Cherokee Veterans in the Nation’s Capital for 10th Cherokee Warrior Flight

Native News Online Staff
·2 min read
1
Each year the Cherokee Nation honors veterans by sending them to Washington, D.C. where they tour memorials that honor veterans. (Photo/Cherokee Nation)
Each year the Cherokee Nation honors veterans by sending them to Washington, D.C. where they tour memorials that honor veterans. (Photo/Cherokee Nation)

Eight Cherokee veterans — who served during the Vietnam War —  visited the World War I Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Memorial on Tuesday.

The Cherokee veterans are in the nation’s capital city as part of the 10th Cherokee Warrior Flight. The Cherokee Nation funds the flight for Cherokee veterans to see the national war memorials erected in their honor in Washington, D.C.

“This trip is one small way for us to say thank you to our Cherokee veterans. I’m proud to say that Cherokees serve in the U.S. military at greater rates per-capita than any other ethnicities,’ Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “The courage, commitment, accountability and integrity that these veterans showed through their service is something we could never fully pay back, but we will continue to honor them in ways that we can, and this trip is just one of those few ways.”

Never miss Indian Country’s biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning.

William Adams Jr., of Lowry City, Missouri, served in the Army during the Vietnam War.

“It’s an honor, I feel unworthy because so many paid the price and I just feel very fortunate to be chosen,” Adams said. “I’m proud to be Cherokee and I look forward to this as a lifetime moment.”

The veterans will return to Tulsa International Airport on Thursday, March 28.

The Cherokee Warrior Flight is similar to the national honor flight organization’s goal of helping veterans, willing and able, to see the memorials dedicated to honor their service.

Veterans participating in the 2024 Cherokee Warrior Flight include:

Vietnam

Dru Ella Pratt, 88, Navy, of Claremore

William Adams Jr., 68, Army, of Lowry City, Missouri

Larry Junior Parker, 72, Army, of Chelsea

Johnnie P. Walker, 78, Air Force, of Bartonville, Illinois

James LeRoy Locut, 83, Air Force, of Sand Springs

Charles Eugene Tritthart, 77, Army, of Edmond

Jimmy Cochran, 74, Army, of Houston, Texas

Jeffrey Simpson, 81, Army, of Stilwell

About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. "

Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net