As listed on Pearl Harbor Day, there were 5,000 Natives in the military. By the end of this historic war, over 24,000 reservation Natives and another 20,000 off-reservation Natives had served. This was from a total population of about 350,000 as of 1940. In addition, another 40,000 left the reservations to work in the defense industry. It is speculated that by 1945, over 150,000 Native Americans had directly taken part in the war effort by their involvement in the industrial, agricultural, and military aspects. The response of the Native population in this country to the war effort was such that when the Pearl Harbor attack happened, it seemed that it awakened the ancestral “warrior” in many Native Americans. The definition of “warrior” is as follows: 1. a person engaged or experienced in warfare; soldier 2. A person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness, as in politics or athletics. (source: dictionary. com) This definition certainly seemed to apply!
It was noted that the Natives were willing to overlook years of disappointments and resentments to defend their own land as more than other ethnicities in the country, they understood the importance of doing so. Their “warrior” history evoked great respect in their military colleagues, and they were integrated into all branches of the service. The Marines in particular had great respect for the “warrior” abilities of the Natives though they distinguished themselves in all branches of the service.
Native Americans served on all fronts during this time and many distinguished medals and honors were awarded them including: Purple Hearts, Distinguished Flying Crosses, Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, Air Medals, Distinguished Service Crosses, and three Congressional Medals of Honor—the highest military award granted in the country. Even though Congress granted Native Americans citizenship a bit over a decade before the war started, in 1924, there were more Natives who voluntarily enlisted for battle than were drafted. As has been repeatedly noted throughout the history of Natives in the military, this again shows that these men and women were ready to step up and battle for their land and country. One source commented that had the general populace volunteered with the same percentage rate as the Natives, the draft wouldn’t have been necessary.
