From Warriors to Soldiers: The History of Native American Service in the United States Military

Within six months of the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, seventy-five hundred American Indians enlisted in the military, and the numbers grew steadily. By war's end, at least twenty-five thousand American Indian men and women had served in the armed forces, far outstripping the numbers, per capita, of those who served from other ethnic groups. Yet Native American service in the United States military is rarely mentioned.Native Americans continue in the proud warrior traditions practiced by many of their ancestors, despite continued ignorance of their tribal ways demonstrated by the federal government and the American populace. Understanding the motives and actions of American Indians has always been hard for the general public, but this has never deterred American Indians from acting from the heart.Indians have fought in every theater of the war, often assigned to the most dangerous operations or duties. They became bomber pilots, scouts, communications experts, gunners, commandos, and even brigadier generals.Today, Native American men and women continue to enlist and serve with distinction in all branches of the armed services, and their tribal communities carry on proud traditions that include honoring those who've participated in the defense of their homeland. From Warriors to Soldiers tells the untold story of what they've done and why they've done it.

History

Robinson, Gary

Lucas, Phil

Americas

iUniverse, Inc.

Within six months of the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, seventy-five hundred American Indians enlisted in the military, and the numbers grew steadily. By war's end, at least twenty-five thousand American Indian men and women had served in the armed forces, far outstripping the numbers, per capita, of those who served from other ethnic groups. Yet Native American service in the United States military is rarely mentioned. Native Americans continue in the proud warrior traditions practiced by many of their ancestors, despite continued ignorance of their tribal ways demonstrated by the federal government and the American populace. Understanding the motives and actions of American Indians has always been hard for the general public, but this has never deterred American Indians from acting from the heart. Indians have fought in every theater of the war, often assigned to the most dangerous operations or duties. They became bomber pilots, scouts, communications experts, gunners, commandos, and even brigadier generals. Today, Native American men and women continue to enlist and serve with distinction in all branches of the armed services, and their tribal communities carry on proud traditions that include honoring those who've participated in the defense of their homeland. From Warriors to Soldiers tells the untold story of what they've done and why they've done it.

<p>Kirkus Review called this "a concise, moving history of American Indian military service." The book opens with a burning, difficult question that both enlivens and haunts the pages that follow: “Why have American Indians served, and why do they continue to serve, a government that has betrayed and broken promises to native peoples for multiple generations?” Robinson &amp; Lucas let their question breathe, all allow the actions of this story’s heroes-from Geronimo and Chief Joseph to the late Lori Ann Piestewa, a Hopi soldier killed in Iraq in 2003-speak for themselves. These narratives form an amazing record of self-discovery and political courage, one in which people forcibly divested of their land and traditions continue to look for their place in the sometimes violent, sometimes hopeful history of the United States. The book’s authors initially intended for their project to be a television documentary, and it is easy to imaging the work as a smart hour of public television. Robinson and Lucas are not academically trained, and military historians and scholars won’t find much here that is new (although the authors do provide an extensive bibliography). Interested readers, however, will find a wonderful and compendious account of American Indian military service from the colonial period to the present. The book is a nice, engaging read. Recommended reading for anyone curious about American military and Native American history.</p>

From Warriors to Soldiers: A History of American Indian Service in the U.S. Military

Tribal Eye Productions

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Books by Lucas, Phil

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From Warriors to Soldiers: The History of Native American Service in the United States Military

From Warriors to Soldiers: The History of Native American Service in the United States Military

From Warriors to Soldiers: A History of American Indian Service in the U.S. Military