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News from the Cherokee Nation, OK
Copyright © 2006 CNO
TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA – Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith, Deputy Principal Chief Joe Grayson and members of the Tribal Council recently recognized three Cherokee veterans, Charles McKaig Walkingstick, Mikeal Dawes and Darren Henson, during Smith’s monthly “State of the Nation” address to the council, given at the tribal complex in Tahlequah.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith (far right) joins with Charles Walkingstick (center with plaque) and his family during the January Tribal Council meeting held at the Cherokee Nation complex in Tahlequah. Walkingstick was one of three veterans honored this month. 
Charles M. Walkingstick was born in 1922 in Muskogee to original enrollee Simon Walkingstick, Jr., and Margaret E. McKaig. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1941 and saw action in the Pacific theater of World War II at Saipan, Roi-Namur in the Marshall Islands, and Okinawa. He was with the Second Marine Corps division when it entered Nagasaki, Japan, after the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on that city.
After the war, Walkingstick served as commandant of the Sooner Unit of the Marine Corps League, a nationwide organization of Marine Corps veterans. He is still active as commander of the Oklahoma Reserve Force, an organization that completes service projects for state schools as well as collects medical supplies to send to Third World countries.
Walkingstick, a commercial artist, has received many art awards, and his works are held in private collections all over the U.S. But his proudest lifetime achievement remains his Marine Corps service.
Mikeal Dawes, son of the late Mike Dawes and Deretha Dawes, graduated from Hulbert High School in May 2000. In April 2001 he enlisted in the U.S. Army, becoming the third generation of his family to serve in this branch of the armed services.
In 2003-2004, Dawes served in Iraq as a member of the 101st Airborne Division. In 2004, he did a tour of duty in Kuwait before being honorably discharged in July 2005. Dawes currently works at Cherokee Casino as a security office but plans to attend Northeastern State University and earn a degree in criminal justice. He hopes to pursue a career in law enforcement.
Darren Henson, a Tahlequah native, graduated from Sequoyah High School in 1984. The following year he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Beale Air Force Base in California, where he worked on the SR-71 and U2/TR-1 spy planes. Upon completing his enlistment with the Air Force, he enlisted full time in the 163d California Air National Guard. On October 1, 2005, Henson was chosen for active duty with the F-16’s Homeland Defense Team in California, where he participates in classified operations in the war on terror.
Henson will become a master sergeant in May 2006 and then plans to finish his college degree in education. He participates in a powwow drum, the Greenriver Singers, and is a member of the Golden State Gourd Dancers. Darren and his wife, Pamela Atcitty-Henson, have two children and reside in Moreno Valley, California.
Smith stated that the tribe appreciates the invaluable service and sacrifice these Cherokee servicemen have made to our country and the Cherokee Nation.
“The commitment and contributions of Native Americans in the United States military service is extraordinary,” said Smith.
Visit the Following Related paths:
Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma
Cherokee Nation Council Meeting Archives
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Valentines for Vets
| Related Cherokee Nation contact information: |
|
Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org
Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager |
Steven Swogger, Agriculture Liaison Natural Resources Department Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2546) FAX: 918-458-7673 E-mail: sswogger@cherokee.org
Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation |