A Catholic priest once knocked my father across the room for speaking Lakota in “class.” Dad went on to serve his country with honor and distinction in the U.S. Air Force. However, he could never ever escape or outrun his post-traumatic boarding school demons. I remember our father, in the stillness of the predawn darkness — weeping uncontrollably in his sleep. This Memorial Day I honor my father, Staff Sergeant Melvin Martin, for his heroic service to a country that tried to forcibly erase his cultural heritage and strip him of his Indigenous identity. Love you, miss you dad, Your son, John
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