R 131914Z OCT 11
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 608/11
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/DOD OBSERVANCE OF NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH NOVEMBER 2011//
POC/R.P. TAYLOR/MAJ/CMC (MPE)/-/TEL:DSN 278-9371/ TEL:COMM (703)784-9371//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. FROM THE BIRTH OF THE UNITED STATES, NATIVE AMERICANS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE WITH DISTINCTION.  THROUGH THEIR CULTURE OF CHARACTER AND COURAGE, NATIVE AMERICANS HAVE PROUDLY SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS. THIS NOVEMBER, IN OBSERVANCE OF NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, WE TAKE TIME TO HONOR AND RECOGNIZE THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY THE NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
2. SINCE THE FOUNDING OF OUR NATION, NATIVE AMERICANS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN EVERY WAR AND CONFLICT.  DURING WORLD WAR II, ALMOST ONE-THIRD OF ABLE-BODIED NATIVE AMERICAN MEN JOINED THE MILITARY. WOMEN ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN MILITARY AUXILIARIES, NURSE CORPS, AND WAR-RELATED WORK IN NUMBERS PROPORTIONATELY SURPASSING THEIR COUNTERPARTS.  FROM THE STANDING ROCK RESERVATION ALONE, AT LEAST FIFTY LAKOTA WOMEN ENLISTED IN THE MILITARY.  UNITS LIKE THE 297TH PLATOON, THE SECOND ALL-NAVAJO MARINE CORPS PLATOON, ANSWERED THE NATION'S CALL TO SERVICE AND OFFERED THEIR LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND STRENGTH TO SUPPORT THE WAR EFFORT.
3. FROM THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR TO THE NATIVE AMERICAN MARINES SERVING IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN TODAY, NATIVE AMERICANS CARRY FORTH AN HONORABLE WARRIOR TRADITION THAT WILL FOR GENERATIONS EXEMPLIFY WHAT IS BEST ABOUT THE WARRIOR ETHOS. AT HOME AND ABROAD, MARINES OF NATIVE AMERICAN DESCENT CONTRIBUTE DAILY TO THE SUCCESS AND LEGACY OF OUR CORPS, AND THEIR PROUD WARRIOR TRADITION OF SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY NOT ONLY VENERATES THEIR ANCESTORS BUT ALSO EXEMPLIFIES OUR CORE VALUES OF HONOR, COURAGE AND COMMITMENT.
4. DURING NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE DEDICATED SERVICE AND UNIQUE CONTRIBUTIONS OF NATIVE AMERICANS, PAST AND PRESENT, TO OUR COUNTRY AND CORPS. COMMANDERS ARE FURTHER ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN OBSERVANCE EVENTS AT THEIR COMMANDS AND IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
5. RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY MR. M. F. APPLEGATE DIRECTOR, MANPOWER PLANS AND POLICY DIVISION, MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS.//