1. Overview:
The following is a collection of narratives written or spoken by
Native American veterans about the Vietnam War. Currently, no such collection is
available, a surprising absence in that Native Americans were perhaps the most
widely represented group in the armed services during the time of the Vietnam
War. According to the 1980 U.S. Census, 82,000 American Indians served in the
military during the Vietnam era. Many, undoubtedly, found themselves in Vietnam.
Yet, no major study to date has identified Native American veterans as a
distinct socioeconomic group in that war. In fact, only recently has any
significant attention been given to the social, economic, and cultural needs of
Native Americans in general. It is time that Vietnam War era American Indian
vets and their families be provided a forum for expressing their views and
reflections on America's longest war. Hence, the purpose of this collection is
to present in their own voices the experience of Native Americans during the
Vietnam War era.
