MARADMINS : 493/06
R 131946Z OCT 06
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
TO AL MARADMIN(UC)
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 493/06
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/DOD OBSERVANCE OF AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH//
POC/R.A. ALLEN/CAPT/MPE/-/TEL:703 784-9371/TEL:DSN 278-9371//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. THIS YEAR, NOVEMBER WILL ONCE AGAIN MARK THE
BEGINNING OF A MONTH DEDICATED TO CELEBRATING AMERICAN INDIAN
HERITAGE. THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S OBSERVANCE IS "A WARRIOR'S
TRADITION: CONTRIBUTING TO OUR NATION'S FREEDOM".
2. AMERICAN INDIANS HAVE SERVED WITH DISTINCTION IN THIS COUNTRY'S
MILITARY FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS. ORIGINALLY SERVING AS SCOUTS IN
THE 18TH CENTURY, THEY WERE RENOWNED FOR THEIR SKILL OF TRACKING THE
ENEMY. DURING THE CIVIL WAR, AMERICAN INDIANS WERE CALLED TO ARMS
AS AUXILIARY TROOPS. IN 1866, THE ARMY FORMALLY ESTABLISHED THE
INDIAN SCOUTS, WHICH WERE EMPLOYED WIDELY IN VARIOUS BATTLES UNTIL
THEIR DEACTIVATION IN 1947. AT THAT TIME, AMERICAN INDIANS HAD
ALREADY MADE PRICELESS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS COUNTRY'S SECURITY AND
WERE SERVING IN UNPRECEDENTED NUMBERS IN THE REGULAR MILITARY. THE
CODE TALKERS OF WORLD WAR II AND CORPORAL IRA HAYES FROM THE FLAG
RAISING ON IWO JIMA ARE TWO NOTABLE EXAMPLES OF AMERICAN INDIANS WHO
HAVE LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK ON THE MARINE CORPS AND HELPED SECURE
THE FREEDOM OF THIS GREAT NATION.
3. THE WARRIOR TRADITION OF THIS PROUD CULTURE IS STILL EVIDENT IN
AMERICAN INDIAN REPRESENTATION IN THE MARINE CORPS TODAY. AS THE
GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM CONTINUES, AMERICAN INDIAN REPRESENTATION IN
THE MARINE CORPS IS GREATER THAN IN THE UNITED STATES POPULATION;
WHEREAS AMERICAN INDIANS ACCOUNT FOR JUST OVER ONE PERCENT OF THE
TOTAL POPULATION, THEY MAKE UP APPROXIMATELY TWO PERCENT OF THE
ACTIVE MARINE CORPS TODAY.
4. MARINES OF AMERICAN INDIAN DESCENT HAVE MADE A GREAT IMPACT ON
THE MARINE CORPS DURING THE PAST YEAR. AN IMPRESSIVE EXAMPLE OF
THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS IS THE REMARKABLE AMOUNT OF HIGH PERSONAL
DECORATIONS WHICH WERE AWARDED TO THIS DISTINGUISHED GROUP FOR
CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY IN SUPPORT OF THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM.
WITHIN THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS, FOUR BRONZE STARS WITH THE COMBAT
DISTINGUISHING DEVICE AND ONE SILVER STAR HAVE BEEN AWARDED TO
ENLISTED MARINES OF AMERICAN INDIAN DESCENT. ADDITIONALLY, A
FIRST SERGEANT OF THIS PROUD HERITAGE EARNED THE NAVY CROSS.
MARINES OF AMERICAN INDIAN DESCENT CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE DAILY TO
THE SUCCESS OF OUR CORPS, AT HOME AND ABROAD.
5. THIS YEAR, THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER MARKS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL
MARINES TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE HISTORICAL IMPACT MARINES OF
AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE HAVE HAD ON OUR CORPS. FROM SCOUTS
EMPLOYED BY MILITARY UNITS IN THE 19TH CENTURY, TO THE NAVAJO CODE
TALKERS OF WORLD WAR II, AND NOW THE HEROES IN UNIFORM TODAY,
AMERICAN INDIAN MARINES HAVE ENRICHED OUR CULTURE AND CONTRIBUTED
SIGNIFICANTLY TO OUR TRADITIONS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS THROUGHOUT OUR
ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY.
6. COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE TIME TO RECOGNIZE AND
CELEBRATE THE IMPACT OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE ON OUR OWN
WARRIOR TRADITION AS MARINES. COMMANDERS ARE FURTHER ENCOURAGED TO
CONDUCT PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN OBSERVANCE EVENTS BOTH
ON BASE AND IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND TO DEVELOP LOCAL THEMES FOR
USE AT THEIR COMMANDS.//