Post by blackcrowheart on Nov 22, 2006 14:06:12 GMT -5
Warriors honor Gulf dead By LUELLA N. BRIEN
Of The Gazette Staff
www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/11/07/news/local/40-warrior\
s.txt
<http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/11/07/news/local/40-warrio\
rs.txt> A rifle, bayonet to the floor, stood at the front of the room. A
helmet and ID tags balanced on the end of the rifle.
A pair of combat boots was carefully placed next to the rifle.
Each component signified an important part of the memorial at Monday's
Gathering of Warriors, a symbolic tribute to the 18 Montana soldiers
who've died in the Persian Gulf.
The rifle, pointed down, was in a position of prayer. The boots
symbolize the march into the last battle, while the helmet and tags,
represented the soldiers. After each name was read, a bell chimed, its
tone resonating through the Montana State University-Billings Student
Union Ballroom. The second annual Gathering of Warriors was sponsored by
the MSU-Billings Inter-Tribal Indian and Veterans clubs and the Montana
Veterans' Upward Bound Program to celebrate Montana's warriors, American
Indian and non-Indian.
Jeffery Sanders, an associate professor of Native American Studies, told
the crowd of nearly 100 that American Indians have the highest
percentage of military service per capita of any U.S. ethnic group.
An estimated 42,000 American Indian veterans live in the U.S., said Joe
Cabos, outreach coordinator and student recruiter with the Montana
Veterans' Upward Bound Program at MSU-Billings.
Sanders said American Indians were represented in every battle and war
in which the U.S. has participated, including the French and Indian War,
the American Revolution, the Civil War, world wars I and II, Korea,
Vietnam and both wars in Iraq.
An estimated 12,000 American Indians enlisted to fight in the first
World War, despite not being U.S. citizens. American Indians were
enfranchised in 1924 with the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act,
Sanders said.
One of the first American Indian veterans of the 20th century was Joseph
Oklahombi, a Choctaw from Oklahoma, who was a code talker in WWI.
In 1918, Oklahombi and a few others were cut off from the rest of their
company. They came across a German machine-gun emplacement, with about
50 trench mortars. Sanders said, Oklahombi ran 210 yards through barbed
wire, trench mortars and heavy machine gun and artillery fire to capture
one gun and turned it on the Germans. The soldier held his position for
four days, capturing 171 prisoners until help came.
In WWII, more than 44,000 American Indians enlisted to fight, including
Louis Charlo, grandson of the Salish Chief Charlo. Louis Charlo was
killed in battle on Mount Surabachi on the island of Iwo Jima.
Forty-six thousand Indians left their homes in search of jobs to help
the war effort during WWII, Sanders said.
An estimated 42,000 Indians fought in Vietnam, with 90 percent of them
volunteering.
"(American Indians) personify professionalism at the highest," Sanders
said. "From their warrior societies come strength, both physical and
mental strength; honor, in family, tribe and nation; pride; devotion to
people and country; and wisdom, wisdom that comes from survival, the
wisdom that comes from being a successful soldier."
One-hundred seventy-five veterans are enrolled at MSU-Billings, and 148
of them receive benefits. The Center for Veterans Education and Training
serves all of those veterans, including 49 tribal vets.
Veterans' Upward Bound helps low-income, first-generation college
student veterans with the transition from military life to civilian
life, by offering help with financial aid, veteran's benefits, refresher
courses, individual counseling, registration and class scheduling, and
referral to community supportive services and agencies.
The Veterans' Upward Bound staff consists of combat veterans who
understand the needs of their students, who must have 181 days of active
duty.
Cobos said the biggest obstacles confronting his students are paperwork
and time management - learning how to work, go to school and take care
of the family.
The younger vets, Cobos said, have a difficult time navigating all the
paperwork for financial aid, college enrollment, scholarships and
veteran's benefits.
"It can be a barrier, but as long as they come to Cisel Hall, we can
help them," he said.
An eight-week transitional program is free to qualifying student vets on
campus, the program also offers the Tribal College Academic Bridge
Program at tribal colleges in the state, the Cohort Program on campuses
that don't have a VUB program, the Reserve Program for newly discharged
reservists and the Distance Learning Program for veterans wanting to
work from home.
The program also works with all the colleges of technology associated
with the Montana University System.
Cobos said the program will help students find schools anywhere in the
country that will fit their needs. He mentioned a student who wanted to
be a chef, but only one school in the state offered any culinary-arts
programs and it wasn't quite what the student wanted.
Veterans' Upward Bound found a program in Washington and helped the
student apply and get set up with housing.
