Crossing the Pond: The Native American Effort in World War II

by Jere Bishop Franco

"Crossing the Pond" is a term Native Americans used to describe the process of being transferred overseas for military duty. This was both an event and a duty taken quite seriously by tribal members,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1574410652
• ISBN13: 9781574410655
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: University of North Texas Press
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

An enjoyable, informative account of Native warriors

Jere' Franco has illustrated the sacrifice and important contributions Native Americans have made to the war effort, both in combat and on the home front. This book highlights the fact that despite centuries of warfare and oppression, Native Americans revitalized the warrior code and demonstrated their patriotism by fighting for the same U.S. Government their forefathersopposed. The photos capture the faces of the dedication and purpose Indians brought to the war effort, and Franco's writing reflects the extensive research she invested into telling this important, but often neglected, segment of history. Of unique interest to me was was how the Third Reich attempted to sway Native Americans against the American government, even to the extent of declaring the Sioux Nation "Aryan" and promising to repatriate the annexed lands back to native people should they rebel against their country. The cultural observances Indian people remark on in the course of the war are particularly intriguing, and following the reading of the book one is left with a profoundly-lasting appreciation of Native people and the role they played in protecting the interests of their nation. Whether your interest is in Indian culture, military history, anthropology, government reforms, or international relations, Crossing the Pond displays all of these elements in telling detail and challenges the assumption that Indian people have not contributed to America's security. In fact, given their consecutively high-enlistment rates in the military across the 20th Century, many have given their lives to protect the land and values of the ancestors. A wonderful book and an appropriate tribute to Native veterans.