By Lourdes Medrano
Arizona daily star
Tucson, Arizona
In George Bearpaw's family, engaging in military duty has been the mark of a patriot for generations. The former Marine fought in the Vietnam War. His late father, Thomas Bearpaw, served in the Army during World War II. His two brothers and a sister also enlisted in the Army.
"My family's military history goes back to the Civil War," said Bearpaw, a Cherokee from eastern Oklahoma now living in Tucson.
"We grew up with my dad being very patriotic," said Bearpaw, acting director for Indian Health Service in the Tucson area.
"It's true of a lot of Native American families. They're pretty proud of their history of service."
Such military contributions make American Indians eligible for the same benefits available to other veterans. But while they readily enlist in the military, Bearpaw noted, many American Indians fail to take advantage of available health care and educational, employment and housing-related services.
The Southern Arizona Gathering of American Indian Vets on Saturday aims to reach out to the population through a specially tailored program that includes free health screenings and wellness education. The first-ever daylong event will be held at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System on South Sixth Avenue.
Want to know more? Click here: http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/185622
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment