History Stories

Helena Shook, Fort Harrison Stood

At the southwestern end of the Helena Valley, Fort Harrison VA Medical Center has served Montana’s Veterans for more than a century. The campus sits on one of the most seismically active parts of the country. Thankfully, the campus’s only major earthquake happened nearly 100 years ago. Amazingly, some of the original buildings are still standing.

Fort Harrison was established in 1892 just outside of Helena, Montana. Known as the “Queen City of the Rockies,” Helena was a thriving hub of commerce and railway travel during the era of Western Expansion. The fort’s proximity to the state’s capital was beneficial to both the local community and fort residents.

For decades, the fort sat undisturbed. It saw the U.S. Army come and go, hosted the Montana National Guard and, in 1922, became Veterans Bureau hospital No. 72. When the bureau became the Veterans Administration in 1930, the campus expanded with several new buildings, including a new VA hospital in 1932.

A few years later, disaster struck.

In October 1935, one of Montana’s strongest earthquakes hit just 9 miles from Fort Harrison. Four people in Helena died, and the new VA hospital, along with much of the campus, was severely damaged.

Fort Harrison was forced to close for 2 years while repairs and demolition took place. Veterans who could not be discharged were sent by special train to VA hospitals in Oregon and Washington. Veterans were welcomed back to Fort Harrison in February 1937.

Only a handful of original fort structures survived, including the old hospital and several residences. Others did not. Nine damaged buildings were demolished in 1936.

The only visible earthquake damage today, however, is on the old stables, which were later converted into the laundry facility after motor vehicles replaced the need for horses.

By the mid-20th century, scientists were studying Montana’s seismic activity. VA recognized the importance of earthquake-resistant construction, not just in Montana but throughout the country. They retrofit older buildings and updated safety standards for all new designs.

Today, VA continues planning for natural disasters of all kinds, from floods to earthquakes, to keep delivering the care our Veterans earned and deserve, no matter what nature brings.

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The Last War Chief: Joseph Medicine Crow 

Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow was a World War II Veteran, tribal historian, cultural ambassador, anthropologist, and the last Crow war chief.

Born in 1913 on the Crow Reservation in Montana, Joe was raised by his elders in the Crow traditions. He learned their history and what it meant to be a Crow warrior. Those lessons gave him a strong connection to his culture, which guided his entire life.

Joe loved sharing Crow history and culture and helping others understand his tribe’s way of life. He earned a master’s degree, and was working toward a PhD in anthropology when the United States entered World War II.

Drafted in 1943, he chose to enlist in the Army’s 103rd Infantry Division instead of taking a commission as an officer. He wanted to serve beside other soldiers on the battlefield.

Before heading into battle, he painted red stripes on his arms under his uniform and tucked an eagle feather under his helmet, carrying the traditions of his ancestors into modern war. When the Crow elders learned of his experiences, they named him war chief. Joe was the last Crow to earn the title.

A Crow warrior must complete four deeds to become a war chief: lead a successful war party, touch or strike the first fallen enemy, take an enemy’s weapon, and steal a horse from the enemy.

His first war deed came in late 1944. His division arrived in France and began pushing toward Germany’s Siegfried Line. During a night raid, Joe led a squad of seven men to take out a German stronghold. They trudged through deep snow, dodging landmines, machine-gun and artillery fire, all without a single soldier wounded.

After entering a small German town, he disarmed and knocked down a German soldier during hand-to-hand combat, sparing his life, and fulfilling the second and third warrior requirements. 

Later, his company spotted German officers with about fifty horses near a farmhouse. Before dawn, ahead of a planned U.S. assault, and with permission from his captain, Joe and a fellow soldier crept into the German camp and stampeded the horses over the hill. With a Crow war cry, Joe rode off bareback into the early morning.

For the rest of his life, Joe dedicated himself to preserving Crow history and building bridges between tribal communities and modern America. His legacy is enshrined in a number of buildings bearing his name, including the Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow VA Clinic in Billings.

To learn more about Dr. Medicine Crow and Montana VA, please visit https://www.va.gov/montana-health-care/about-us/history/