Tribal Veterans

The Tribal Veterans series means a lot to me. Not only was my father a Korean Veteran, but all of my uncles on both sides were veterans. So were many of my cousins, my little brother, and my nieces and nephews. My mother and all my aunts and my sisters are on the Ladies Auxiliary for veterans. I grew up in a tribe where veterans have always been revered and honored. When a veteran was down on his luck, my father would give him whatever money he had or do what he could for a veteran, like giving him a ride or feeding him. One time, my father gave his best winter coat to a veteran. He would say that if you see a veteran, even if he’s lying in the street, he saw action, he touched the enemy, and you respect him for that. Now that my parents are gone—and my brother and many of my uncles and cousins are gone too—I take pictures of the veteran. I stand when the tribal singers sing a veteran song. I bow my head when the flag song is sung and the veterans come in. I give what I can to the veteran. I wait and eat only after the last veteran is fed—that’s what I was taught. And if a veteran gives me hell for something, I just bow my head and take it. I honor that!