Native Americans bring message of
unity to Baumholder's warriors
By Sean E. Cobb,
Kaiserslautern bureau
Sean E. Cobb / Stars and Stripes
Ben Sanchez, left, a Navajo, and Petur Redbird, a Seminole Creek, chant and drum for a
hoop dance performed by Lowry Begay at the Baumholder community's Native American Heritage
Month celebration Thursday |
BAUMHOLDER, Germany — A group of Native Americans brought a message of unity to
soldiers in Baumholder in celebration of Native American Heritage Month last week.
Native Americans have a long, proud heritage of being warriors and the Army is full of
warriors, said Dwight W. Birdwell, a Cherokee, and guest speaker at the event.
"Not everyone can claim the distinction of being a warrior," Birdwell said.
"It’s something that can’t be taken away from you. It will follow and
benefit you all your life," he told the soldiers.
Birdwell knows about being a warrior and said the experience has served him well
throughout his life. He served in the Vietnam War and received two Silver Stars and a
Purple Heart during his tours there.
He was quick to point out he was only one of many Native Americans who have fought in
the nation’s Armed Forces.
"We have served in every war since the early 1800s," Birdwell said. "We
have always been proud of our service to the United States government."
Serving in Vietnam was quite a challenge, and there was one time he did not know if he
was going to survive it, Birdwell said.
During one particular battle near Saigon, Birdwell’s unit was on the verge of
being overrun by an overwhelming force of North Vietnamese. In the unit, there was a
soldier who talked and looked exactly like Popeye. His mother told him not to join the
Army and he swore during the battle that if he ever got out of alive, he would always
listen to his momma.
As members of the unit were all saying their good-byes, a neighboring unit, Cavalry B,
made it over to their location and saved them. Birdwell said: "I remember thinking,
‘Now this is something odd, an Indian being rescued by the cavalry!’ "
Army Staff Sgt. Ben Grimes, a 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery, 1st Armored Division
equal opportunity officer, said these types of events lift morale and open people’s
eyes to other cultures and history.
"In this case, it was very helpful because it taught [soldiers] about the
difference between a real Indian versus a Hollywood version."
That was U.S. Army Europe’s purpose in bringing Birdwell and a troop of dancers to
tour Army units in Europe: to make people aware of their differences and address them,
said Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Mason, a 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division equal opportunity
adviser.
"We want to make people aware of each other, to be sensitive to each other,"
he said.
There is racism in the Army, Birdwell said. There was racism in the Army during
Vietnam, and it is still around, he said.
However, there is no place for it in an organization where people put their lives in
each other’s hands, he said.
"You have to be able to depend on the guy next to you," Birdwell said.
"Otherwise, all our blood runs red."
Besides the speaker, a group of six Native American dancers, the Morning Star Dancers,
performed dances and songs for over an hour.
It was a pretty impressive show, according to Sgt. Lehman Ware, a 1st Battalion, 6th
Infantry, 1st Armored Division Bradley gunner. Ware should know, he is a Kiowa Indian, and
before joining the Army he participated in some powwows.
"I came because I wanted to support and watch other Native Americans," he
said. "I think this will help other soldiers better understand us."
The performance played to a nearly packed Baumholder movie theater.
At the end of the show, the dancers performed a special song/chant about a
"soldier boy" in gratitude of the sacrifices the men and women overseas are
making.
"You are our modern-day warriors," said Lowry Begay, the dance group leader.
"May the Great Spirit bless you all."
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