THE CArtOLlNAftfffflAN VOICE
Published each Thursday by First American Publications, Pembroke, AC
VOLUME 26 NUMBER 43 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1999 TWENTY-FIVE CENTS
The Warrior Tradition: Native American Zeal to Serve
the United States Was Great During World War II
by L ap!. Erie Tsali Rrewington
USAF/Electronic Systems Center/
JointSA TRS Contracts Siative American
Program Manager, Hanscom
AFB, MA
"To honor a culture, you must first
understand that culture." (Statement
by Mr. James Floyd. Director. VA
Medical Center Salt Lake City. UT.)
DuringWorld War II. Native American
Zeal to serve this country was so
great that, according to U.S. Army officials.
the draft would have not been
necessary if the country's entire population
had enlisted in the same proportion
as did American Indians.
American Indians began enlisting in
the late 1930s when the Armed Forces
began to mobilize. What could have
possibly been the motivating factor to
make so many desire to serve their
country? "We were ready to fight for
our country, for our people for our
families." These great men were mere
boys at the time of their calling. Many
had never left their reservation or ventured
far from the Indian communities
before, yet they were proud and eager to
serve. There was some peer pressure as
many Indians would come home on
leave, sporting their new uniforms,
catching the eyes of the ladies, and
having a little money in their pocket.
These new recruits would share their
adventures of all the strange sites and
places like California, Illinois, New
York and
Texas! Then they'd ask their civilian
friends "Why haven't you joined up
yet"? The end result was 99 percent of
all eligible American Indians registered
for the draft, setting a national
standard. In fact, many who were not
even old enough to serve, misled their
recruiter or found a way into military
service. There were choices. According
t& Mr. James Edmond Locklear
(Lumbee); "You could be "deferred
for farmiwhich meant if you were
a farmer, you didn't have to go into
service, but many of us Indian boys
telt obligated to join our buddies and
fight, that's why I begged and had a
little help to get in." \lr. Locklear was
in the Navy from 1943 to 1946. serv ed
on the Battleship L'SS New Mexico
and was in combat by the age of 17
On December 7. 1941. there were
5,000 Indians in the service and by
the end of the w ar. more than 44.500
Indians served in uniform - 24.521
Indians from reservations and 20.000
from non-reservation Indian communities.
The combined total was more
than 10 percent of the American Indian
population, and I /3 of the ablebodied
men from 18-50 years old.
Some Indian men were so eager to
fight that they stood in line for hours,
during all types of weather, just to
sign their draft cards. Mr. James
"Cleo" Maynor and Mr. James Arther
Oxendine are two Lumbee Indian
men who spent their own money to
ride a bus for 2 hours one way just to
see a recruiter because no one really
knew what differences were between
the Navy, Marines and the Army.
Some Indians even carried their own
rifles so they'd be ready for battle once
theyjoined. FOR example, one-fourth
of the Mescalero Apaches in NewMexico
and nearly all able bodied
Chippevvas at the Grand Portage Reservation
enlisted because they were
unwilling to wait for their draft numbers!
In early 1942, the Navajo Tribal
called n special convention attended
by 50.000 Indians to dramatize their
support for the war effort. Tuscaroras.
Oneidas, Senecas, Cayugas.
Onondagas, Chippevvas and the Sioux
united and declared war on the Axis
powers. More than 300 Indians first
saw action in the Pacific, including a
desendent of famed Apache Chiet
Geronimo, who took part in the defense
of Bataan and Corregidor. The
Marine Corps welcomed Native
Americans into their ranks primarily
because of the warrior reputation anil
spirit. The Army's famed 45th
"Thunderbird" Infantry Di\ision had
the highest proportion of Indian soldiers
of any division of more than
2.000 Indian men! Beginning in 1943.
this unit 511 days of combat, fighting
through North Africa, Sicily. Italy,
the Ardennes Forest, and finally into
Germany. Contributions were many.
Cherokee men like I Lt. Ernest
Childers. Cdr. Ernest E. Evans. L.t.
Jack Montgomery and 2Lt Van Barefoot
(Choctaw) were awarded the congressional
Medal of Honor for their
valor during combat in Europe. Major
General Clarence Tinker (Osgae)
was lost in action while leading a
group of LB-30 bombers on a mission
against Japanese forces near Wake
Island June 7, 1942. He was the first
U.S. General lost in WWII. Brumett
Echohawk (Pawnee) was a renounced
expert who trained commandos in
hand-to-hand combat. Kenneth
Scisson (Lakota) received the
Distringuished Service Cross, accredited
with 10 confirmed kills during a
raid against the Germans near Bizerte."
