A Veteran’s Reflection and Honoring the Fallen
Submitted by
Gary Anderson
As I sit here at today’s ceremony for Purple Heart Recipients, I can’t help but realize that we have come a long way as veterans in the past years.
In June of 2016 Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis held a Veterans summit. During the summit he announced that he would support a veteran service office, but the veterans must do it for themselves. Four Community veterans took up this challenge as volunteers: Maj. Urban Giff, MSG David White, SSG Anthony Newkirk, and myself, MSG Gary Anderson. We were assisted by the Community Manager at the time, Ms. Pamela Thompson a Blue Star Daughter, Blue Star Sister and a proud Blue Star Mother.
Many helped with input, we worked weekdays, weekends, and holidays. We visited other veteran facilities, attended a conference, and by the end of the year, we submitted our proposal to Community Council. Today, the Veterans and Family Service Office (VFSO) is our dream.
It is the second Veteran Service office in Indian Country to be certified by the VA, and our Community has been recognized as a Purple Heart Community, an honor that we literally paid for in blood.
VFSO has identified 25 of our Community members that have been killed in action. From WWI to present. We placed the word ‘family’ in the title of the VFSO, because the office is there for the families also. I personally know of two cases that the VFSO have assisted Community members with the documentation to apply for military headstones for their grandfathers who served in WWI.
The Veteran’s office has increased the quality of life for many of our veterans by empowering them with the knowledge of benefits, assisting in the filing for disability ratings, allowing for disability payments for injuries sustained while in service, and enrolling veterans in the VA Health care system. Many veterans may qualify for services that they are not aware of, as a veteran, I urge you to check out our Community’s Veteran and Family Services Office.
While serving on the VFS committee, I discovered an award that was created in May 2016, by the Arizona State Legislature, the Arizona Gold Star Medal. This award was created to recognize the families of the service members who were killed in combat.
In 2016, I partnered with St. Peters Indian Mission, and we created a program that has grown over the years. The program is called ‘St. Peters Run for the Fallen’, it comprises of three events combined into one.
Run for the Fallen is a national run and for Arizona the event this year it will take place 1 Nov. 1, 2024 and begins in Tucson. It is a three-day run from Tucson to Phoenix, each mile marker along the way is a designated hero marker. Each mile represents a service member who has been killed in combat from 9/11 to present. Gila River has two Hero Markers: Billy Farris and Joe Jackson.
Taking the same concept, St. Peters Run for the Fallen, allows students to run to honor our 25 combat losses in the Gila River Indian Community, the cost of freedom one step at a time. After the ceremony honoring the fallen, students run a mile and consider the cost of freedom, guests are encouraged to walk the mile.
The second portion of the event is student led, the Military Appreciation class presents the colors. Last year’s ceremony featured special guest Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, who was so impressed with these students and insisted having a photo with them. The student body will then lead with the National Anthem, in English then in O’odham, same with the pledge of allegiance. Students honor the families with traditional song and dance. Things that were not allowed to be done or practiced in school in the past. The last portion of the ceremony is the awarding of the Arizona Gold Star Medal.
To date, St. Peters has awarded 12 Arizona Gold Star Medals to the families of those Community members: one from WWI, Korea – three, Vietnam – seven, Iraq – one, and Afghanistan – one; but has honored all 13 members. Andrew Antone presented the Perkins family of Blackwater the AGSM as a service project bringing the total to 13 AGSM awarded to the families of Gila River.
There are two requirements that must be met for the State to issue the AGSM, the next of Kin must be identified with official documentation. Gila River’s Enrollment Department has worked extensively to identify the families. If you have received a letter identifying you as the next of kin, it is not a mistake. Ms. Shelia Valenzuela, Director of the Enrollment Department, has researched our records and has positively identified the next of kin. Please allow us to recognize your family’s contribution to our freedom.
Military documentation, the state requires casualty report. The report must show fatality, and state of residency. To accomplish this, I request military documentation from the National Personnel Records Center. Unfortunately, in 1973, there was a fire that affected the records of the U.S. Army from 1912 -1973. For those records that cannot be retrieved, I receive a letter stating that records cannot be recreated.
St. Peters Run for the Fallen is scheduled to take place at St. Peters Indian Mission on Nov. 1, 2024. This year the student body will honor our greatest generation WWII (Pacific), and in 2025 WWII (Europe). I would like to share with you some information:
Richard Lewis, entered the United States Marine Corps. (USMC) in July of 1941, five months prior to Pearl Harbor. He had been a student at Arizona State University, studying to become a teacher. For whatever reason the USMC sent me Lewis’ military record, and I have taken the documentation that I require and have given the file to the family. Lewis required a waiver for enlistment, he was too thin and failed to meet the weight requirements, the waiver stated if his uniform did not interfere with the performance of duty, he would be accepted. Lewis was an exceptional Marine as noted by his Commanders in correspondence with the family. From what I read, Lewis was a true leader who led from the front. He was the first Pima to fall in combat and is buried in Hawaii -“The Punch Bowl”, he is one of two Community members that are interned overseas.
The second individual interned overseas is Richard Laws, U.S. Army. Laws served with the 158th Infantry “Bushmasters”, killed in action in the Philippines. Laws is interned in Manilla Philippines (American Battle Monuments Commission)
Haskel Osife Antone – Our oldest combat loss, was killed while coming to the aid of four of his fellow soldiers. Posthumously awarded the Silver Star, he was assigned to the 1st Cavalry.
Robert Allison, USMC, Gila River’s youngest KIA, was killed in the first day of battle in the Battle for Guam. At ASAN overlook, there is a monument on Panel 2, you will find the name of Allison dedicated to those heroes who lost their live to liberate the Island of Guam.
Joshua Morris, USMC, killed on the 5th day of the battle of Guam. Morris volunteered to remain behind and cover his unit’s withdrawal. Morris maned a machinegun, which is a crew served weapon that requires more than one individual to operate. While his unit escaped, a counterattack was ordered and Morris’ remains were recovered still manning the machinegun. He was recommended for the Silver Star, the 3rd highest award for valor.
Upon review by Admiral Nimitz Commander of the Pacific, he immediately upgraded Morris’ award to the Navy Cross, the second highest award for valor. Secretary of Defense several years ago, ordered that all Native Americans who received the Navy Cross or the Distinguished Service Cross, that their records be reviewed for the Medal of Honor. Although this is a long process investigating an event that happened over 80 years ago, I remain confident that his selfless act of heroism will be finally recognized.
David Mida, member of the 158th Infantry “Bushmaster” volunteered to be an Alamo Scout a top-secret organization that would perform Top Secret Missions. Behind enemy lines, the first class graduated 50 out of one hundred applicants. 20 of those 100 were American Indians, only nine graduated - three were from Gila River.
In 1988 the Alamo Scouts were inducted into the Special Forces Regiment and every member was awarded the coveted Special Forces Tab. Mida is mentioned in the book, “Silent No More - The Alamo Scouts in their own words,” as part of the Sombar Team’s mission to rescue three white missionaries. He volunteered to return to his old unit for the invasion of the Philippines, hoping that his training and experience would help save lives in the Liberation of the Philippines.
David Lewis, a member of the 25th Infantry Division was killed in the Philippines. There are no records available. His unit records reflect fighting in the mountainous jungle, the Japanese were dug into caves in the mountains of the Philippines and had refused to surrender.