Name:__________________________________________

          (Please include maiden and married names)

 

Tribal Affiliation: _______________________________________

 

Birth Date:_________      Birth Place:________________

 

Education prior to entering service:

 

High school (name and graduation date):____________________

 

College (name and graduation date):________________________

 

For Nurses:

Nursing School or Program:______________________________

 

Type of degree conferred: (e.g. AD, BSN):__________________

 

Branch (Circle):  Army    Air Force  Navy  Marines   Coast Guard

 

Rank upon entering service:______________

 

Rank upon discharge:______­­­­­­______________

 

Specialty (Job):

 

 

Dates Served: ___________________________

 

Awards or medals given:

1.

 

2.

 

3.

 

4.

 

5.

 

Unit(s)/Places assigned:

 

 

 

 

 

 

What motivated you to enter the military?

 

 

 

 

 

 

What was your family’s reaction to your decision to enter the service?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a woman, did joining the military break with tribal custom or was it supported?

 

 

 

 

Does your traditional language have a specific word or phrase for a woman warrior?

 

Yes        No

 

If so, could you write it?__________________________________

 

Where did you go to basic or officer (basic training)?

 

 

 

 

Did you meet other Native Americans while on active duty (or reserves)?

Yes      No

Did you ever feel you were discriminated against or experience any prejudice because you were American Indian?    Yes     No

 

 

If so, can you describe any particular incident or event?

 

 

 

 

 

What did you enjoy most about the military?

 

 

 

 

What did you like least about the military?

 

 

 

 

 

Why did you choose to leave the military?

 

 

 

 

 

If you had it to do over, would you still choose to enter the military?

Yes         No

 

If you could, what would you have done differently?

 

 

 

 

 

What was readjustment to civilian life like after leaving the service?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As an Indian woman, do you feel Indian women veterans receive the same respect as Indian men veterans and, if not, what way is it different?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please write at least one memorable experience from your military career.   (This can be a short story or a couple of sentences about anything.  Examples are: a description of living quarters, the day you enlisted, thoughts about your first assignment, friends, promotion, a memorable leave (furlough). Physical training, clothes and uniforms, your average work day, pay, the most embarrassing moment, the saddest, the funniest.  You get the idea.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Were there any news items or articles written about you while you were in the military or about your service in the military?

              Yes         No

 

Do you have copies?      Yes         No

 

Could I have copies? (I will pay reproduction costs.)  Yes         No

 

Do you have any pictures of yourself in uniform?    Yes       No

 

Could I make copies?  (I will pay for reproduction costs.)  Yes   No

 

Would you give me permission to use them in publication?  (Picture caption will include credit to appropriate individual.)

 

Yes       No

 

Sign here if permission to use picture(s) in publication is granted:

_________________________     Date:___________________

 

The information you have given will be used to document the history of Indian women in the military.  I am asking permission to use the above information for articles and other publications I feel will further the recognition of Indian women in the Armed Forces.

 

Sign here if permission to use the information collected above in publication is granted:

 

_______________      Date:___________________

 

Please return to:  Brenda Finnicum

                          395 Sheldon Road

                          Freeville, NY 13068