"The War Changed Me"

Duane “Doc” Wanna comes from a long line of military veterans. After some time at the University of Minnesota and at a few jobs, he decided it was time to join the military and “do what I had to do for my country, my people, and my nations.” But his time in Vietnam changed him and changed his mind about making the military a lifetime career.

This story is part of the collection The Call to Serve: Stories of Sacrifice, War and the Way Home, which was funded by the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation.

What does it mean to serve as a minority in a war where the enemy looks like you? Four Native American service members discuss the conflict in service that many of them felt during the Vietnam War.

Valerie Barber's presence was considered an experiment when she enrolled in mechanic school in 1974. Meet the Marine Corps first Female Native mechanic.