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- By Native News Online Staff
Eight Cherokee veterans — who served during the Vietnam War — visited the World War I Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Memorial on Tuesday.
The Cherokee veterans are in the nation’s capital city as part of the 10th Cherokee Warrior Flight. The Cherokee Nation funds the flight for Cherokee veterans to see the national war memorials erected in their honor in Washington, D.C.
“This trip is one small way for us to say thank you to our Cherokee veterans. I’m proud to say that Cherokees serve in the U.S. military at greater rates per-capita than any other ethnicities,’ Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “The courage, commitment, accountability and integrity that these veterans showed through their service is something we could never fully pay back, but we will continue to honor them in ways that we can, and this trip is just one of those few ways.”
William Adams Jr., of Lowry City, Missouri, served in the Army during the Vietnam War.
“It’s an honor, I feel unworthy because so many paid the price and I just feel very fortunate to be chosen,” Adams said. “I’m proud to be Cherokee and I look forward to this as a lifetime moment.”
The veterans will return to Tulsa International Airport on Thursday, March 28.
The Cherokee Warrior Flight is similar to the national honor flight organization’s goal of helping veterans, willing and able, to see the memorials dedicated to honor their service.
Veterans participating in the 2024 Cherokee Warrior Flight include:
Vietnam
Dru Ella Pratt, 88, Navy, of Claremore
William Adams Jr., 68, Army, of Lowry City, Missouri
Larry Junior Parker, 72, Army, of Chelsea
Johnnie P. Walker, 78, Air Force, of Bartonville, Illinois
James LeRoy Locut, 83, Air Force, of Sand Springs
Charles Eugene Tritthart, 77, Army, of Edmond
Jimmy Cochran, 74, Army, of Houston, Texas
Jeffrey Simpson, 81, Army, of Stilwell
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