Tunisia, in 1942. Lastly, Robert Stabler
(Omaha Tribe) landed alone
under heavy fire to mark a beach
landing site during the invasion of
Sicily,
Native American contributions to
the war effort were significant to say
the least. Nearly 46.000 Indian men
and women left their communities to
work in the defense industry. Ultimately,
approximately 150.000 Native
Americans directly participated
in their industrials, agricultural and
military effort. Nearly 12,000 American
Indian women served as welders
in aircraft assembly pants; served it.
the American Women's Volunteer
Service, Red Cross and Civil Defense;
manned fire lookout stations;
became everything from mechanics
to lumberjacks: tended livestock:grew
\ ictorv gardens: canned food and
sewed uniforms! Nearly 800 Indian
women served in the Women's Arms
Corps (XX ACS). Women Accepted
for Volunteer Emergency Service
(WAXES). Women Marine Corps
Reserve and Army Nurse Corps. It
didn't stop there. Native Americans
purchased an amazing S50 Million in
Treasury Stamps and War Bonds.
XX'orld War II was a major turning
point for all Native Americans. Large
numbers of Indians experienced for
the first time, the non-Indian world.
As a result, some returning veterans
went through purification ceremonies
in order to return to their normal
lives, and just wanted to go home.
While the war provided many new
opportunities, it also disrupted the
traditional way of liie. THE attraction
to live away from the Indian
community was offset by the lessening
of 'Tribal ties and the loss ofTribal
security. America as a whole was
never the same after the war. and
more so to the Indian.
Some Indians continue to live an^
serve their people on the reservations
and Indian communities in order to
preserve the traditional way of life.
Still today, many American Indians
make the transition and learn to live
successfully in the modern world,
and many venture to pass on their
experiences, the truths, the pride in
serving this country, and to shape the
leaders of tomorrow in the Warrior
tradition.
It's the Veteran, and the Elders of
the community who carry the true
knovvledge of the past into the future
and welcome the rest home. After all,
without them, there'd be no home to
come home to.
"Hats with Hugs" volunteer Juanita Richburg helps Martha Revels
of Pembroke choose a hat from among 80 donated to the Southeastern
Cancer Center.
Foundation Volunteers Donate
Hats to Local Cancer Patients
When Doris McCormick ran across
a story about "Hats with Hugs" in a
local newspaper, she knew right away
that it was a program needed in her
community. As amember ofthe Southeastern
Regional Medical Center
Foundation's Board of Trustees, she
was familiar with the work of the
Southeastern Cancer Center and the
patients there, who experience hair
loss because of chemotherapy.
Now every cancer patient who loses
hair during treatment can choose an
attractive hat made w ith tender loving
care thanks to McCormick. who enlisted
the help of many other wotTjpn
all over Robeson County. These volunteers
presented more than 80 hats to
the Cancer Center at a reception on
October 28. The hats were given to a
few patients who attended the vent
and will be available for all patients
who want one in the future.
"When I brought the idea of Hats
with Hugs to the attention of the Foundation.
it was warmly received. Everyone
I've contacted has been very
responsive to it," McCormick said.
Over the past several months.
McCormick sought the help of several
local church sewing guilds. In
Lumberton, women of the First Baptist
Church (N.Walnut ST.) made and
donated hats for the project. Several
volunteers form McCormick's hometown
of Rowland also participated.
"We had a real interest in this
project because a number of our own
are involved in chemotherapy and radiation
treatments." said Grade Davis,
who organized craftswomen of the
First Baptist Church to make hats.
"Cancer has touched so many of us
personally that we felt we had to get
involved. It was perhaps the least thing
we can do. The only praise we would
ever want is to know that someone got
a hat who didn't have one."
Martha Revels of Pembroke was
one of the cancer patients who chose
her hat that evening. "I loved all of
them. They were adorable." she said.
"It was hard to choose which one I
liked the best. But I love this one."
Jan Ganc of l.umberton made the
hat that Revels chose. Gane said that
she became involved in the project
because of family members who had
battled cancer. The Tanner Retail Store
in Rutherfordton. NC'. donated the
fabric used for the sewn hats. Needle
Nicks of Florence. SC. discounted the
yarn used in many of the crocheted
and knitted hats.
Volunteers also made pillows in
conjunction with the Hat with Hugs
program. The pillows will be given to
mastectomy patients in the Reach for
Recovery program at the cancer center.
