Vice President Jonathan Nez attended a Pinning Ceremony on Sept. 21 at Navajo Technical University in Crownpoint where he told attendees that the Navajo Nation stands proud to honor all Vietnam Veterans for their service to this country.
“We have been longing for this day to honor our Vietnam Veterans with this pinning ceremony,” he said. “We want to say thank you to our Vietnam Veterans and we also want to recognize the families of these veterans.”
The Navajo Nation Veterans Administration assisted in organizing the pinning ceremony, collaborating with Major General James T. Jackson, director of the Vietnam War Commemoration, U.S. Department of Defense.
Vice President Nez said the Navajo Nation has taken great strides in empowering Navajo veterans through facilitating greater access to services they need in filing claims and providing assistance services to them.
He noted that veterans embody true strength and self-dependency, which he feels is needed in fighting against paradigms of entitlement and dependency on the government.
“We need more volunteerism and community service projects based in brotherhood, sisterhood and the pride of community involvement,” he said. “This is the foundation of who we are as Diné and I’m encouraged to see these virtues in our veterans.”
The vice president mentioned that next year will be the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of 1868, when the Navajo Nation and the U.S. government made an agreement to let the Navajos return to their traditional homeland from Fort Sumner where they were forcibly removed.
For posterity, Vice President Nez said the Navajo Nation needs to look at the perseverance of its ancestors who never gave up in returning back to the four sacred mountains.
“This needs to be told to our younger generation,” he said. “It’s a story of resilience and overcoming tough times. Some of you veterans are going through hard times right now.”
Proportionately, Native Americans have served in the armed forces in greater numbers per capita than any other ethnic group.
“Each and every veteran has taken a responsibility to serve and protect our rights and the treaty obligations the federal government has to the Navajo Nation,” Vice President Nez said. “We have been tasked to remind and ask our federal friends to bring assistance to the Navajo Nation. Help us to help our veterans who have fought to protect and defend the liberty of this great country.”
Major General Jackson said that under the auspices of the Department of Defense, these pinning ceremonies are part of a national effort to thank the Vietnam Veterans. Jackson said the Department of Defense estimates that 86,000 soldiers served in U.S. Armed Forces during Vietnam and out of this number, he believes there are 60,000 still alive.
Jackson said he is seeking the assistance of the public to help locate and thank these veterans.
“The way the country is able to thank our veterans, the American public needs to be involved. We need to locate Vietnam Veterans and have them come out to these pinning ceremonies to be thanked for their service,” he said.
Both Vice President Nez and Major General Jackson welcomed home the Vietnam Veterans in attendance.
“On behalf of the U.S. and my immediate bosses from the Secretary of Defense, thank you for what you’ve done,” Jackson said.
“We welcome you home to the Navajo Nation and we continually pray for you,” Vice President Nez said.