John Washakie, a member of the Shoshone tribe, is descended from a long line of warriors. His great-grandfather was Chief Washakie, and he was named after an uncle who died in World War II. He himself is a veteran of the Vietnam War and said that it was expected by their tribe on the Wind River Reservation that the young men would go to war when called.

“Every boy I went to school with, in my class and the one above me and below me, except for one, were all drafted,” Washakie said. “We all served.”

According to fellow Vietnam veteran and Shoshone tribal member Scotty Ratliff, Natives are the highest percentage by any race to serve in the military.

“Our way of life has always felt that being a warrior was part of life,” Ratliff said. “Serving your country was part of being a warrior.

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