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Virginia War Memorial Presenting Program About Native American Soldiers Who Served In World War I

The Virginia War Memorial will present “Great War, Great Warriors,” a history of Native Americans who served during World War I, on Tuesday, November 27 from 6-8 p.m.  The program is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

Powhatan Red Cloud Owen, a member of Virginia’s Chickahominy Tribe, decorated Vietnam veteran, and volunteer docent at the Virginia War Memorial, will discuss how, from the Choctaw Code Talkers to the North American Indian Cavalry, Native American soldiers served with distinction in Europe during what was then called “The Great War.”

“It is particularly appropriate to tell the often overlooked role of Native Americans who served in World War I.   November is Native American Heritage Month and we are commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Armistice Day when the war ended,” said Owen. “These proud warriors volunteered to defend an America that did not even offer them citizenship until 1924 – six years after they returned home.”

Great War, Great Warriors” will be presented in the VMI Alumni Hall of Honor, part of the Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center at the Virginia War Memorial at 621 South Belvidere Street in Richmond.  Seating is limited and will be on a first come-first seated basis.  Because of the expansion construction, parking is limited at the Memorial but will be available in the VHDA surface lot next door and in the Afton Chemical Corporation lot at Belvidere and Spring Streets.

For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org/event/great-war-great-warriors  or call 804.786.2060.

About the Virginia War Memorial

The mission of the Virginia War Memorial is to Honor Veterans, Preserve History, Educate Youth and Inspire Patriotism in All. Dedicated in 1956, the Memorial includes the names of the nearly 12,000 Virginia heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf and the Global War on Terrorism. Situated on nearly five acres overlooking the James River at 621 South Belvidere Street in Richmond, the Virginia War Memorial is a division of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services and serves as an integral part of its mission in support of all Virginians who served in our military. More at www.vawarmemorial.org

About DVS

The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) operates 31 benefit offices throughout the state that assist military veterans and their families in filing claims for federal veterans benefits; two long-term care facilities offering in-patient skilled nursing care, Alzheimer’s/memory care, and short-term rehabilitative care for veterans; and three cemeteries that provide an honored final resting place for veterans and their families.  DVS provides veterans and family members with direct linkages to services including behavioral healthcare, housing, employment, education and other programs.  The Department also operates the Virginia War Memorial, the Commonwealth’s monument to honor the memory and sacrifice of Virginia’s men and women who served and fought to defend our way of life from World War II to the present. For more information, please visit www.dvs.virginia.gov.