

Relevant Links:
The Percy Blatchford Story - http://www.nativefederation.org/history/
veterans/PercyBlatchford.html