I.inda Hugginsofthc First Baptist
Church embroidered over 25 pillows
for the project.
Anyone who is interested in becoming
part of the Hats with Hugs or
the Reach for Recovery pillow program
should contact Sissy Grantham
at the SRMC Foundation, 671-5583.
Dial Conducts Auction for Public Schools
Organizing, publicizing, and makingplans
forthe annual Public Schools
of Robeson County auction creates
quite a challenge forthe auctioneer.
Allen Griffin Dial demonstrated
his readiness forthe Auction October
16 as he anxiously reviewed procedures,
and checked all necessary
preparations to begin the sale.
Employees of the Public Schools
of Robeson County system worked
diligently before the auction organiz
ing -quipment and items to allow the
sale to go smoothly.
Desks, computers, cabinets, refrigerators.
lawn mowers, and vehicles
only served as a small portion of items
to sell, customers experienced opportunities
to enjoy the convenience that
no longer served as updated or standard
equipment for the public schools.
The sale in tum allows the profit
gained to flow back into the school
system to assist children's education.
The Public Schools of Robeson County held its Annual Auction October
16. Dial Auction Company conducted telt sale. Left to right: licensed
auctioneers W.T. Lockleur, Dick Martin and Allen Griffen Dial.
Wild Game Festival to
be held at NC Indian
Cultural Center Nov. 19
Pembroke - The North Carolina
Indian Cultural Center will have its
9th Annual Native American Wild
Game festival on November 19,1999
on the festival grounds across from
the Strike at the Wind Amphi-theater.
The Public is invited to experience
life-styles and food from the past and
present. Come and hear traditional
stories, songs, dance & the beat of the
drums. See our live snake display, try
^our hand at hatchet throwing, demonstrations
w ill be performed on quilting.
beautiful designed gourds, pot
tcry by theCatawbas. basket weaving,
flute making out of reeds, corn shucking
and much more! There will be
plenty of Bar-B-Que, Venison hash,
collards. sweet potatoes and fry bread.
Stop by the traders booth and purchase
hand made Native American
crafts, l.umbee Rider F.arl Carter will
discuss tribal legends and history.
Gospel singing will start at 5:30 for an
exciting evening under#the stars. Admission
is free. For more information
please call (910) 521-2433.
Eric Brewington, Suecial Guest speaker at the Veterans Day
celebration hclatin Pembroke totlay, hosted by the Pembroke VFW Post
#2843, wrote the following article in honor of all veterans. Brcwington
is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ted Brcwington of Pembroke.
A Sisters Corner: the Newest
Business in Pembroke to hold
Grand Opening November 15th
Sisters Corner is a: new business opening up in town on.November ] 5th.
I999at 10 ami. till 6 p.m. at 611 Union Chapel Rd. across from the Robo Tex
convenient store. Mrs. Shelby Blanchard Revels and her sister Mrs. Caverlen
Revels-Locklearhave been away for awhile, after graduating front Pembroke
High School in the 60's they both chose to find opportunities outside the state.
Caverlen joined the military and Shelby got married and moved to the
mountains to work for Crossntore School Inc. as an resident counselor. Both
sisters have returned to take care of their mother Miss Kthel Q. Revels of
Pembroke.
"Our mother raised us w ith a firm Christian hand and taught us to work hard
and love everybody "said Shelby. We were looking forself supporting jobs in
the area. We put our heads together and came up with a business plan in a corner
therefore calling it Sisters Comer. We are determined to make this business
work. This is where are hearts beat clear and strong for our home community.
Sisters Comer will be operating through the holidays, there will be gifts for
all occasions. Brand name fragrances arid lotions, scented candle's, cards, live
Christmas tree's. Some of the other aspects of the business is a program called
Child Sheild U.S.A. a child protection service. Free gift wrapping will be
provided for purchases of S50 or more. There will be a play area provide for
ch i Idren so there parents can shop at there leisure Later on in the year a mai Ibox
service, copies, fax machine and UPS service At the grand opening there w ill
be a registration for gift certificates and door prizes, also stocking stuffers for
kids.
"Shelby and Caverlen are strong supporters of Non profit organizations and
Churches for discounts and whatever needs they may entail. So come and visit
the sisters at Sisters^- " or good deals and great service with that hometown
feel.
By Maria Rajas
Shelby Illanehard Revels and her sister Cavcrlcn Revels-Locklcar in
front of their nets' business callced Sisters Corner located at 611 Union
Chapel Rd in Pembroke.