Honour the legacy of Sgt. Thomas (Tommy) George Prince, MM, with this Official First Day Cover. Prince is one of Canada’s most-decorated Indigenous war veterans and non-commissioned officers and a prominent Anishinaabe activist.

The OFDC features a photo of Sgt. Prince overlayed on a background of northern lights in the sky above the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, where he was raised, about 70 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

Sergeant Thomas (Tommy) George Prince was born in 1915 on St. Peter’s Reserve, Manitoba, into the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation., MM. He died in 1977. In 1940, during the Second World War, he enlisted with the Royal Canadian Engineers, training as a sapper. Two years later, he joined the 1st Special Service Force, a joint Canada-U.S. specialized reconnaissance and raiding unit. During his time in that unit, he was known for his marksmanship, stealth and tracking skills and sheer nerve.

Prince was remarkable. He once repaired the broken telephone line he was using to report on enemy positions by posing – in full view of German soldiers – as a farmer weeding his crops. Pretending to tie his shoelaces, he rejoined the wires and strolled back to the abandoned farmhouse to resume his reports, which resulted in the destruction of four German posts.

Prince’s bravery and service earned him the Military Medal, Silver Star (U.S.) and nine other decorations, including three (one posthumous) from the Korean War, where he did two tours of duty. Between the wars, Prince waged a different battle when, as vice-president of the Manitoba Indian Association, he spoke out in favour of abolishing the Indian Act and respecting existing treaties.

The cancel location is St. Peter’s Reserve, Manitoba (Prince’s birthplace) and a “legacy” cancel, created to mark a true birthplace in a location where no open Canada Post retail outlet currently exists.

Product # 414208131

Tommy Prince: Official First Day Cover