Once
again Walk With the Warriors is an advocate to promote a resolution that
is going before the House of Representatives. Introduced by Arizona Congressman
Rick Renzi. On the Senate side to be introduced by the Chairman of the
Committee on Indian Affairs, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell. Once the
Bill has passed in both the House and the Senate, it is proposed to go
directly before President George Bush.
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20th Century Warriors: Native American Participation in the United States Military
WORLD WAR I
Approximately 20% of the entire adult Native American male population served in World War I, even though up to one-third were not U.S. citizens at the onset of World War I
“the ratio of Indian registrants inducted was twice as high as the average of all registrants”
In the last two months of the war, unit commanders began using the special language skills of Native Americans to facilitate protected communications. Multiple units used Choctaw, Osage, Comanche, Cheyenne and Sioux soldiers to transmit messages in their native languages (Britten, 1997; Holm, 1996). At least ten Native Americans won the Croix de Guerre for valor, and 150 other soldiers were decorated for meritorious service (Britten, 1997).
Citizenship was conferred on Indian veterans in 1919, and their efforts in the war contributed to the granting of U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans in 1924
WORLD WAR II
Nonetheless, formal and informal discrimination against American Indians persisted even as they joined fighting units in the war. Native Americans would serve in integrated units in the military at a time when they experienced intense housing discrimination, were forced to live in “Indian Ghettos,” received lower pay in defense industries than white co-workers, and faced discrimination in public accommodations.
In spite of the severity of discrimination and mistreatment, Native American support for the war was impressive. Native Americans would eventually respond with a one hundred percent registration rate, “setting the standard for the rest of America”.
The Osages, Poncas, and Lakotas declared war independently on the Axis. More than twenty-five thousand Native Americans served during WWII – a higher percentage, per capita, than any other ethnic group.
Native Americans drew particularly difficult assignments, frequently serving as scouts on long-range reconnaissance missions and in commando-type units. They were also heavily represented in infantry and marine divisions. The War Department continued its policy of avoiding separate units for Native Americans, with the exception of some training platoons.
The Marine Corps trained Navajo “Code Talkers” as communications specialists that sent messages pertaining to enemy troop movements in the Navajo language to evade enemy intelligence. In response to concerns about language difficulties and culture shock, the military also allowed the establishment of several all-Indian training platoons to facilitate adjustment. Once soldiers’ command of English improved, they joined mixed regiments.
In August of 1942, units at reception centers were authorized to teach minimal reading and vocabulary needed for military training, and Native American instructors taught non-English speaking Indians. The high rates of Native American enlistment would eventually lead the Saturday Evening Post editor to write, “We would not need the Selective Service if all volunteered like Indians”.
During the war, Native American soldiers received one Medal of Honor, 30 Distinguished Flying Crosses, and 70 Air Medals. Native American service members were awarded more than 200 medals and citations for meritorious performance.
Korea, Vietnam and Beyond
Vietnam
During the war, 23% of combat soldiers were African American, more than twice their representative numbers in the general population, and minority men in general were more likely to enter the military, see duty in Vietnam and directly participate in combat than their white counterparts
The present U.S. military is a highly racially diverse institution. African Americans, Latinos, Asian/Pacific Island and Native American soldiers comprised nearly 40% of the armed forces in 2002
Some talked about the tradition of service among Native Americans. Per capita, Native Americans have the highest percentage of people serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. While they represent less than one percent of the population, they make up 1.6 percent of the Armed Forces.
read the whole story here: http://timberjay.com/current.php?article=3853