When they did, the Republic's forces pulled out of the city. Elements of the Army and Rangers kept the Legion engaged long enough to allow the most experienced legionaries to enter the city. When the Legate ordered his elite forces to punch through and pursue Rangers decimating his officers and sowing chaos in the ranks, the Rangers and First Recon sharpshooters retreated into Boulder City. As General Lee Oliver's soldiers held the line, Rangers and Army sharpshooters targeted their commanders, sowing chaos in Legion ranks. Chief Hanlon anticipated this move, drawing the legionaries into a trap. He deployed his legionaries in the usual fashion, trying to defeat the Republic as he fought the tribes out east. However, Graham underestimated the enemy while overestimating his own skill as a commander. Graham's tenacity was legendary at this point: Despite efforts by both the NCR Rangers and First Recon east of the Colorado River and five kill reports on Graham, the Legate remained a menace at large. After a series of skirmishes east of the Colorado, Caesar's 68 attacked the Dam. Ĭaesar's obsession with uniting the wasteland under the banner of his Legion resulted in him attacking the New California Republic in 2277. For Graham, the end came at the First Battle of Hoover Dam. He was dangerous, unpredictable, and above all else legendary for being impossible to kill, even by NCR Rangers. The atrocities he committed made him feared by friend and foe alike. Though he was neither a particularly brilliant strategist nor tactically flexible, his menace and brutality were infamous. For thirty years he helped Caesar conquer the tribes of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, forging the Legion. When Sallow crowned himself Caesar, Graham became his first Legate, the Malpais Legate. His leadership position soon entailed retaliatory raids and terrorizing local tribes prior to assimilation into the Legion. Graham became a commander, training the forces of the fledgling army and leading them in battle. With his teachings and Graham's skills, the Blackfoots prevailed over the other tribes, becoming the nucleus of the Legion. Graham was indispensable to Sallow's plan, who turned the disorganized tribe into a capable fighting force, trained in small unit tactics, weapon use and maintenance, and the manufacture of arms and weapons. Against Calhoun's objections, Sallow decided to take charge of the situation: He taught the tribes how to care for their weapons, make explosives, work as a combat unit, with Graham continuing to serve as an interpreter and the first war leader of the Legion. This was a problematic situation, as the Blackfoots were at war with seven other tribes in the Grand Canyon, and were clearly losing. Whether it was an error in translation that Joshua made or some unrelated misunderstanding, the Blackfoots decided to hold the entire expedition for ransom. Joshua proved to be a capable interpreter, though eventually the hospitality of their hosts was replaced with hostility. Īround 2247, the Blackfoot were their first stop in the Canyon. Graham departed Canaan, following the Long 15 and 89 south towards Arizona, meeting Calhoun and Sallow on the way, sent by the Followers to provide education to local tribes and study their dialects. His knowledge made him a natural choice when the Followers of the Apocalypse asked for assistance in their expedition to the Grand Canyon. By the time he left his home, he was already fluent in several tribal dialects. In 2246, Graham received the mission call for his sacred service, to spread the good word to the people of the wasteland. He grew up in peaceful times, learning the trade of a missionary and an interpreter, due to his natural aptitude for languages. Joshua Graham was born in New Canaan, a Mormon community established in what remained of the city of Ogden, Utah.
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