Rapid City Rush Veterans Day Honoring Night

 

 

RAPID CITY – On Veterans Day, Nov 11, Rapid City Monument’s Ice Arena reverberated to the drum beat of Oka Wicasa Drum’s Lakota Flag Song, as Zuya Akicita Oglala Sioux Color Guard marched into the hockey rink carrying veterans flags, led by Royalty.

Zuya Akicita stood at attention while Tiana Spotted Thunder, Oglala Lakota, belted out the National Anthem in her Native Lakota language before the opening game.

Rapid City Rush staff had reached out to Dew Bad Warrior-Ganje, Zuya Sica Consulting to help organize their Veterans Day event to take place on November 11 during their game against the Tulsa Oilers.

“We honor those who have served in the United States armed forces from the Black Hills and the entire state of South Dakota on Veterans Day,” stated Rush officials on their website.

As a result Bad Warrior invited the Color Guard: Zuya Akitita, Oglala Sioux Tribal Veterans to represent all Native Veterans at the event.

Zuya Akitcita Veterans color guard is composed of men and women from the Oglala Band of the Oceti Sakowin. These men and women served all military branches. Zuya Akicita’s motto is “Veterans helping Veterans.”

Members include Rodney Bad Hand, U.S. Army, Grenada Cornell Reddest U.S. Army Desert Storm & Shield, William Makes Him First Sr, U.S. Army, Kim Conroy, Desert Storm U.S. Army, Robert Two Crow, U.S. Army Vietnam War, Dallas Decory, U.S. Army Active, Samantha Decory, National Guard Active, Rod Rouillard, USMC Desert Storm & Shield, Shawnee Keith, USMC OEF & OIF, Gerald Cournoyer, USMC Desert Storm, Darrell Hernandez, US Navy OEF & OIF.

Royalty invited to participate in the Veterans honoring ceremony at the Ice Arena included recently crowned Miss HeSapa Win/Black Hills Powwow; Wanbli Waunsila Wi Eagle, Standing Rock Lakota; Tara Rouillard, Oglala Nation Princess, Oglala Lakota; and Mercedes Iron Cloud, Oglala All Veterans Princess , Oglala Lakota

Stampede Drum Group who sang the Lakota Flag Song and veterans honor songs member’s include: Lead Singer – Jeremiah Moreno, Maverick Grey Horse, Delaney Apple, Isaac Archambault, Wasu Apple, Miguel Moreno, River Moreno, Kaleb Walker, Angelo Ruiz, John Horton, Kaden Klatt, Wicaglata – Female Singers: Endonnis Moreno, Anjah Lamont.

During the intermission the Rush Hockey League honored the following five Lakota veterans:

Dewey Bad Warrior – US Marine Corp, Vietnam Combat Veteran,  Purple Heart Medal Recipient, Cheyenne River Lakota- Itazipco 

Dewey comes from a long line of Akichita  Warriors.  He comes from the Crazy Horse Tiospaye, his great-grandmother Julia Iron Cedar, Crazy Horse’s sister, was the first gold star LAKOTA mother of South Dakota. Her son Moses Clown was killed in WWI. 

His great-grandfather Zuya Sica which means Bad Warrior in Lakota, fought in the Battle of Little BigHorn.   His great-great-grandfather Elk Head – Keeper of the Sacred Calf Pipe was also a warrior during the Battle of Little BigHorn where the Lakota people defeated the United States 7th Cavalry. The Lakota people are the only people to have defeated the United States Army.

Dewey’s basic training was at Camp Pendleton, with the US Marine Corps. He was a sergeant in the US Army and received the Purple Heart medal for his combat service in the jungles of Vietnam, during the Vietnam War. He was made PFC at Boot Camp out of 85 recruits and he made it to the top 4. He became the first Native American in the 2nd Battalion to make this accomplishment. 

He is a retired Lakota Language teacher that taught at Cheyenne Eagle Butte schools. Bringing back the Lakota language is very important to him. 

His daughter Dayle Bad Warrior also carries on their family’s  warrior legacy – she is a retired Chief Petty Officer with the US Navy.  His daughter Dayle served in the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, serving her country for over 20 years. 

His legacy also carries on with his  brothers who also served in the military. His brother Gary, also served in the Vietnam War, and was sent home after he got to Vietnam because you can’t have two sons, serving in the same war at the same time. 

He has many nieces and nephews who were also in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  His nephew Sheldon Hawk Eagle was killed in the Iraq war. His mother was recognized by Governor Rounds because of all of her sons and grandchildren who served in the Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars. 

He is featured in the PBS Documentary “ A Warrior’s Tradition”, he shares a message from a  Lakota veteran to encourage the veterans to work on  themselves to better serve their tiospaye/tiwahes – families. They interviewed thousands of veterans across the United States and his story was chosen to share in this documentary. 

Thomas Eagle Staff – US Navy, Radioman Second Class, Vietnam Service Medal, Cheyenne River Lakota –  Mnicoujou  

Tom served from 1969 – 1973 and did his bootcamp and radioman “A” School at RTC -NTC San Diego, California.  He served at the Navy Communication Station in Adak, Alaska and Hinters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco and on the USS Ranger, CVA-61 and Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam. He retired from the Indian Health Service in a career in Federal Service to his people. 

Joe Pulliam – US Army, Oglala Lakota 

Joe comes from the Oglala Sioux Tribe reservation. Father – Patrick J. Pulliam Mother – Ardith Black Elk Born 1968. Joe graduated from Pine Ridge High School in 1987 and enlisted in the US Army Sept of 1987. He served with the 7th Infantry Division Artillery , with deployment to Operation Just Cause in Panama 1989. He the owner of Tusweca Gallery at 631 main street and a working artist in the Community . He has 8 children and 4 grandchildren. He is a Sober Lakota Ikce Wicasa a common man working to help heal our community with art and creativity. He strives to empower our  youth through art. 

Wendell Youngman – US Army,  Oglala Lakota 

Wendell served from 1989 – 1992 and was active during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. After the military he became an Emergency Medical Technician for over 20 years. During the 9/11 attacks he led a search and rescue recovery team in New York City.  He is currently serving his second term as an elected official serving as a Tribal Councilman for the Oglala Sioux Tribe and represents the Oglala District.  

Robert Two Crow – US Army, Vietnam Veteran, Oglala Lakota

Robert served 3 years enlisted in the US Army from Rapid City and served from 1967-1970. He had basic and advanced training at Ft. Pol, Louisiana. Served his deployments in Germany the 3rd Infantry, Vietnam the 1st Logical Command and state side the 1st Infantry.

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