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Native American veterans
of the Vietnam War stand in honor as part of the color guard
at the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial. November 11, 1990, Washington,
D.C. (Photo by Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
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National Veterans of Foreign Wars Day, September 29, recognizes
men and women who have served honorably in a foreign war or overseas
operation recognized by a campaign medal, received hostile fire,
or qualified for imminent danger pay. Active-duty servicemembers
who meet the criteria are also welcome. Members today include veterans
of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, the Balkans,
the Persian Gulf, Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and other
expeditionary campaigns, as well as those who have served during
occupations. Family members of eligible servicemen and women show
their support through the VFW Auxiliary.
The organization's history dates to 1899, when the American
Veterans of Foreign Service and the National Society of the Army
of the Philippines were organized to secure rights and benefits
for veterans of the SpanishAmerican War (1898) and PhilippineAmerican
War (18991902). The two organizations merged in 1914, creating
the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. The VFW was chartered
by Congress in 1936.
The VFW defines its role in its mission and vision statements:
To foster camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas
conflicts. To serve our veterans, the military, and our communities.
To advocate on behalf of all veterans.
To ensure that veterans are respected for their service, always
receive their earned entitlements, and are recognized for the
sacrifices they and their loved ones have made on behalf of this
great country.
Today, more than 1.6 million people belong to the VFW and VFW Auxiliary.
They take part in service and social programs at more than 6,000
posts, including posts on American Indian reservations and in Native
communities.
In the early 1900s, the warrior tradition of American Indians seemed
to face near extinction. The last of the major conflicts over Native
American lands had ended a generation before, when the Agreement
of 1877 annexed the Sioux homelandsincluding Pahá Sápa,
the Black Hillsand permanently established Indian reservations.
With a handful of exceptions, Native warriors no longer engaged
in battle to protect their homes, families, and way of life.
"Native Americans served in World War I even though they
were not citizens of the United States." Kevin Gover
(Pawnee), director of the National Museum of the American Indian
That changed in 1917, when the United States formally entered World
War I. In need of a much larger military, the federal government
began to promote enlistment, and shortly afterward, instituted the
draft. It is estimated that more than 12,000 American Indians served
in the U.S. military during the war. At a time when a third of Native
Americans were not recognized as citizens of the United States,
more than 17,000 Native American men registered with the Selective
Service. An estimated 12,000 Native Americans joined the U.S. Armed
Forces, some 6,500 of whom were drafted, according to the records
of the U.S. Office of Indian Affairs
The largest group of Native service members came from Oklahoma.
Members of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma became the military's
first officially organized and trained group of American Indian
code talkers. Students of the federal Indian boarding schools volunteered
in large numbersmore than 200 from the Carlisle Indian School
alone. Native Americans joined every branch of the military, including
a number of Native women who volunteered for the Army Nurse Corps.
Unlike African American servicemen and women, Native Americans were
not segregated into special units, although there is evidence that
they were often given unusually dangerous assignments. About 5 percent
of Native combat soldiers were killed during World War I, compared
to 1 percent of American soldiers overall.
Through the Citizenship Act of 1919, Congress granted U.S. citizenship
to American Indians who had served, if they applied for it. Native
Americans' record of patriotism became the catalyst for the
broader Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, which recognized all Native
Americans born in the United States as citizens.
The United States' entry into World War II brought large numbers
of American Indian warriors back to the battlefield in defense of
their homeland. More than 44,000 American Indians, out of a total
Native American population of less than 400,000, served with distinction
between 1941 and 1945 in all theaters of the war. Servicemen from
more than 30 Native nations used their tribal languages as unbreakable
codes to transmit vital communications. Among many Native heroes
of the war is Ira Hayes (Pima [Akimel O'odham], who grew up
on his parents' farm in the Gila River Indian Community, Arizona;
enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1942; and was one of six
servicemen who raised the American flag over Iwo Jima, a moment
immortalized at the Marine Corps Memorial.
"There is a camaraderie that transcends ethnicity when
you serve your country overseas in wartime."Senator
Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheyenne), Korea veteran
During the Korean War (19501953), battle-hardened Native
American troops from World War II were joined by American Indians
newly recruited to fight on foreign soil. Approximately 10,000 Native
Americans served in the U.S. military during this period. Seven
American Indians and Native Hawaiians received Medals of Honor for
their bravery and sacrifice in Korea. My uncle, William Hall-Zotigh
(Kiowa), proudly served in a MASH unit near Inchon and Taegu. Before
his death, he was heavily involved in the Veterans of Foreign Wars
and presided over funerals for veterans on behalf of the VFW.
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Native American veterans
participate in opening ceremonies during the 7th Annual Indiana
Traditional Powwow. April 7, 2018, Indiana University, Bloomington,
Indiana. (Jeremy Hogan)
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Native Americans demonstrated their patriotism again during the
Vietnam era. More than 42,000 Native Americans, fought in Vietnam,
more than 90 percent of them volunteers. Among the nearly 60 thousand
names of individuals killed or missing in action on the Vietnam
Memorial Wall are 232
identified as Native Americans or Alaska Natives.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Natives in United States military took
part in combat or other hostilities in Grenada, Panama, Somalia,
Bosnia and Kosovo, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Private
First Class Lori Piestewa (Hopi) was the first woman killed in action
during Operation Iraqi Freedom and the first American Indian woman
known to have died in combat overseas.
"I'm excited about the upcoming memorial. With the
all-volunteer service, there are a lot of people who have not
served or don't understand what it means to serve. I guess
I want people to recognize how often Native people have volunteered.
From Alaska to the East Coast, through all the wars, Native people
have always volunteered." Colonel Wayne Don (Cupig
and Yupik), veteran of Bosnia and Afghanistan
According to the Department of Defense, more than 23,000 of the
1.2 million men and women on active duty in the U.S. military today
American Indians or Alaska Natives. With the completion of the National
Native American Veterans Memorial on November 11, 2020, the museum
will honor them and all Native veterans. The museum will announce
the larger, ceremonial opening when it is possible for veterans
and their families to take part.
The National
Native American Veterans Memorial is currently under construction
on the grounds of the National Museum of the American Indian on
the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Congress charged the museum
with creating this memorial to give all Americans the opportunity
"to learn of the proud and courageous tradition of service
of Native Americans." Their
legacy deserves our recognition.
Join us in recognizing the members and mission of the VFW on social
media using the hashtag #VFWDay. |