"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - CN Welcomes Military Employees Home

Cherokee Nation Deputy Chief Joe Grayson, Jr., presents CN Information Systems employee Keith Danner with the Cherokee Employee Warrior Award. Danner recently returned home from a tour of duty in Iraq, where he earned the Excellence in Combat award and the Bronze Star.

TAHLEQUAH, OK - The Cherokee Nation welcomed home eight employees who have been serving tours of duties overseas with the military during a special ceremony this week at the tribal complex in Tahlequah.

Cherokee Nation employees Brian Bayhylle and Keith Danner, Cherokee Heritage Center employee Scottie Ennis, Cherokee Nation Industries employee Frank Roof, and Cherokee Nation Enterprises employees Jeremy Baker, John Miller, Bradley Nance and Anthony Tiger were all honored during the ceremony.

“We want to thank each of our employees, our tribesmen and other tribesmen for their great sacrifice in protecting both of our sovereigns, the United States and the Cherokee Nation,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “We want to pledge that we will not forget the great things that have been done for our country and for our Nation. This afternoon we celebrate your return and your contribution.”

Close to 100 Cherokee Nation officials, employees and citizens from throughout the Cherokee Nation and its entities were on hand to celebrate the homecoming of the soldiers. Several officials spoke during the event, and messages from some of the supervisors of the employees were read.

Each of the soldiers was presented with the Cherokee Employee Warrior Award, recognizing them as a Cherokee Warrior and an employee of the Cherokee Nation. After the ceremony, the Cherokee Nation employees were presented with the Blue Star Mothers flags which hung in the lobby of the tribal complex during their tour of duty.