From Warriors to Soldiers

Within six months of the Japanese attack on 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 America’s indigenous peoples from acting from the heart. Today, American Indian 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 those brave heroes, and it is written in honor of all Native American veterans of all tribes to bring much-deserved attention to the dedication and sacrifice offered up by Native Americans in all parts of the United States.