"He's doing very well, I might add," Cobos said.
Of The Gazette Staff
www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/11/07/news/local/40-warrior\
s.txt
<http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/11/07/news/local/40-warrio\
rs.txt> A rifle, bayonet to the floor, stood at the front of the room. A
helmet and ID tags balanced on the end of the rifle.
A pair of combat boots was carefully placed next to the rifle.
Each component signified an important part of the memorial at Monday's
Gathering of Warriors, a symbolic tribute to the 18 Montana soldiers
who've died in the Persian Gulf.
The rifle, pointed down, was in a position of prayer. The boots
symbolize the march into the last battle, while the helmet and tags,
represented the soldiers. After each name was read, a bell chimed, its
tone resonating through the Montana State University-Billings Student
Union Ballroom. The second annual Gathering of Warriors was sponsored by
the MSU-Billings Inter-Tribal Indian and Veterans clubs and the Montana
Veterans' Upward Bound Program to celebrate Montana's warriors, American
Indian and non-Indian.
Jeffery Sanders, an associate professor of Native American Studies, told
the crowd of nearly 100 that American Indians have the highest
percentage of military service per capita of any U.S. ethnic group.
An estimated 42,000 American Indian veterans live in the U.S., said Joe
Cabos, outreach coordinator and student recruiter with the Montana
Veterans' Upward Bound Program at MSU-Billings.
Sanders said American Indians were represented in every battle and war
in which the U.S. has participated, including the French and Indian War,
the American Revolution, the Civil War, world wars I and II, Korea,
Vietnam and both wars in Iraq.
An estimated 12,000 American Indians enlisted to fight in the first
World War, despite not being U.S. citizens. American Indians were
enfranchised in 1924 with the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act,
Sanders said.
One of the first American Indian veterans of the 20th century was Joseph
Oklahombi, a Choctaw from Oklahoma, who was a code talker in WWI.
In 1918, Oklahombi and a few others were cut off from the rest of their
company. They came across a German machine-gun emplacement, with about
50 trench mortars. Sanders said, Oklahombi ran 210 yards through barbed
wire, trench mortars and heavy machine gun and artillery fire to capture
one gun and turned it on the Germans. The soldier held his position for
four days, capturing 171 prisoners until help came.
In WWII, more than 44,000 American Indians enlisted to fight, including
Louis Charlo, grandson of the Salish Chief Charlo. Louis Charlo was
killed in battle on Mount Surabachi on the island of Iwo Jima.
Forty-six thousand Indians left their homes in search of jobs to help
the war effort during WWII, Sanders said.
An estimated 42,000 Indians fought in Vietnam, with 90 percent of them
volunteering.
"(American Indians) personify professionalism at the highest," Sanders
said. "From their warrior societies come strength, both physical and
mental strength; honor, in family, tribe and nation; pride; devotion to
people and country; and wisdom, wisdom that comes from survival, the
wisdom that comes from being a successful soldier."
One-hundred seventy-five veterans are enrolled at MSU-Billings, and 148
of them receive benefits. The Center for Veterans Education and Training
serves all of those veterans, including 49 tribal vets.
Veterans' Upward Bound helps low-income, first-generation college
student veterans with the transition from military life to civilian
life, by offering help with financial aid, veteran's benefits, refresher
courses, individual counseling, registration and class scheduling, and
referral to community supportive services and agencies.
The Veterans' Upward Bound staff consists of combat veterans who
understand the needs of their students, who must have 181 days of active
duty.
Cobos said the biggest obstacles confronting his students are paperwork
and time management - learning how to work, go to school and take care
of the family.
The younger vets, Cobos said, have a difficult time navigating all the
paperwork for financial aid, college enrollment, scholarships and
veteran's benefits.
"It can be a barrier, but as long as they come to Cisel Hall, we can
help them," he said.
An eight-week transitional program is free to qualifying student vets on
campus, the program also offers the Tribal College Academic Bridge
Program at tribal colleges in the state, the Cohort Program on campuses
that don't have a VUB program, the Reserve Program for newly discharged
reservists and the Distance Learning Program for veterans wanting to
work from home.
The program also works with all the colleges of technology associated
with the Montana University System.
Cobos said the program will help students find schools anywhere in the
country that will fit their needs. He mentioned a student who wanted to
be a chef, but only one school in the state offered any culinary-arts
programs and it wasn't quite what the student wanted.
Veterans' Upward Bound found a program in Washington and helped the
student apply and get set up with housing.
"He's doing very well, I might add," Cobos said.