Edward Simon DeNomie (Simon Edward DeNomie given) was born on February 16, 1895 in Keweenaw Bay, Michigan. As a child, he was sent to the Tomah Indian Boarding School in Tomah, Wisconsin. As a student, DeNomie excelled at athletics and played various sports such as basketball and football. His athleticism was noticed by Tomah High School and was asked to attend in order to play on their varsity teams. DeNomie, along with several of his classmates at the Tomah Indian Boarding School, signed up with the Wisconsin National Guard. Information provided by his granddaughter, Patty Loew, indicates that Native Americans joined the military, despite their lack of citizen status, in order to leave the strict environment of boarding schools. DeNomie received training at Camp Douglas and was attached to Company K of the 3rd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, just prior to being assigned to partake in the Punitive Expedition into Mexico.
After his regiment returned to Wisconsin, DeNomie continued attending Tomah High School until his unit was activated for duty following the United States entry into World War I. The 3rd Wisconsin was reassigned to the 32nd Division, where it was organized into the 128th Regiment and sent to France in 1918. DeNomie was attached to a supply unit as a wagoneer and saw action at the Battle of the Marne and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. There is the possibility he was also attached to Company B of the 121st Machine Gun Battalion at some point during the war. DeNomie's name appears on a souvenir program for a ceremony that honored the company when they returned to Wisconsin, but no official record exists of him serving with them during the war. He also served as part of the occupation force until April 18, 1919, when he was discharged from the service and returned to Wisconsin.
After the war, DeNomie married Sally Neville and settled in Milwaukee. His granddaughter, Patty Loew, was the producer of the documentary “The Way of the Warrior” which chronicles the service of Native Americans in the 20th Century, and included information about her grandfather's service.
