North America's Indigenous Peoples have served in every war since the American Revolutionary War and the American Indian War all the way up until the present day. In fact, more Native soldiers have served than any other people group. There is a heavy price and Native veterans never seem to get the credit or benefits they deserve. As in this short story, this couple paid dearly for this soldier's time in Vietnam.
"I know what it is like to lose your tongue, husband," I whisper into Joe's left ear. I remember that ride from Oklahoma to North Carolina, my too-long legs curled into the metal wall of the bus. I rocked myself against the stained plastic seat and pretended that my church dress and red hat were for something other than being banished from home. Mile after mile, my tongue cleaved to the roof of my mouth, but inside, where it mattered, I was screaming.
"You are screaming on the inside," I tell my silent husband over dinner. I reach over and pat his hand. "You do not think that I would know, bec...
