black hair, dark eyes, a dark complexion and a prominent nose, indications, many believed, that he carried Indian or Mexican blood, a notion he did not dispute. Somehow he appeared older than his 27 years. Outgoing and talkative, especially about his own experiences, he told acquaintances he was originally from Oklahoma, where he had punched cattle, broken broncos and chased badmen. He said he had traveled the country with a circus, during which time he had honed his natural shooting ability. This skill came in handy, he claimed, when in 1917 the nation went to war and he enlisted and went to France with the American Expeditionary Forces.

In Homer he joined the local chapter of the American Legion and regaled veterans with accounts of his exploits against theGermans, how he had been promoted from private to lieutenant and been decorated by General John “Black Jack” Pershing himself for his bravery and sharpshooting feats. He also claimed to be a champion wrestler and challenged anyone to a match. No one chose to face him on the mats, however, after witnessing demonstrations of his expert marksmanship blasting tin cans and bottles with a six-shooter behind the legion post.

And any who might have doubted his bravery joined the ranks of his admirers when on May 19, 1919, a flash flood struck neighboring Emerson, Neb., and Hart risked his life to rescue a little girl named Margaret O’Connor from drowning, then re-entered the raging torrent to bring the entire family of a popular local grocer named Winch to safety.