Thursday, February 24, 2011

Wisconsin V





Located, also, in the sacred spot is the National Native American Vietnam Veteran's Memorial.

Left out of the memorial in D. C., Native Americans decided to build their own memorial. Interestingly, this mirrors what 'Nam vets had to do, too.

The site consists of an Native American soldier in fatigues, holding a rifle in one hand and an Eagle feather staff in the other. He, also, wears a headband; an iconic symbol to most of us.

He is standing on ten tons of red granite, symbolizing shed blood. At the base is a circle of white stones depicting a field of honor.

The names of all the Native Americans who perished as a result of the war are etched into black granite that encircles the entire site. Inscribing the Tribal affiliation of each name is a project that will be completed in the future.

The information available at the site says that the land chose the place for the memorial. I didn't quite understand this so I called and spoke to another of the great staff at this site and he explained that when some of the Native American planning team visited The Highground, the land "spoke to them" and they knew this was where they wanted their memorial.

So, today its majesty and dignity greet all who come to remember. And this is most fitting because, as a cultural group, Native Americans have a greater rate of service than anyone in America!

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