What struck me the most when I heard that 17,000 Native Americans had served in the Great War was that - not even thirty years after the end of the Indian wars - American Indians were willing to fight alongside their former enemy There are numerous stories of Indian heroism during the Great War and most of them recalled that Indians were born warriors "War seems the natural business of the Indian." In this process German and Indian soldiers were often put in the same category of savages ( though of course Indians were always the good savages !! ) http://net.lib.byu.edu/estu/wwi/comment/cmrts/cmrt6.html ( Aproximately 600 Oklahoma Indians, mostly Chotaw and Cherokee, were assigned to the 142nd Infantry of the 36th Texas-Oklahoma National Guard Division ) I would love to know more about this soldier if possible ! http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9C02E0DF1338EE32A25755C0A9639C946896D6CF Annie
The 26th "Yankee" Division which was formed of New England National Guard troops also had a number of Native Americans in the ranks, particularly Penobscot Indians from Maine: http://worldwar1letters.wordpress.c...-yankee-division/the-103rd-infantry-regiment/
I had not heard about this. I am not surprised that the Indians made good soldiers. I think that those who assimilated faired much better than those who stuck to the reservations. That's my take on it, anyway.
