Tribal vet works to document other vets' service

Wyman McDonald has a deep appreciation for the men and women who put their lives on the line to serve our country.

McDonald, a Korean war vet, knows firsthand the rigors of military service. He left two days after his 17th birthday to join the Marine Corps, a decision that forever changed his life — for the better. As a high school drop out and an alcoholic, he found the military provided just the kind of structure and discipline he needed.

"The military actually saved my life in many ways," he said. "It gave me structure and authority."

He was sworn into the military on January 5, 1955, making him eligible for the Korean War by a mere 25 days. Though he went in during peace time, his time in the service was no cake walk.

As a "prisoner chaser" in Camp Pendleton, he was responsible for tracking down troops who went AWOL. Wyman explained that, after the war, many of the troops felt like they didn't get the recognition they deserved, so they left the service, only to find themselves in breach with military law.

"A lot of them were AWOL. They just took off," he said. "Morale was way down. Some of them went home and never came back. I'd have to pick them up, bring them back and lock 'em up and give them a dishonorable discharge or bad conduct or something of that nature."

Now, Wyman spends his time with tribal war vets, listening to their experiences.

"These are older men in their 70s and 80s and what many of them tell me is that for years, for at least 30 years, most of them say they couldn't talk about it. It was too disturbing for them. They felt like they'd lose their composure," he said. "The more you talk to them, the more vivid it becomes in their mind."

For the past six months, Wyman has been compiling these stories into a book, similar to that of Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation. For Wyman, it is important these stories are out there so that they can get the recognition they deserve.

"I never thought enough recognition has been given to veterans," he said.

It is something Wyman believes passionately in, after spending much of his life in the military. After chasing down AWOL soldiers, Wyman then moved on to be a sea-going marine, where he stood guard protecting "special weapons" aboard the U.S.S. Philippine Sea.

"They never did tell us what the hell the [weapons] were," he said.

From there, he became a squad leader, training a line company of 12 men. It was at this time when Wyman began to feel the confidence the Marine Corps instilled in him.

"I felt in my own mind, I was the finest troop in the world," he said. "I knew weapons, I knew tactics, I knew discipline, hand to hand, what ever it was. I felt very confident. At that time, 17-21 [years of age], many of us were actually hoping for a war. They say 'gung-ho Marines' — well that's how they trained us to be."

After Wyman left the military, he had the work ethic to make him very successful in his professional life. He graduated from the University of Montana with a BA in Sociology in 1962 and found himself working in various State and Federal Government jobs all over the country. One of the highlights of his career was when he worked in Washington D.C. in the Office of Economic Opportunity under director Donald Rumsfeld.

"That was interesting," he said. "I didn't get to know him real well, but I had a lot of meetings with him."

After his stint in the O.E.O., he spent 28 years working in Indian programs, including being the Bureau of Indian Affairs Superintendent, and eventually worked his way up to Director of Indian Affairs before officially retiring.

The military clearly had a positive influence in Wyman's life and for years he has touted the benefits the military can have to Native youth, but he's now careful to encourage anyone to join the service because of his deep concern over Iraq.

Regardless of his belief on the war, he is supportive of the troops over there. Coming from St. Ignatius, a town where many of its young men and women have enlisted their service to the country, Wyman understands their motives.

Many of them are like him, Wyman said. They came from families with strong military backgrounds and they want to carry that tradition. Wyman's brother was killed just before the second World War and many of his older cousins and brothers served in W.W.II.

"When [the war in Iraq] is over, it will be forgotten. Those guys will be suffering the same post traumatic stress the World War II, Korean and Vietnam guys did. It was tough for me at peace time," he said. "I can only imagine what it would have been like during war time."

Wyman said the Tribes should do more to recognize veterans. Although they have programs honoring tribal members who have served, Wyman believes they employment preference policy is inadequate. As tribal member himself, Wyman explained the Tribes do not give employment preference to veterans.

"They say there is, but it is nearly non-existent," he said. "It's too bad I am saying this, but the employment preference policy is not there. A veteran should have preference over someone else."