ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
 
ROUTINE       
 
R 041935Z NOV 03 ZYB MIN PSN 281256J24
 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
 
TO NAVADMIN
 
UNCLAS //N05000//
NAVADMIN 291/03
 
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/-/NOV//
 
SUBJ/2003 NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH//
 
RMKS/1.  THE NATION WILL OBSERVE AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE
HERITAGE MONTH DURING NOVEMBER 2003.  THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S
OBSERVANCE IS "STRENGTHENING THE SPIRIT."
 
2.  THERE ARE MORE THAN 8,100 AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA NATIVES ON
ACTIVE DUTY IN THE NAVY TODAY, WITH THOUSANDS MORE WEARING THE CLOTH
OF THE NATION IN THE NAVAL RESERVES.  THEY STRENGTHEN OUR SPIRIT
EVERYDAY THROUGH THEIR PRIDE, DEVOTION, HONOR AND WISDOM.  WE ARE A
RICHER, MORE COMBAT CAPABLE NAVY FOR HAVING THESE SKILLED SAILORS
ON OUR TEAM.
 
3.  SUCH HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE.  THROUGHOUT OUR NATION'S HISTORY,
AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA NATIVES HAVE CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY
TO OUR SECURITY AND TO OUR FREEDOM.  FROM SCOUTING FOR GENERAL GEORGE
WASHINGTON TO CHARGING UP SAN JUAN HILL WITH THEODORE ROOSEVELT'S
ROUGH RIDERS; FROM THE TRENCHES OF WORLD WAR I TO THE BEACHES OF IWO
JIMA, THESE FEARLESS PROFESSIONALS HAVE PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN
THE EXTRAORDINARY LENGTHS TO WHICH THEY WILL GO FOR THE DEFENSE OF
BOTH COMRADES AND COUNTRY.  INDEED, DURING THE 20TH CENTURY ALONE,
FIVE NATIVE AMERICANS EARNED THE MEDAL OF HONOR.
 
4.  IT IS A TRADITION THAT CONTINUES TODAY IN THE PERSON OF NAVY
COMMANDER JOHN BENNETT HERRINGTON OF THE CHICKASAW NATION, WHO
NEARLY A YEAR AGO BECAME THE FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN IN SPACE ABOARD
THE SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOR, AND IN THE PERSON OF NAVY LIEUTENANT
SARAH SELF-KYLER OF THE CHOCTAW NATION, WHO SERVED PROUDLY ABOARD
THE DESTROYER USS MITSCHER (DDG 57) IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION IRAQI
FREEDOM.  "IT IS OUR MANY CULTURES THAT MAKE OUR NAVY AND OUR
COUNTRY SO GREAT," SHE OBSERVED.  "WE EACH SHARE OUR VALUES AND OUR
STRENGTHS TO DEFEND A COMMON FREEDOM."
 
5.  COMMANDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO OBSERVE NATIONAL AMERICAN
INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH THROUGH EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS, PUBLICATIONS, AND PARTICIPATION IN MILITARY AND
COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT RECOGNIZE THE DIVERSITY OF OUR AMERICAN
HERITAGE.  VISIT WWW.PERSNET.NAVY.MIL/PERS00H/OBSERVANCES.HTML FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
 
6.  POC:  YN1(AW) OTIS ROBINSON AT (901) 874-4073/DSN 882 OR E-MAIL:
OTIS.ROBINSON@NAVY.MIL.
 
7.  RELEASED BY VADM G. L. HOEWING, N1.//
 
BT
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