Oak Harbor veteran reflects on Native service as Veterans Day arrives

Rochelle Goins-Hetzel of Oak Harbor will observe Veterans Day on Nov. 11 as part of a demographic that represents a disproportionate share of the U.S. military. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 140,000 to 150,000 living Native American and Alaska Native veterans will observe the holiday. November is also Native American Heritage Month, a designation established by congressional resolution in 1990.

Statistical data from the United Service Organizations indicates that 19% of Native Americans have served in the armed forces, a higher rate than the 14% average of other ethnic groups. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports that 11.3% of Native women have served, compared to 9.0% for female veterans of other groups. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society notes that 33 Native Americans received the nation’s highest military decoration between 1869 and 1972.

Goins-Hetzel, who holds the rank of sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, cited a connection to the land as her primary motivation for enlisting. She described the land as an unchanging constant in her life, providing water, food, and medicine for her Cherokee, Nansemond, and Tuscarora heritage.

“I have no love for this government,” Goins-Hetzel said. “But what I do have is love for this land. Every Indigenous person, whether they know it or not, is intrinsically connected to the land.”

She joined the Air Force seeking an education, which she described as the reason for her service. “I went into the military predominantly for the education,” she said. “I couldn’t afford college. They promised me free college and that’s what I went for.”

Goins-Hetzel served as an avionics electrician and was the only woman in her tactical fighter squadron. She described the unit as social rather than strictly military, noting that she navigated offensive comments and personal advances during her three-year career. She chose not to reenlist and now works as a registered nurse. She participates in cultural events at the Samish Indian Nation in Anacortes.

The history of Native military service predates the U.S. Army, with Native peoples fighting to protect sovereignty against European powers before 1776. They continued to serve through the Removal Era of 1830 to 1850, the Reservation Era of 1850 to 1887, the Allotment Era of 1887 to 1934, and the Termination Era. Despite systematic land dispossession and cultural suppression, Native individuals continued to enlist to protect the land from foreign and domestic threats.

Richard Pease, a Samish Nation citizen and Anacortes resident, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1978. He completed paratrooper training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and earned his jump wings. Pease was grounded by a medical diagnosis he described as a misdiagnosis and reassigned to a security platoon at Camp Greaves in South Korea.

Pease served as a Specialist E-4 until his discharge in 1982. He later worked in construction and for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard before retiring. He connected with his Samish heritage in 1990. “I still have that sense of being part of something larger than me,” Pease said. “I’m part of the 82nd Airborne and the Samish Indian Nation.”

George Wellington, a Tsimshian veteran from Metlakatla, Alaska, was drafted in 1962. Although he expected service in Vietnam, he spent his time as an infantry soldier in Germany. Wellington, now 87, lives in Anacortes with his wife Laura. He recalled hiking 20 miles with an M72 anti-tank weapon, drawing on stamina built from years of fishing in rough seas.