American Indians in
World War II
Indians have served in every
American war since the Civil War.
“Well, when [the Germans] thought we were
[slacking off], they marched us downtown
to a place and they pulled out our toenails. I
don’t know if this was a planned way of
torture, but they made us walk back also.
The first guy passed out. I was third, and I
see black coming when the big toenail was
pulling out.”
Warrior Mentality
Historically, Indians have used wars and
battles with enemies to prove themselves as
warriors.
Warriors protected the tribes traditional
culture, protected the people, defended their
resource areas and aided in the cohesion of
the entire tribe.
With tribes no longer fighting each other in
the 20th Century, Indians used American
wars as a way to prove themselves as
warriors and gain prestige within the tribe.
Economics
• Indian men worked for $1.00 a day in
seasonal jobs such as forestry, logging or
planting.
• In the service they would earn a minimum
of $125.00 a month, depending on rank and
branch.
Wisconsin
• The land of Wisconsin has always been an
important area for Native Americans.
Wisconsin and the lands surrounding it
became known as the “Middle Ground”
during the infiltration of the Europeans.
• Today, there are 11 federally recognized
Indian tribes in Wisconsin.
Ira Hays
• This famous picture
taken at Iwo Jima
shows Native
American Ira Hays
raising the American
Flag.
The Numbers
• About 25,000 Indians served in the armed
forces
• 40,000 in war-related industries
• 99% of all able bodied Indian men
registered for the draft.
• Had the rest of the
population
volunteered in the
same numbers,
selective service
would have been
unnecessary.
Harold Ickes
• Secretary of the Interior said “In view of the
long period of strained relationships
between Indians and the Government it is
heartening that everywhere and in every
tribe the Indians have responded willingly
and gladly to the opportunity to share in the
defense of the country.”
Women
• Many Indian women
Image of Crandon, WI Potawatomie member, Julia (Nashanany) Reeves who served in
Army Nurse Corps of WWII.
For more information and a larger image click the following link:
http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/nativeamerican01/women.html
volunteered as nurses.
• In the forests of
Minnesota and
Wisconsin, women
helped plant new trees
to help meet the
increased demand for
lumber that resulted
from the war.
Women
• 10 women from the Lac du Flambeau
reservation received Red Cross pins for 150
hours of knitting and sewing, and 40
Chippewa women formed a rifle brigade for
home defense.
Stereotypes
• “the Indian is a natural fighter, tough and
self-reliant, jealous for his own democratic
rights and privileges, sensing the Nazi
attack on race, the Indian was hell-bent, as
soon as the draft started, to join up.”
Stereotypes
• “Indians are good warriors and can
accomplish feats the ordinary soldier could
not.”
• 550 Indians died trying to live up to this
image. 40% were Sioux, who had a
reputation of being fierce warriors.
Shift to Urban Areas
• While Indians fought bravely on the field of
battle and earned great respect, the war did
something to further damage the Indian way
of life.
• The war department did not want Indians
kept in segregated units because this would
hinder attempts at assimilation.
• Indians went to war and proved that they
could survive and fit into mainstream
society.
• They proved to the American government
that Indians could be assimilated.
• Indians returned to their reservations that
were riddled with poverty. The tribal land
could not support the hunting and fishing
needs of the Indians. They went off
reservation where they were often arrested
and jailed or at least fined.
• This began a large movement off the
reservation and into cities.
Pow wow
• Veterans of WWII
became some of the
most honored people
in their communities.
• Soldiers of all wars are
still recognized at
tribal functions such
as pow wows
Image from Eagle Creek Park Pow Wow, 2007.
Copyright: Zibiodey Association.
For larger image click the following link:
http://www.zibiodey.org/EAGLECREEK2007PHOTOS.html