Commentary: Native warriors, neither gone nor forgotten
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As warriors, Native Americans fought for this land centuries before the Europeans arrived.
Not a single war has been fought on this continent or by this country without some Native American involvement. Even now, the call of the warrior is still a powerful force among American Indian men and women.
For this reason, Veterans Day is a good holiday to coincide with events for Native American Heritage Month.
The contributions of American Indians are often either masked by the Hollywood stereotype or simply go unmentioned. For instance, during World War II almost 25,000 warriors left the reservations to serve in the Armed Forces. By comparison, more Natives served in the military per capita than any other ethnic group in America.
Among the 25,000 to leave was Master Sgt. Samuel Blatchford, who has since retired. A Navajo Indian, he started his career with the Air Force during World War II and would later serve combat tours in Korea and Vietnam as well. To this day, he remains the nation's most decorated American Indian veteran.
His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, four Purple Hearts, five Air Medals, two Air Force Commendation Medals, the Prisoner of War Medal, the European and Pacific Campaign Medals, the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal, two National Defense Service Medals, the Korean Service Medal with battle star, the Vietnam Service Medal with three battle stars and the Cross of Gallantry.
Additionally, five American Indians are Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. Jack Montgomery (Oklahoma Cherokee), Ernest Childers (Creek), and Van Barfoot (Choctaw) were members of the 45th Thunderbirds during World War II. The other two, Mitchell Red Cloud (Winnebago) and Charles George (Qualla Reservation Cherokee) served in the Korean War.
American Indian veterans feel a great sense of pride in honoring their people while serving their country. They are not just in history books and movies; some are members of today's Total Force. (FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
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