Nantaje

He braved crossfire to rescue a boy caught amid the fighting

Nantaje, also recorded as Nantahe, was an Apache scout serving with the United States Army in Arizona Territory during the early 1870s. His surviving award record identifies him as an enlisted Indian Scout rather than a member of a regular cavalry regiment.

During the winter campaign of 1872-73, he was one of ten Apache scouts who guided a substantial Army detachment against an opposing Apache group. The soldiers relied on the scouts to find routes and locate their opponents in difficult country. At the height of a battle, Nantaje saw a small boy caught in the crossfire. He went to the child's aid and rescued him from the fighting.

Nantaje's citation recognised gallant conduct across the campaign rather than describing a single named personal exploit. His Medal of Honor was presented on 12 April 1875, after the operations it commemorated.

The National Museum of the United States Army subsequently became the recorded location of his medal. His name remains among the Apache scouts honoured for service in Arizona, preserving an individual identity within a military record that gives only a brief account of his campaigning.

Medal of Honor citation

Gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches.